《NoGift》


 Chapter 1: and then she died

    Chapter 1: and then she died


    SHE stared at the numerous monitors in front of her without any emotion. Men wearing ck ops uniform were stealthily walking as if afraid that they would rm their target. Her. She scoffed. Did they really think that she was unaware of their movements? The moment they entered this building she was already aware of their every move. Nothing could escape the nano cameras surrounding this building from inside out. Did those idiots from the military forget where this was? Or did they actually forget who she was?


    She was the most revered inventor of the 31st century. Making inventions after inventions since the age of five. From AI robots to flying cars to mundane electronic gadgets. She couldn''t even remember how many things she made for the past twenty years. And this, this ce was her nest. Herboratory. All her inventions, all her patents, they were here. That''s probably the reason why those idiots were attacking this ce now. To get those patents. And of course, to get her.


    Last month, this country officially dered war against country A. And those top officials wanted her to make weapons to fight for their war. Saying as how it''s her responsibility as a citizen of this country. She sneered. How did it be her responsibility? Was she the one who stupidly dered war against that country? Was she the one who caused it? No. She has nothing to do with it. She would not participate in their war just because her nationality happened to be the same as them. So she refused.


    As retaliation, they did everything to pressure her into agreeing. But what could they do to her, really? She has ample funds that could probablyst a hundred lifetimes, so they couldn''t threaten her with money. She''s an orphan with no known rtives, so they couldn''t threaten her with the lives of her family. She doesn''t have any friends. She was too busy with her inventions to be socially active. Basically they have nothing to threaten her with. That''s probably why they ended in this current situation. Sending special ck ops to herb to steal her patents and kidnap her. Did they really think she will make it that easy?


    She pressed a button on her keyboard and activated all the traps in the building. Soon, she heard the screams of those unsuspecting soldiers. She ignored it and started typing. Complicated codes appeared on the big monitor in front of her. She''s done with all the shit the government and military were throwing at her. They wanted to win the war? Then she''ll make sure they would lose. Those idiots also probably forgot that she''s a top level hacker. In this world where almost everything was controlled by technology, with her hacking ability, she could do almost anything. When she finished the code, she immediately pressed ''enter''.


    This code was a virus she specially made for this asion. It will released every dark secret the government and military has to the public. Then it will devour everyst one of their mainframe, slowly crippling the country in the process. This will no doubt affect the economy and stability of the country. Which in turn will affect the lives of the innocent citizens. But she really didn''t care. She wasn''t someone overly sympathetic. It could even be said that she''s indifferent to the extreme.


    Sure, she wouldn''t do anything that could cause the death of someone if she didn''t need to. But if the situation forced her to, she wouldn''t bat an eye either. That''s just how she was. And now, she''s pissed. Destroying the government and the military would definitely appease her.


    After she finished sending the code out, she turned her attention back to the special ck ops who''s now frantically scrambling away from the traps inside the building. As she hesitated if she should get some popcorn while watching these soldiers fend for themselves, the tightly locked door (which she reinforced with the most advanced security system) suddenly blew up. From the smoke, she first saw a pair ofbat boots. Then a pair of long, muscr legs tightly fitted in ck pants. Soon, she saw the person who apparently destroyed her door.


    It was a tall man, probably in histe twenties, wearing the standard ck ops uniform. His ck hair was also in a standard army crew cut. Anyone could see the strong muscles on his arms and wide chest. But his most noticeable feature was probably his eyes. A pair of obsidian ck eyes, so fierce it could probably cut into anything. But of course, it was not the first thing she noticed. It''s the gun he''s holding and currently pointing at her.


    "Please,e quietly with us, Doctor," he said in a deep voice full of authority. He said ''please'', but his tone definitely would not allow any kind of refusal.


    She stood up and sighed. To evade all the traps ande here as quickly as he did, this guy was probably an elite of the military. It''s not like she didn''t include in her calction the possibility that the military would send an elite soldier to apprehend her. This just meant that she would have to execute her n B.


    "I''d rather not," she said indifferently.


    She knew there''s no use saying that. This guy would probably just forced her toe with him. She''s not delusional enough to think that she could overpower him. She''s a genius, yes, but her physical strength could bepared to that of a chicken. There''s no trap left in this room. So she would surely be taken. Then she would be trapped in some base, forced to fix the government and military mainframe and then forced to make all the weapons they wanted. She sneered in her heart. She''d rather die than end up in that kind of situation.


    She sighed again. Looked like this was the end of her short life. Did she have any regrets? A certain memory shed inside her mind but she immediately tamped it down. No. She didn''t have one. She didn''t even have any lingering feelings towards this world, or towards her life.


    With that, she took a spherical object the same size as a baseball ball from the left pocket of herb coat. This was a specialized bomb she made. The power of this bomb was not that big, just enough to wipe out this whole building. She looked at the guy in front of her. She smirked then pushed the trigger button without any hesitation.


    A white light appeared. A prelude to the iing explosion. She started to close her eyes. But then she saw the expression on the guy''s face - a mix of horror and worry. Before she could even think why he would have that kind of look, everything disappeared with the deafening explosion.


    Thest thing she remembered was that soldier frantically shouting her name.

 Chapter 2: argent

    Chapter 2: argent


    SHE slowly opened her eyes. What greeted her was an unknown ceiling. She furrowed her brows. She felt the soft touch under her body. She felt somewhat weak. Like her body was drained of all energy. But she painstakingly forced herself to sit up. Her eyes glided around the room she was in. She was sitting on a big canopied bed. A big door was on her far left corner. There was a balcony and a floor to ceiling windows on her right. Not far in front of her was a moderately sized bookshelf and a dressing table.


    Her brows furrowed even more. She was certain that she was blown into pieces by that bomb she made. So why was she here, in this room, appearing to be very much alive? Did that soldier manage to save her? No, that''s impossible. Her distance to the bomb alone will make sure that nothing would be left of her after the explosion. And there''s no way that that bomb didn''t explode. Because she never made failed products. She could already feel an iing headache because of all the unanswered questions.


    She was about to massage her temple but her action quickly stopped when she saw her hand. It was small and dainty. Clearly a child''s hand. She raised her other hand. It was the same. How could a twenty-five year old grown woman have hands like these? These pair of hands definitely wasn''t hers! But when she tried to move and flex both hands, it moved and flexed the way she wanted it to. Telling her without an absolute doubt that these hands were definitely part of her body. She immediately looked down and inspected the rest of her ''body''. A t chest, short legs, small feet - indications that this was definitely a child''s body. But why was she in this body? Did she somehow shrink?


    But before she could think of an answer to those questions, the door suddenly opened and in came a girl wearing some kind of outdated maid outfit. She looked like a fifteen, sixteen year old girl with auburn hair tied in a messy bun and a smattering of freckles on her face. When the maid saw her, she immediately rushed beside the bed. Worry filling her brown eyes.


    "Young Lord, are you okay? Do you feel ufortable anywhere? Do you need anything? Water? Food? Should I call the doctor?" the maid continuously asked without missing a beat.


    Young Lord? Why was this maid calling her ''lord'' when she''s clearly a girl? She has no doubt about that because she also checked that part down there. Wait- did that maid just spoke in English? And in a British ent to boot. But before she could ask anything, the maid spoke again.


    "Oh, I should get the Duchess. Don''t worry, Young Lord, I''ll be back immediately with the Duchess." And then, she ran straight out of the room.


    Duchess? Now she''s just getting more and more confused. She looked at the mirror on the dressing table. Maybe some of this confusion would lessen if she saw what she looked like. She already have a hypothesis. Now, all she needed was some kind of evidence to form a solid conclusion. Even though she still felt weak, she forced herself to get up and walk to the dressing table. Once there, what she saw in front of the mirror almost startled her.


    The reflection she saw was a six, seven year old child. She has short silver hair that curls at the end. A small face with a slightly upturned nose and pink lips. Long, thick silver eyshes that fans her big purple eyes. And a delicate white skin. She looked like some kind of porcin doll. This... this was definitely not her face. That would mean that she didn''t shrink. Which only left her with her other guess. That she''s now inhabiting a different body.


    Based on the facial features of this child and the speech pattern of that maid, she could safely assume that she''s somewhere in Europe, probably in Britain. But how did she end up here? And in another body no less. Maybe this body could answer some of her questions. Surely, the original owner''s memory was still here. She went back to the bed and sat on the edge. She closed her eyes and tried to uncover the original owner''s memory. A wave of dizziness came to her and different scenes appeared inside her brain. When the dizziness subsided, she started to digest all the information that she saw.


    This was Earth, but not the same Earth she was originally from. Here, there''s a thing called Mana - a magical energy that every living being has. Because of this Mana, humans developed different kinds of supernatural abilities. Those abilities were called Gifts. But the level of those Gifts vary depending on the amount of Mana a person has. Gifts can be ssified into seven levels; SS, S, A, B, C, D, and E. SS being the strongest and E being the weakest. The difference between someone with an SS level Gift and someone with an E level was likeparing heaven and earth. For example, a person with an E level healing Gift could only cure a small physical wound while someone with an SS level could cure an entire army of dying soldiers. But not all humans have enough Mana in their body to develop a Gift. A small percentage of humans could not develop Gifts and were referred to as NoGifts.


    And the original owner of this body belonged to that small percentage. A NoGift.


    The original owner''s name was Argent ckbourne, the 19th Duke of Hanover in the Kingdom of Albion. Why did a young girl became a duke? Well, apparently it was all arranged by the current Duchess - the original owner''s mother. The former Duke - this body''s father - was a well known adventurer. On hisst voyage, he never came back. Nobody knew what happened. The ship he was in just disappeared in the sea. After half a year of searching, the former Duke was proimed dead. During that time, the Duchess was already heavily pregnant. If her child was not a boy, then the title of the Duke of Hanover and all the estates and properties will go to a distant male cousin. Because the title could only be passed to the male line.


    The Duchess gave birth to twins. But both of them were girls. The Duchess has no choice but to present one of the girls as a boy. And the lucky one to be selected was the original owner, Argent. The Duchess was not from an aristocratic family. She''s an orphan that the former Duke met during one of his adventures. If she lose the properties and estates that belonged to the Duke of Hanover, then she will have no way to properly support her children. Not to mention, she won''t be able to fund the search for the former Duke. Because up until now, the Duchess still believed that her husband was alive. And so, Argent was sacrificed.


    Too bad, the original owner turned out to be a NoGift. Every children in the Kingdom of Albion will be tested once they reached the age of one. There will be a ceremony to activate the flow of Mana in their body. To know what their Gift was and what level it would be. The original owner being a NoGift was quite the sensation back then. Because that was the first time that an aristocrat, and someone from a Duke''s family no less, turned out to be a NoGift. Many believed that it was because the former Duke married a barbarian, that''s why his son turned out like that.


    On the other hand, her twin, Aurum turned out to be quite the genius. An SS level telepathic Gift. But despite her outstanding result, there was one problem. She couldn''t control the overwhelming Mana that she possessed. Because Aurum''s Gift was rted to the mind, it was much more dangerous. Anyone with a low level Gift could turn into a mindless idiot just by being near her. The Duchess tried to control it using nullum - a special stone that could block the flow of Mana - but it only lowered her Gift by one level. The Duchess tried her best to treat Aurum as normal as she could but an ident three years ago made it almost impossible for her to do so.


    Aurum was living in a separate wing in the Hanover manor. All the servants serving there at least have B to A level Gifts. But one time, a maid identally destroyed Aurum''s favorite doll. Aurum''s state of mind immediately became unstable after that. The nullum bracelet she''s wearing broke and all that powerful Mana leaked out. It was already toote before the Duchess found out what was happening and took control of the situation. Five servants died and the rest became crazy. The families of those servants wanted to persecute Aurum for what happened but the King ruled it out as an ident. After all Aurum was from a high ranking noble family and she was still an SS level Gift. There''s no way the monarchy will persecute a talented aristocrat, no matter how dangerous she was. But the King warned the Duchess that if another incident like that happened, then the monarchy will take guardianship over Aurum.


    The infamy of the ckbourne twins became more intense after that. One was a known waste and the other a heartless monster.


    Because of that incident, the Duchess has no choice but to transfer Aurum to the tower in Hanover manor. Except for the Duchess, no one was allowed to interact with her. That also includes the original owner. But two days ago, the original owner tried to sneak inside the tower. That day was the twins seventh birthday and she wanted to give a gift to the twin who she rarely saw. The original owner knew that her mother would be angry but she really wanted to talk to Aurum. The day before that, she was bullied at school. She dared not talk about it with her mother because she didn''t want her to worry. But she wanted to talk about it to someone. Everyday, all of those children would tell her how much of a waste she was. None of them wanted to be her friend. So she thought maybe her twin could be her friend. But just after entering her sister''s room, her strong Mana immediately hit her mind and she lose consciousness.


    The original owner probably died because of that and for some unknown reason, her soul entered this body. The only conclusion she could think of was that the bomb she detonated somehow made a chasm in time and space and her soul somehow traveled trough that chasm. Then she ended up entering the first avable body she could find. Hence, this situation.


    She sighed. She stood up again and walked in front of the dressing mirror. She stared at the unfamiliar face. From now on, she has to live in this body. Then so be it. From this day onward, she will be Argent ckbourne, the 19th Duke of Hanover.

 Chapter 3: this new world

    Chapter 3: this new world


    ARGENT put down the book that she finished reading. This was the tenth book she read after she regained consciousness yesterday. If she wanted to understand this world better, then she just couldn''t depend on the original owner''s memory. After all, this body was only that of a seven year old. How much could a child like that really know about this world? And she didn''t really want to ask anyone around here. That would be too troublesome. So these books were her most reliable source.


    From all the reading that she''s done, she could clearly tell that this world has no technological advancement. Human''s way of living in this world mostly depended on Mana, Gifts, and magical tools. The lighting used in every household was some kind of mineral stone that evoked light once the sun sets. Foods can be put in a special pantry where the coldness inside can be regted using Mana. If you want to call someone, all you need was a defero crystal. It''s a crystal ball the size of an adult man''s fist. If you input your Mana into the crystal and think of the person you wanted to call, then you could connect to that person as long as they have their own defero crystal. There was no need for television or cinemas because the closest they have to that kind of entertainment were stage ys and operas. The main mode of transportation were carriages, ships, and flying beasts such as gryphons and wyverns.


    Argent admits that she''s quite interested in this way of living. Especially those magical tools that seemed to ignore thew of physics. She wanted to dismantle everyst piece and see how it works. Well, she will eventually have a chance to do that since the ckbourne family doesn''t necessarilycked in resources. Of course, she''s also interested in those flying beasts as well. In the Earth where she originally came from, those were just things of legends. She wondered if she could buy a gryphon. Then maybe she could dissect it and see how its inside could differ from other animals. She could do all thatter since those things were not really on top of her priorities right now.


    Since she already decided that she would live as Argent ckbourne, the least she could do was fulfill the original owner''s wishes. She might be indifferent but she''s not so ungrateful that she''d discard the original owner''s will. After all, she technically stole this body from her. The original owner, despite being such a weak chicken, was a genuinely kind child albeit a bit timid and slow. All she wanted was to protect her family, find her missing father, and help her twin sister live freely without being locked up. So she will fulfill all those wishes. Although she never really experienced having a family, as a form of gratitude to the original owner, she''s willing to care for these people.


    Protecting the current ckbourne family was not that hard, considering they''re still one of the few Ducal family in Albion. But once it''s revealed that the current Duke was actually a girl, then that''s another matter. The disappearance of the former Duke still remained a mystery. It''s actually kind of strange that the King''s court immediately dered him as dead just after six months of searching. There''s definitely some sort of conspiracy there. She was just not sure if the King himself was involved in that conspiracy. If he was, then the moment it was known that she was actually a girl, he might used that topletely wiped out their family.


    Or maybe she''s just thinking too much. After all, the incident caused by Aurum three years ago was a very good excuse to get rid of them. But not only did the King not do that, he even pardoned Aurum without any heavy punishment. But it won''t hurt to be careful just in case. The best thing she could do was to gather power and influence. So by the time the secret of her gender was revealed, even the King of Albion won''t be able to move her or her family. She already has a rough n in order to achieve that. But right now, on the top of her priority list was Aurum. She needed to get close to the girl. How could Argent help her if she couldn''t even speak to her?


    She stood up and was nning to get another book when the door of the library suddenly burst opened. Felicia - the maid she first saw when she woke up - came running in. She was the daughter of the head maid and the butler - the only other two people who knew about her real gender. Argent could tell that the Duchess was really smart. When she gave birth, the only people present were the head maid and the butler. Since she didn''t know if her child will be a boy or a girl, she chose the two people she trusted the most to help her gave birth. That way, if she needed to conceal the gender of her child, then the two people would have no qualms helping her.


    When Felicia saw Argent, she immediately gave a sigh of relief. "There you are, Young Lord, I''ve been looking for you everywhere," she said. She looked at the scattered books around the floor. Just when did the Young Lord have interest in reading? The Young Lord hated studying that''s why she never thought that he will be in the manor''s library.


    "What''s wrong?" Argent asked.


    "The Duchess personally delivered your lunch but you''re not in your room. She was so worried. Everyone is looking for you. You shouldn''t run around like this, Young Lord. Especially since you just regained consciousness yesterday. What if you suddenly faint again?"


    When she first met the Duchess yesterday, she told her that they found her lying unconscious on the steps leading to the tower. She first scolded her, telling her how foolish she''d been going to that tower without any protection. Then she embraced her, her body shaking. The Duchess told her how worried she was and how she could have died. That was the first time she''d been hugged by someone and she was surprised by how warm it was. Just by that, she could tell that the Duchess really loved the original owner.


    "Where''s Mother now?"


    "Hmm, probably looking for you in the garden."


    When Argent heard that, she walked outside the library.


    "Wait- Young Lord, where are you going?"


    "To Mother," she simply answered and continued walking.


    "Wait for me, Young Lord!" Felicia called, scratching her head. How could the Young Lord seemed to be calmer and more mature now? Totally different from his usual quiet and shy manner. Did what happen in the tower somewhat changed his personality? She shook her head. No, this was better. Now at least, he''s acting more like a Duke should.


    ----------


    Argent found the Duchess just walking out of the garden. She couldn''t help but stare at her new mother. Anthea ckbourne was a tall woman with short golden brown hair and a pair of amber eyes. Her skin was the color of bronze, it seemed to glow under the bright sun. Instead of wearing a dress, like any noble woman should, she''s wearing a tunic, trousers and knee high boots. Instead of describing her as beautiful, it''s more urate to say that she''s handsome.


    When Anthea saw her, she immediately ran to her. She knelt in front of her and held both her shoulders. "Where have you been? We''ve been searching for you for hours now," she admonished but the worry in her face couldn''t be hidden.


    Because of the incident three years ago, Anthea decided to limit the number of servants in the manor. Now, if something happened, they could only rely on a handful of people. Now, she seriously doubted if that was actually a good decision. If there were more servants around, then maybe someone could have stopped Argent from sneaking into the tower. Then nothing would have happened. If Argent actually died from exposure to Aurum''s Mana, she seriously wouldn''t know what to do. She already locked one of her daughters inside a tower, if she actually lost the other because of her own negligence, then she might as well kill herself.


    "I was just in the library, reading books."


    "I see. Does Argent misses school? You''ve been absent for a week after all."


    Argent raised one of her brows. How did this mother of hers gave birth to that idea? Was reading books equivalent now to wanting to go to school? Maybe it''s time to educate her dear mother about her real situation in that school for aristocrats.


    "Mother, actually, I don''t want to return to that school anymore."


    "Why?" Anthea asked, confused.


    It''s hard to study because almost everyone has been bullying me," Argent said directly. She has no intention to go back to that school. Despite this body now having a different soul, theposition was still the same. She''s still a NoGift. She could not even feel the so-called flow of Mana inside her body. She would not go back to a ce where she would just be tortured by those brats with Gifts. And she would not waste her time to scheme against those said brats. That would just be a waste of her precious brain cells.


    Anthea''s confused look immediately turned into anger. Her amber eyes almost looked like it was zing. "Who are those brats who dared to bully you? Tell me their names and I''ll make sure they will regret what they did!"


    "It''s fine, Mother. I could just transfer."


    "And let those brats get away with it? No, this Anthea ckbourne won''t have it," she said indignantly.


    "Mother, the consequence of what you''re nning to do will be too troublesome to deal with. So for the sake of peace in our family, just let it go."


    Anthea stared at her daughter incredulously. She can''t believe that those words just came out of her overly shy daughter. It''s like she was talking to an adult. She was suddenly filled with worry. Did the exposure from Aurum''s Mana change her personality? Looked like she had to monitor this daughter more intensely. "Okay. Mother understands. I will immediately look for another school for you."


    "Thank you, Mother. Could it be possible to look for a school outside Albion? Preferably in Amexem?" It''s a country in the Western continent that''s run in democracy. It''s known for being much more liberal and freepared to other countries. But despite that, it''s economy was still at the top of thedder.


    Anthea wrinkled her brows. "But why? That''s on another whole continent!"


    "Because I think they will be more open-minded there. People there won''t probably hurt me just because I''m a NoGift." But the sole reason Argent wanted to go there was because she would probably face less problems if she built a business there. Of course she won''t tell that to her mother.


    Anthea sighed. She understood her daughter''s reasoning, but how could she send her to somewhere so far away? Now she really wanted to roast those brats who bullied Argent. This was all their fault. "Let me think about it first, okay?"


    "Okay, Mother."


    Anthea stood up and held her daughter''s hand. "Now, let''s eat lunch first. I''m starving and I bet you are too," she said smiling down at Argent.


    Argent nodded. Now that''s out of the way, she''d just have to think on how she could get close to her twin sister.

 Chapter 4: shopping in town

    Chapter 4: shopping in town


    ARGENT looked at the small piece of paper she held. It was a list of things she nned to buy today. After careful deliberation, she finally thought of a way to approach her twin sister. Everythingy in that stone, nullum. It could block the flow of Mana. It was also the tool used by their mother to somewhat stop the continuous leaking of Aurum''s Mana. Her idea was to make some kind of shield that could prevent Aurum''s Mana from reaching her. She would also make a bracelet that could regte the flow of Mana. With that, Aurum would surely be able to control her Gift. And the mainponent of those two things was the stone, nullum.


    With those ideas in mind, she spent two whole days reading everything she could find in the library about nullum and its properties. Not only that but also about other stones and magical tools she could use to reinforce the things the she nned to make. If it''s in her original world, Argent would probably immediately build the things that she wanted to make as soon as the idea formed inside her head. But now, she''s not in her original world. Here, she had to understand how things worked first and thoroughly study itsposition.


    And now that she''s done with that, she''s ready to buy the things she needed. She had to go to town in order to do that. The Hanover manor was located at a small county. She couldn''t buy what she needed here. The only ce where she could buy all the things in her list was in the capital which was a good three hour carriage ride away from the manor. She was just not sure if her mother would allow her to go out without her supervision. But Argent has to convince her somehow. She wanted to solve the problem with her sister as soon as possible. The longer Aurum stayed locked up in that tower, the longer her ns would be dyed. So for the sake of moving along her ns, Argent has to approach her sister as soon as possible.


    She folded the piece of paper and put it inside the pocket of her trousers. Then she went outside her room. She just walked downstairs when she ran into the butler. Gregory Jones was tall and reed-like. His ck hair was slick back and his brown eyes were behind half-moon spectacles. His hawk-like nose made his appearance more severe and gave the impression of strictness. He looked to be in his early thirties but Argent knew he was much older than that, considering Felicia''s age. But that''s not really something strange since people in this world tend to have longer life span.


    "Good morning, Your Grace," he greeted, calling her in a proper manner befitting her title instead of calling her ''Young Lord'' which was what his daughter usually called her.


    "Good morning. Have you seen Felicia?"


    "I believe she''s cleaning one of the rooms upstairs, Your Grace."


    "Could you call her, please? And tell her to go to the study. Thank you."


    She didn''t wait for his reply and walked straight to the study. Once there, she knocked on the study''s door. Argent knew that during this time of the day, her mother was usually in the study checking on the estate''s ount books and probably replying to some correspondence.


    "Come in," called the voice of her mother from inside the study.


    She opened the door and came inside. "Good morning, Mother."


    Anthea immediately smiled when she saw her. "Good morning." She stood up. "Let''s go eat breakfast?"


    "Mother, before that, I have a request."


    "What is it?"


    "Could I go to town? Just for awhile? I just need to buy some things."


    "Sure. We''ll go after we have breakfast."


    "You don''t have to go with me, Mother. I know how busy you are. Besides, if you leave, then who would deliver Aurum''s food to her?"


    Anthea furrowed her brows. She wanted to argue but she knew her daughter has a very good point. She''s the only S level Gift user here in the manor. Which meant she''s the only one who could resist Aurum''s Mana. Since the moment she consented in locking up Aurum, she decided that she would never be far away from her. That''s the least thing Anthea could do since she really couldn''t be a proper mother to her. But she also couldn''t let Argent go out by herself when she''s still not sure if her exposure to Aurum''s Mana has some sort of after effects to her mind.


    "I''ll be fine, Mother," Argent said before Anthea could refuse. "I''ll bring Felicia with me."


    After she said that, there''s a knock on the door and she knew that was Felicia. So she opened the door herself.


    "Young Lord--"


    Argent didn''t let her finish and immediately pulled her inside. "Felicia, you''re going with me to town today. You won''t let anything happen to me, right?"


    "Of course, Young Lord!" Felicia immediately answered even though she didn''t really know why they suddenly had to go to town.


    Argent looked at her mother. "See, Mother, Felicia will protect me. So you can be rest assured."


    Anthea sighed and had no choice but to give in. Maybe she''s just worrying too much. "Fine. You can go to town."


    "Thank you, Mother."


    Anthea looked at Felicia. "Felicia, make sure that you won''t remove your eyes from Argent and that you will protect him with everything you have."


    "Yes, Duchess! I won''t let anything happen to Young Lord."


    And that''s how Argent and Felicia went to town after she and her mother had breakfast.


    ----------


    Argent looked outside the carriage''s window. They were already on the street of Londinium, the capital of Albion. If she couldpare the scenery outside to anything, then it could only be 19th century Europe. From the shops down to the dress that people wore. It almost felt like she traveled back through time.


    "Young Lord, what are you going to buy?" Felicia asked.


    "Just things."


    "Then can we go buy some sweets after you''re done buying those things?"


    Argent looked at the excited look of Felicia. It almost seemed like she was the child between the two of them. Of course, technically, she wasn''t really a child. But still. "Sure."


    Felicia squealed. Argent just returned her gaze back to the street. When she saw a certain shop she immediately told the carriage driver to stop. Once the carriage was parked, she went down and Felicia followed her. She walked straight to the shop that she just saw. It was a shop that sold magical tools.


    When she went inside, a salesperson immediately went up to her. She ignored him and looked around the shop. Based on the size of the shop and thevish interior, she could say that this was probably a very high-end shop. Good. That meant that the probability of finding two of the things she needed was very high. Then she wouldn''t have to go and find another store. There were many things on disy that she was not familiar with, but she didn''t need those so she just barely nced at them. Then finally, her eyesnded on two things. One was a bunch of Mana conductor, and the other was a group of amplification stone. She walked to the disy casing where those two items were.


    "Give me two dozens each of your best conductor and amplification stone," she told the salesperson who followed her.


    "Yes, milord."


    Just after a few minutes, the salesperson presented her with the things she wanted to buy. She inspected each and everyst one. After she''s done, she told Felicia to pay for it.


    "What are you going to do with these things, Young Lord?" Felicia asked while holding the paper bag where the things she bought were ce.


    "An experiment."


    An experiment? Was it an assignment from the Young Lord''s school? But Felicia heard that the Young Lord was going to transfer to another school. She shrugged. Well, it doesn''t matter. She''s much more interested in buying those sweets. "Then are we done buying the things you needed, Young Lord?"


    "Not yet."


    Argent was about to walk outside when a mocking voice suddenly fell into her ears.


    "Isn''t this the waste Duke?"


    Argent turned around and saw a nine, ten year old boy who just entered the shop walking up to her. She searched the memory of the original owner to know who this brat was. Because based on the way he''s acting, they probably knew each other. And she was right. This boy was one of her schoolmates who was constantly bullying the original owner. She sighed. She forgot that it''s the weekend, so it wouldn''t be weird to run into one of her schoolmates here. After all, most of them were living here in the capital.


    "You haven''t been to school for more than a week, we all thought you died or something. Turns out you''re just frolicking around," said the brat in the same mocking tone.


    She sighed again. She probably wouldn''t be able to get out of this store peacefully. Since this boy was taking the initiative to annoy her, then she might as well avenge the original owner. "Felicia, drown him. Just cover his head with water. We don''t want to wet his clothes," she said indifferently.


    "Yes, Young Lord," Felicia readily agreed. She''s been wanting to beat this boy since earlier. How dare him call her young lord a waste?


    "Y-you- w-what are you--"


    The boy didn''t manage to finish what he''s saying because his head was already covered by a ball of water and fell on the floor. Argent stared without any emotion at his wriggling figure. Felicia was an A level water Gift user, plus, from the original owner''s memory, she received rigorous training so her control was pretty spot on.


    The crowd started to gather around them and the salesperson who spoke to her earlier asked if she could tell her maid to stop. She ignored them. When the boy stopped moving, she signaled Felicia to stop. The ball of water on the boy''s head, disappeared in an instant. She walked to the boy and kicked his chest, making him coughed up the water that he just swallowed. He looked at her with hatred.


    "Y-you-! H-how dare you do this to me?!"


    "Why wouldn''t I dare? A mere Baron''s son, talking all high and mighty to a Duke? You''ve got a lot of nerve. Just be thankful I didn''t ask my maid to drain all the water in your body," she scoffed.


    The boy''s face immediately paled and gritted his teeth in silence. When Argent thought that that would be the end of it, the boy suddenly raised his hand towards her direction. Then three small fireballs appeared and attacked her. Felicia immediately extinguished the fireballs. But one escaped and grazed her arm. Oddly enough, Argent didn''t feel any pain. She looked down at her arm, a part of her sleeves were burned but there was no burn on her skin. That was... interesting.


    "Young Lord, are you okay?" Felicia worriedly asked, patting her and looking for any injuries.


    "I''m fine." She looked at the boy coldly. "Felicia, kick him until he lose consciousness."


    "Yes, Young Lord."


    Felicia only needed to kick the boy once before he doubled over and fainted. Argent turned to the salesperson and gave him money for any damages that they might have caused. Then she and Felicia went out of the store.


    On the second floor of the shop, two figures watched everything that happened. One has red hair and russet colored eyes. His body emit of exuberance and mischief. People would be easily drawn to him. The other has icy blue hair and a pair of pale blue eyes. If the other one was very animated, then this one was almost expressionless. There was almost an imprable cold air that surrounded him, making everyone afraid to get close. Both appeared to be ten, eleven years old.


    "Was that really the infamous waste duke? I thought he was as timid as a mouse. Looks like the rumors were wrong," said the red head. He looked at the boy beside him. "You''re going to stay near their manor, right? Maybe you should visit the ckbournes. You probably won''t be bored out of your wits there." The eyes of the blue haired boy chilled because of what he said. He immediately raised both hands as if in surrender. "Okay, I won''t mention your uing punishment again. But I really think you should visit the ckbournes while you''re there. You know, just to be polite."


    "I don''t need to be polite to anyone," the other boy said coldly.


    "Yes, yes, your highness."


    The blue haired boy ignored him and turned around to leave but not before ncing back to the door where the infamous Duke left.

 Chapter 5: testing her theory

    Chapter 5: testing her theory


    ARGENT was in deep thought. They were currently on their way back to Hanover manor. But her mind still couldn''t stop thinking about what happened in that shop. Of course she didn''t really care about that brat, he''s just an ignorant bully who will eventually grow up into a bastard. What she''s interested in was what happened after that boy suddenly attacked her. She looked down at her sleeve that was burned. Did that fireball just graze her sleeve and it didn''t reach her skin? But based on the damage on her sleeve, that would have been impossible. So then, why didn''t she receive any damage? She has a theory. But she has to test it first to make a proper conjecture.


    She nced at Felicia. She was eating one of the shortcakes they bought with relish. "Is it tasty?"


    "Yes, Young Lord!" Felicia replied happily, she didn''t even bother to wipe the cream on her face.


    Argent sighed at her clumsiness. She took a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped the cream on Felicia''s face. "You''re eating like a kid."


    Felicia blushed. This was the first time her Young Lord has done something like this. Her Young Lord has always been shy and won''t take the initiative to touch others. But somehow she doesn''t dislike this kind of Young Lord. With his silver hair and purple eyes, her Young Lord will surely grow up to be the most handsome Lord. She grinned. "Would you like a piece of this cake, Young Lord? It''s really delicious."


    "No. I don''t like sweets. Anyway, Felicia, I need you to do something for me."


    "What is it, Young Lord?" Felicia asked, full of seriousness.


    "I''ll tell you once we''re near the manor."


    Argent nced back outside the carriage''s window. An hourter, she could already see Hanover manor. She told the driver to stop and pulled Felicia outside.


    "Drive back to the manor without us," she told the driver.


    "But where are you going, milord?" the driver asked worriedly. "What am I going to say to the Duchess if she ask why I came back without you, milord?"


    "Tell her I''m going to pick flowers over the hill with Felicia and that we''ll be back soon. Oh, and don''t forget to give the things I bought to the butler or the head maid. Tell them to put it in my room."


    Before the driver couldin, Argent already pulled Felicia towards the nearby forest path.


    "Are we going to pick flowers, Young Lord? But that''s not the way towards the hill," Felicia said, confused.


    "Because we''re not going to pick flowers, silly."


    "Then what are we going to do?"


    "Remember what I told you earlier, about the thing that I want you to do?"


    "Yes, Young Lord."


    "I''ll tell you once we enter the forest."


    What Argent needed Felicia to do has to be done in a ce where no one could see them. This piece ofnd belonged to the ckbourne''s. Outsiders wouldn''t enter this ce so carelessly. So it would be safe to test her theory there.


    Once they enterd the forest, Argent let go of Felicia and turned to face her. "Listen, Felicia, whatever I ask you to do, I want you to do it without anyint. Do you understand?"


    "Of course, Young Lord. Whatever it is, I will do it."


    "Then I want you to attack me with your Gift without holding back."


    Felicia thought that she just had an auditory hallucination. How else could her Young Lord tell her that that he wanted her to attack him? "Could you repeat that, Young Lord?"


    "I said attack me with your Gift."


    "No!" Felicia immediately refused once she made sure that she didn''t hear it wrong. She was aghast to even think that she would attack her Young Lord. "How could I do that?"


    "Remember what I told you, that you can''tin?"


    "But Young Lord--"


    "Felicia, are you disobeying my order?" From the original owner''s memory, Argent knew that Felicia was very obedient to her. What happened in the shop only proved that. Felicia will probably do anything she asked of her. That''s why she''s the only one she could ask to do this.


    "N-no, Young Lord. It''s just that I can''t bear to hurt you," Felicia said, on the verge of crying.


    She sighed. "Fine. Then just close your eyes, point your hand to some random direction, and then release your Gift."


    "O-okay. I''ll do that." That''s definitely better than attacking the Young Lord.


    "Then do it now."


    Felicia immediately closed her eyes and pointed her hand to her right. A secondter, powerful balls of water were released from her hand. Argent walked towards the direction where the waternded. When she saw that one of the balls of water would pass by her, she held out her hand. The water didn''t pass by her, it disintegrated the moment it touched her skin. She looked down at her hand, it wasn''t even wet. She repeated that action for five times, and the same thing happened. Those waters just vanished whenever it touched her skin.


    "You could stop now, Felicia."


    The barrage of water balls stopped and Felicia opened her eyes. She saw that the Young Lord was so close to the ce where she released her Gift. Then she remembered what he told her earlier, about her attacking him. Did he purposely get in the way of those water balls? She was horrified by the thought. She immediately went to him. "Are you okay, Young Lord?"


    "I''m fine."


    But Felicia only breathed a sigh of relief when she checked that her Young Lord has no injuries. "Do you need me to do anything else, Young Lord?"


    She shook her head. "No, you''ve done quite enough."


    Yes. This was enough. Now it was certain that other''s Gift apparently doesn''t work on her. But it''s not because this body suddenly developed a Gift. She was sure of that. Not only because there wasn''t any mention of a nullifying Gift in all those books she read, but also because this body really doesn''t have that much Mana which was needed to produce a Gift. Now, she just needed to find an object that released Mana to fully solidify her conclusion. There will be plenty of those in the Manor.


    "Let''s go back, Felicia. And oh, pick some flowers along the way. Those types that Mother will like."


    ----------


    As soon as Argent entered the manor, her Mother came running towards her.


    "How was your trip to town?" Anthea asked, smiling down at her daughter.


    "It was fine, Mother. I managed to buy everything that I need."


    Anthea stared at her daughter and shook her head. Somehow, she''s still not used to this adult like Argent. Argent naturally noticed her mother''s expression. She knew it was because she wasn''t acting like the original owner. Well, what could she do? She''s not an actress, she''s an inventor. She doesn''t have the ability to copy the temperament of others. And besides, who would want to act all shy and timid in front of others?


    "I see. That''s good then." Anthea suddenly noticed Argent''s ruined sleeve. She reached for her daughter''s arm. "What''s this? Did something happen?" she asked worriedly.


    "Just a little trouble with a former schoolmate. You have nothing to worry about, Mother. As you can see, I''m quite alright. Felicia protected me well. Oh, right," Argent turned to Felicia and took the bouquet of assorted flowers she''s holding. "These are for you, Mother."


    Anthea looked like she still wanted to say something but in the end she just sighed and took the flowers that Argent handed to her. "Thank you. They''re beautiful," she said, smiling.


    "I''ll go to my room to rest then."


    Argent climbed the stairs and walked into her room. She immediately noticed the bags of the things she bought. It was ced on her bed. She walked to her dressing table and opened one of the drawers. If she''s not wrong, that thing should be here. She saw a small square box and opened it. Inside was a beautiful silver brooch that emits a faint silver light. There were stones in this world that contain a small amount of Mana, making them somewhat glow. Many people used those stones as jewelries or essories. The stone in this brooch was one of them. It was a gift from her mother on her and her twin''s fifth birthday. She picked it up and just like she thought, the moment she touched the stone, the faint light it emitted quickly faded.


    Now her theorypletely solidified. Because her soul was originally not from this world, so it also doesn''t follow thew of this world. Which meant this body now literally repels any form of Mana. Argent doesn''t know if this would have a negative effect on her bodyter. But for now, she would think of its advantages. Because now, she no longer has to worry about Aurum''s Mana affecting her. Her strong Mana wouldn''t have any effect on her now. She also no longer had to make that shield. She could focus on making that bracelet that would help her twin control her Mana.


    She stretched her arms and cracked her neck. Alright, let''s go make that bracelet.

 Chapter 6: meeting aurum

    Chapter 6: meeting aurum


    ARGENT excitedly raised the bracelet in her palm. She finally finished it. It took her three days but it''s finally done. She made a lot of mistakes at first because she''s not familiar with the materials she used. Theoretical knowledge was totally different from practical application. It''s not enough that she knew the material''sposition, she has to thoroughly understand it. That''s why it took too long.


    She looked around at the mess in her room. She''s been holed up here for the past three days. She only went out during meal times. Truth to be told, she''d rather not go out at all. But if she did that, then her mother will worry more. Argent barely kept her from going inside her room. It would be not good if Anthea found out what she has been doing. It might arouse more suspicion. Of course, once she took Aurum out of the tower she has no choice but to tell her about the bracelet she made. But if her mother learned about it now, she will definitely not believe that what she made would work. After all, how could her timid daughter suddenly make such a convenient item. She would think that she''s just doing that to see Aurum. And then she would be much stricter in her surveince. Then how would she get close to Aurum?


    She put the bracelet in her pocket and went outside her room. She immediately searched for Felicia and found her downstairs, cleaning. She walked up to her. "Felicia, let''s go outside."


    "Young Lord?"


    "y with me," she said and then continued pulling Felicia.


    Before they reached the main door, Nelly came from the kitchen holding a basket of freshly baked bread. Nelly was the head maid and the mother of Felicia. She was a plump woman with a veryely face. Once you see her, you couldn''t help but develop a good feeling towards her. Argent really wondered how this homely woman ended up marrying their stern faced butler.


    "Are you going out, Your Grace?" Nelly asked with a smile.


    "Yes, Felicia and I are going to y," she answered.


    "Then I''m going to make a delicious snack, so once you''re done ying you could replenish your energy."


    "Mama, I want strawberry shortcake!" Felicia said excitedly once she heard the word ''snack''.


    "This kid, always wanting to eat sweets," Nelly said shaking her head but not refusing Felicia''s request. She turned to Argent. "Then what do you want, Your Grace?"


    "Anything''s fine. Just not something that''s too sweet."


    Nelly of course noticed the change in the young lord''s taste. Before, she loved to eat foods that have over the top vors. But after that ident in the tower two weeks ago, she suddenly preferred foods with light vors. This contradiction was so ring that everyone in the manor noticed it. Not only that, the young lord''s temperament also made aplete 180 degrees change. If they weren''tpletely sure that this was their young lord, then they might suspect that she was reced by someone. The Duchess said that it might be the side effect of being exposed to the youngdy''s Mana. So they should monitor the young lord more carefully just in case. No matter the case, Nelly just hoped that it will not have any negative effect on their young lord. Because she already has too much burden to bear.


    "Then I will make scones," Nelly finally said.


    Argent nodded and pulled Felicia outside. She didn''t stop until they reached the garden maze.


    "What are we going to y, Young Lord?" Though the Young Lord never asked Felicia to y with him before, she won''t question him now. She''s kind of getting used to the sudden change of the Young Lord. It''s like, every time she saw him, he would always show him a new side.


    "Hide-and-seek."


    "Here in the maze?" Felicia wrinkled her brows. "But what if you got lost?"


    "That''s why you have to find me. Now close your eyes and count to ten."


    Felicia reluctantly closed her eyes and counted to ten. No matter, her Young Lord was right. If he got lost, then she''d just have to find him.


    Argent walked deeper into the maze. She knew her mother asked some servants to monitor her whenever she went outside the manor. To make sure that she won''t go near the tower again. But how could she simply cooperate? That''s why she asked Felicia to y hide-and-seek here in the maze garden. This maze was huge andplicated. Even if some servants followed them here, they wouldn''t find her so easily. This was the only chance she got to secretly go to the tower.


    She already memorized theyout of this maze. So she knew where the exit closest to the tower was. She closed her eyes and determined her location in the maze. Once she figured out where she was, she started walking towards her destination. After a few minutes she finally exited the maze, then she ran towards the tower as fast as she could. It wouldn''t be good if someone saw her. Then she saw a tall tower, vines of wild flowers snaking around it beautifully.


    No one was guarding the entrance. After that incident three years ago, servants were too scared to be in close proximity to Aurum. Those who weren''t afraid were probably only the butler and the head maid. But both of them also have their own duties so they couldn''t possibly stand guard here. Argent knew that her mother wouldn''t lock the entrance to the tower even after what happened to her two weeks ago. She already kept her daughter here, if she locked the entrance, then what''s the difference between Aurum and amon prisoner? That''s why Argent easily got in.


    Argent stared at the long and winding staircase and sighed. This was going to be kind of tough. She sighed once again and started her long trek. When she reached the final step, she almost copsed. Maybe she should start strengthening this body. In this world full of humans with powers, it wouldn''t be good to stay as a weak chicken. She evened out her breathing and opened the door in front of her.


    There, sitting beside a ss window was a seven year old girl. Her long hair was flowing behind her back like a golden waterfall. When the light hits it, it almost seemed like it was shining. She turned towards Argent, showing big amber eyes surrounded by thick golden eyshes. Her skin looked almost translucent, probably due to not being exposed to the sun for a long period of time. But that only added fragility to her image. It''s like Argent was staring at a weak angel that needed protection. This beautiful girl was her twin sister, Aurum.


    Just as Argent was observing her, Aurum was also doing the same thing. Aurum stared at the person in front of her. Silver hair and a pair of purple eyes. This person seemed to be a very beautiful young boy, but she knew that wasn''t the case. Because this person was a girl. Her twin sister, Argent. A NoGift who needed to disguise herself as a boy in order to retain the title of the Duke of Hanover in their family.


    She knew it was a secret between her mother, the butler, and the head maid. But they didn''t really need to tell her in order for her to know. Ever since she could remember, people''s thoughts just passed freely inside her head. She couldn''t control it. Even though she didn''t want to, she could still read what''s on their mind. They''re afraid of her, full of fear and disgust. What happened three years ago was probably her tipping point. The overwhelming Mana inside her just burst out. Before she knew it, she was already locked up in here.


    But that was probably for the best. At least here, people''s ugly thoughts won''t reach her. She didn''t have to hear from them how much of a monster she was. She only have to interact with her mother. Her mother was an S level Gift, so she could mask her thoughts from her. But sometimes, her thoughts leaked out. So Aurum knew that despite the affection and love, her mother was also afraid of her.


    Aurum stared again at this twin of hers and she couldn''t help but feel envious. Maybe being powerless was a gift in itself. But then, maybe Argent''s life wasn''t as good as she thought it was. She remembered what happened two weeks ago. She knew that Argent went here. Her thoughts entered her brain the moment she went inside the tower. Argent wanted to be friends with her because no one wanted to approach her. So she thought that since they were twins, maybe they could be friends. She couldn''t help but released a mockingugh at that. They were really twins. One was being avoided because she''s too weak, and the other because she''s a monster.


    She knew Argent wouldn''t be able to reach her room. Being a NoGift, she wouldn''t be able to withstand her Mana. And she was right. The next day, her mother told her that Argent lost consciousness on the way to her room. What Aurum was surprised about was that Argent was still alive. She almost thought that she died that day. And that the next day, her mother would me her for what happened.


    So how could Argent stand here now without seemingly being affected by her Mana? And why couldn''t she read any of her thoughts? There wasn''t even a bit of static. All there was was silence. Like an ocean without a wave.


    Argent looked around the room and noticed the nullum stones embedded in the wall. Then she brought her attention back to the golden angel in front of her. "Good morning," she greeted.


    Aurum stared at her. "How can you be here?"


    "I don''t know. Maybe when your Mana hit me thest time, I became immune. Or maybe because we''re twins so it doesn''t affect me that much." Argent walked in front of her. "What do you think?"


    Aurum knew she was just talking nonsense. But looking at those pair of purple eyes, she couldn''t help but believe her. Probably because her eyes were unexpectedly clear, there was no fear, mockery, or disgust. This was the first time she saw those kind of eyes directed at her. This was the first time someone could stand in front of her without her having to receive the other''s thoughts. And she didn''t really know how to feel about that.


    "What do you want?"


    "Our birthday was two weeks ago, so I''m here to give you a present." Argent took the bracelet from her pocket. When she was about to reach for Aurum''s hand, she immediately hid it behind her back. "It''s okay. I''m just going to put it on you. I promise it won''t hurt."


    Aurum didn''t know if she''s lying or not. Another first for her. Before she could answer, Argent already held her right hand. She was startled by the sudden warmth. And then a bracelet with a beautiful amber stone in the middle was put on her wrist. Before she could observe it more, she noticed one important thing. She could feel her Mana slowly dissipating. As if it was being contained in just one area in her body. She looked up at Argent. "W-what is this?"


    "I made it. So you could get out of here."


    Aurum''s mind was in a mess. She couldn''t understand what was happening. "W-what did you say?"


    "I''m going to get you out of here," Argent repeated.


    Aurum shook her head. How could she get out of here? No. No, she couldn''t. She doesn''t want to hear other people''s thoughts anymore. It would just continue to make her crazy. And what if what happened three years ago happened again?


    Argent stared at Aurum. She''s obviously having a panic attack. She sighed. She''s really not good with this kind of thing. But she had to do something somehow. She held both of Aurum''s hands. "Look at me." Aurum looked up and she could see panic and fear in those amber eyes. "Nothing of what you''re thinking would happen. You can feel it, right? Your Mana is not leaking anymore. You could be near people without affecting them. The same way that their thoughts won''t be avable to you."


    "I won''t be able to read other''s thoughts?"


    So that was what she was worried about. "You won''t. Unless you remove that bracelet that is."


    Aurum finally digested everything that Argent said. And just like she said, she could no longer feel her Mana leaking. "Why are you doing this?"


    "Because we''re twins. I want to help you. Living your whole life locked up here would be a great tragedy. You''re not a caged bird, Aurum. I don''t want you to fade away in this ce. And I want to be with you."


    "Y-you want to be with me?"


    "Yes." She wouldn''t be able to start with her n if Aurum stayed locked up here.


    Aurum never thought that someone would tell her that they wanted to be with her. It felt like her heart was being squeezed and she couldn''t breath. But when she thought about it, this was how things were supposed to be. They were twins. They''re supposed to stay together. She looked up at Argent. "Y-you... you won''t leave me?"


    "I won''t. As long as you need me, I won''t leave your side. I promised." And Argent meant it. Because this was one of the wishes of the original owner. She would do everything to fulfill that.


    Aurum felt like something was stuck in her throat. She stared at Argent''s clear eyes. It''s like she''s looking at a pair of beautiful starlight. Her breathing became hard. She could feel her heart beating faster and faster. She doesn''t understand what she''s feeling. Maybe it was the connection between twins. But whatever it was, she knew that this moment changed something inside her. She reached out her hands and embraced Argent, basking in her warmth.


    Argent was somewhat surprised by her move. She doesn''t really like close contact with other people. But since this girl was her twin sister, then maybe she could tolerate her more. She returned her hug and pat her back. "Let''s leave this tower."


    Aurum felt Argent''s arms around her. She didn''t notice the smile that appeared on her own lips. She hugged Argent more tightly. She would never let go of this warmth. Never. "Yes."

 Chapter 7: out of the tower

    Chapter 7: out of the tower


    THE TWINS walked out of the tower hand-in-hand. Argent really wanted to let go of Aurum''s hand. But then she thought of the current mental condition of Aurum, so she just continued holding her hand. Aurum experienced killing people at the age of four, then she was locked up in a tower for three years without any contact with others except their mother. Argent has no doubt that those factors definitely left a psychological shadow on her sister. If Argent let go of her hand now, she might think that she''s rejecting her. And she didn''t want her to think that. Right now, in Aurum''s mind, she''s someone who saved her from the tower. If Aurum thinks that she''s rejecting her, then that would only add to her psychological shadow. It would be even harder for her to have a somewhat normal mentality.


    This was an important growth period for Aurum. Anything that happened during this period could have a great impact on her. So in order to insure that she would grow up properly without any of those psychological shackles, Argent should do everything to give her wonderful memories. Memories that could overshadow those dark times. She would spoil her if she must. After all, this was the promise she made to the original owner. So even though she doesn''t really like physical contact with others, she could only endure. Who knows, maybe she could get used to it as time went by.


    They continued walking towards the manor. Because you need to bypass the maze garden in order to reach the manor, the first people who saw them were the two servants sent by their mother to monitor Argent. When they saw Aurum, they stepped back and a look of horror immediately passed their faces. Argent raised an eyebrow. Were they so scared that they didn''t even noticed that there was no Mana flow around Aurum? Which meant Aurum could not hurt them. Maybe what happened three years ago really left a big impact on the servants of this manor.


    "Y-Your Grace, t-this... please get away from t-thedy," said one of the servants.


    These idiots. If something bad would happen to her, it should have had already happened. She noticed Aurum trembling beside her. She''s probably scared by the reaction of the two servants. Argent patted her head and said gently, "It''s okay, I''m here."


    Aurum looked up at her, her big amber eyes were watery as if her tears woulde out any second. Then she smiled and her body also stopped trembling. "Uhm."


    Argent looked coldly at the two servants. "Is this the attitude you should show to the sister of a duke? How arrogantly disrespectful."


    The two weren''t able to respond immediately. She scoffed at them and pulled Aurum towards the direction of the manor.


    Aurum looked at Argent. She felt that indescribable warmth again. She never thought that relying on someone like this, having someone protect her, could feel this good. She tightened her hold on Argent''s hand. Yes. She would never let go of this hand.


    Argent looked down at Aurum when she felt that the grip on her hand became tighter. "What''s wrong?"


    Aurum smiled at her. "Nothing."


    When they reached the manor, the first one to see them was the butler - Gregory. The usual stern face showed a surprised expression when he saw Aurum. But after just a few seconds, his expression returned to normal. He probably noticed that there was no Mana flow around Aurum. Now this was what apetent servant should be, unlike those two earlier.


    "I''m going to call the Duchess," Gregory calmly said.


    "Please do so. We''ll be waiting in the sitting room." Argent pulled Aurum towards the sitting room. Once they entered, she guided her to the nearest seat and the both of them sat down. "Do you want to drink tea?"


    Aurum shook her head. "Mother - will she be angry?"


    "No. I think she will be surprised. But ultimately, she will surely be happy. So, don''t worry too much, okay?"


    "Okay."


    It didn''t even took a minute before the door of the sitting room opened and Anthea came running in. When Gregory told her that Argent took Aurum out of the tower, she readily thought that he was joking. But this was their strict butler, she doubted if he even knew how to joke. But what he said surprised her even more. That he couldn''t feel any Manaing out from Aurum''s body. So she didn''t waste time and immediately went here in the sitting room. And the first thing she saw was her twin daughters sitting together. Something she didn''t think could even be possible.


    Anthea''s first instinct was to pull Argent over. But then she remembered what Gregory said. She stared at Aurum and sure enough, there wasn''t a shred of Mana leaking out of her body. But how could that be possible? She looked at her other daughter who''s calmly sitting beside Aurum. "H-how...? Argent?"


    "Mother, remember how I was holed up in my room for the past three days? Well, I was making this." Argent raised Aurum''s hand where the bracelet was. "It''s a special bracelet primarily made of nullum. I made it in a way so that it could stop the leaking of Mana in Aurum''s body. And as you can see, I seeded."


    Anthea walked slowly towards them. Then she knelt in front of Aurum and held her hand. She stared intently at the bracelet. Nullum wasn''t the only thing in the bracelet, she could also see amplification stones and stones that could conduct Mana. She just doesn''t understand how thebination of these things could produce such an amazing effect. And Argent was the one who made it.


    She looked at Argent. "You really made this?" Argent nodded. "How?"


    "I don''t know. There''s just a lot of knowledge inside my head. Maybe when I was hit by Aurum''s Mana two weeks ago, it actually woke the inner genius in me," Argent said, lying through her teeth. Good thing she has a poker face. "But that''s not what''s important now. Now, Aurum doesn''t need to be in that tower anymore. It''s totally safe for her to be around people. She could have a life out of that tower. Isn''t that great, Mother?"


    What Argenttter said, finally made Anthea realized one important fact. Aurum was no longer leaking Mana. She wouldn''t hurt people just by being near them. Anthea no longer had to lock her daughter in that dreadful tower. And most of all, the three of them could finally be together. "Yes, yes, it''s great," she said, she didn''t even notice the tears that flowed down from her eyes.


    Aurum raised her hand and wiped their mother''s tears. "Don''t cry, Mother."


    Anthea held her daughter''s hand and tried to control her tears. "Mother is just happy. My baby could finally be with me and her brother."


    "It''s all thanks to brother."


    "Yes." Anthea put her other hand on Argent''s cheek. "You did great, Argent." Then she hugged both her daughters. "My babies."


    ----------


    Argent slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Aurum''s angelic face. After getting her out of the tower yesterday, Aurum didn''t even want to separate from her for even one second. So Argent could only let her sleep in her room. She doesn''t really mind. Since she already decided to be more tolerant of her.


    She got up. She debated whether she should wake Aurum up but at thest minute she decided against it. This was probably the first decent sleep Aurum had in a while, being locked up in that tower and all. Argent fixed the quilt covering Aurum and then went out of the room. She walked down the stairs and saw her mothering out of the study.


    "Good morning, Mother," she greeted.


    "Good morning. Your sister?"


    "Still asleep."


    "Did she sleep alright? No nightmares?"


    "No, she slept quite peacefully."


    Anthea breathed a sigh of relief. "That''s good."


    "Mother, do you still remember when I asked you about me transferring to a school somewhere in Amexem? Could I get your decision on that?"


    That was what Aurum heard when she went down the stairs. Hearing that immediately filled her with extreme fear. "No!" she shouted, tears already flowing down her cheeks. "You said you will be with me from now on. That means you can''t just leave me!"


    Both Argent and their mother looked at her direction. Argent walked up to her and wiped her tears. "Hey, calm down. Who said I''m leaving you? When I go to Amexem, of course I''ll go there with you."


    "R-really?" Aurum asked, still sobbing.


    "Really."


    Aurum finally smiled and hugged Argent. "You''re really the best, Brother."


    "You two, I still haven''t agreed to that particr decision," Anthea slipped in, breaking the sisterly moment of the two.


    Argent nced back at their mother. "I still think it''s the best decision, Mother. Both me and Aurum could have a fresh start there. We can''t do that here. The both of us are too infamous for that to happen."


    Anthea understood what Argent was saying but she was still a bit reluctant.


    "Besides, don''t you and Father have a close friend there who you can entrust us to?" Argent continued. She heard from Nelly about that particr friend. It''s also one of the reasons why she chose Amexem.


    A man with dark blond hair and green eyes suddenly popped up inside Anthea''s head when she heard what Argent said. "That''s true. But..."


    "And now that Aurum''s fine, you could finally lead the search for Father. I know you''ve been wanting to search for him. And now you finally could. You don''t have to worry about us. I promise I will take care of Aurum."


    "And I will take care of Brother," Aurum added enthusiastically.


    Anthea looked at both of her daughters and she couldn''t help but tear up again. She was still somewhat worried about the sudden change in Argent''s temperament. But seeing her right now, observing her for the past two weeks, and discovering her making a miracle device that could help her sister, she could only be thankful for this change. And Aurum, this was the first time she''d seen her so lively. Whenever she went to that tower, she couldn''t see any emotions in those amber eyes. As if she already gave up on life.


    She sighed helplessly. "Alright. But I will be there with you until you properly limate to your new environment. And I also need to inform the court about this. You''re a duke and Aurum is an SS level Gift. It might take a while before we get permission."


    "I understand. But Mother, could you not mention about me making this bracelet for Aurum?" If they learnt this, she has no doubt that it would be too troublesome.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t." Even if Argent didn''t mention that, Anthea has no ns telling the court about her daughter''s invention. Who knows what those people in court would do when they learnt that, especially that sly king.


    "Thank you, Mother."


    "No need for thanks." Anthea walked up to her daughters and put her hands on their shoulders. "Now let''s go and have breakfast."

 Chapter 8: disaster in the forest

    Chapter 8: disaster in the forest


    AURUM happily clung to her brother''s arm. Yes, she knew Argent was really her sister. But who cares anyway? She just loved referring to her as her brother. The both of them were going to go out today. Argent invited her to go around thend surrounding Hanover manor. ording to her, it might take years before theye back here once they traveled to Amexem. So it would be good if she could at least look around theirnd while they''re still here. After all, she''s been locked up in that tower for three years and even before that, she didn''t really have a chance to go out of the manor. ording to her brother, it would be good for her to see the surrounding scenery.


    Aurum didn''t really care that much about going out and things like that. But since it was her brother who suggested it, of course she''s happy toply. As long as Argent would go with her, then she has no problem at all. When they went out the manor, there was a gray and brown mare waiting for them. The stable master was holding both their reins. Their mother was also there and beside her was that maid, Felicia, holding a pic basket.


    Anthea walked up to them. "I asked Nelly to prepare all your favorites snacks so you could eat whenever you feel like it. Felicia will hold onto it. Just be careful and don''t go too far away. Make sure to stay in the premise of ournd," she worriedly reminded her twins. She really wanted to go with them but she still has a lot of things to take care of. Like reaching out to the pce to inform them about her daughters temporary transfer to Amexem.


    "Don''t worry, Mother, we''ll be fine," Argent assured her. "Besides, Felicia is there to monitor us."


    "Yes, Duchess, I''ll take care of Young Lord and Young Lady," Felicia added enthusiastically.


    Anthea sighed. "Then go ande back before lunch time."


    "Yes, Mother." Argent looked down at Aurum. "Let''s go?"


    "Where will I ride, Brother?" Aurum asked while looking at the two horses in front.


    "With me, of course."


    When Aurum heard that answer, she couldn''t help but smile. Her brother really was the best.


    Argent led her sister towards the two horses. She didn''t really know how to ride a horse but good thing the original owner did. So she only needed to dive into the original owner''s memory. The stable master knelt down to help her up the gray mare. Once she''s up, she held her hand towards Aurum. Her twin reached up to her hand and the stable master also helped her get on the horse. With their cooperation, Aurum sessfully got on the horse. She sat in front of Argent.


    Argent looked back at Felicia. "Felicia, let''s go."


    "Yes, Young Lord!"


    Once Felicia got on her own mare, Argent held the reins and gently kicked the side of the gray mare to make it start moving.


    Aurum happily leaned back on Argent, savoring the warmth that surrounded her. This moment would probably be perfect if not for the annoying tail behind them. She nced coldly at Felicia. She really didn''t like this maid. Always moring around her brother like a bee. Stealing her and her brother''s precious time. If she could, she really wanted to dismiss her.


    Aurum took back her gaze. "Why should that Feliciae with us?"


    Argent looked down at her sister, clearly seeing the pout on her face. "And why shouldn''t shee with us?"


    "I just don''t like her."


    Well, Argent certainly noticed that. Since Aurum woke up two days ago, whenever Felicia came close to her, her sister always gave her the stink eye. As if she''s annoyed by the maid''s mere presence. "Aurum, don''t be too hard on Felicia. She''s a good girl and very loyal. It would be to our advantage to have her around."


    Aurum frowned. "Do you like her more than me?"


    Argent was momentarily stunned by the question. She doesn''t understand what that has to do with anything. But she still answered Aurum nheless. "How could that be? You''re my sister. Of course I like you more than anyone else." Well, at least she would try to. As high as her IQ was, her EQ was equally low. She doesn''t understand human emotions as well as others. But for her promise to the original owner, she would try to invest her emotions and affection to this new family of hers.


    She probably gave Aurum the right answer because of the smile that bloomed on her sister''s face. "I also like you more than anyone else."


    She just smiled at that. "Then you should cut Felicia some ck since she will also be your maid. Besides don''t you think you should give props to her for not being afraid of you?"


    Yes, Felicia was the only servant (aside from Gregory and Nelly) who didn''t tremble with fear when she saw her. But she still doesn''t like her being around her brother. In the end, she could only put up with it. "Fine. I will try to tolerate her from now on."


    ----------


    By the time it was near noon, they managed to stroll through a third of their family''snd. They were now on a flower field on the West side of the manor. They''re mostly done eating the snack they brought.


    "Young Lady, do you want another slice of ham?" Felicia asked. Aurum ignored her. She scratched her head. Why does she have the feeling that the Young Lady doesn''t like her? She shook her head. This should not make her feel down. If the Young Lady doesn''t like her, then she just has to do her best to change that. She looked again at Aurum, full of enthusiasm. "Then, Young Lady, do you want a cupcake or a pudding?"


    "She''ll take the cupcake," Argent said before Aurum tried to ignore Felicia again. She took a cupcake from the basket an put it on Aurum''s te.


    Aurum pouted and begrudgingly ate the cupcake. Argent couldn''t help but chuckle because she looked just like a small squirrel. She wanted to poke her sister''s cheek but before she could do that, they felt a sudden tremor. Argent thought it was an earthquake, until she saw a huge mountain of ice on the deep forest on their right side. The ice was slowly spreading throughout the forest.


    Argent stood up. She had no doubt that that ice was from a high level Ice Gift user. And based on what she''s seeing, their Gift was probably getting out of control right now. She looked at her sister who''s currently hugging her arm and staring at the huge icicles at the distance. She turned to Felicia. "Take Aurum back to the manor."


    Aurum turned her head to her. "Brother, what are you going to do?"


    "I will check what''s happening out there."


    "No!" Aurum immediately countered. "You can''t go there. What if you turn into an ice statue or something?"


    "I agree, Young Lord. It''s too dangerous. If you really want to check what''s happening, then I will go." - Felicia.


    "Yes! Let Felicia go."


    Argent sighed. She doesn''t really want to go either, honestly. But in this ce she''s probably the only one who could stop that out-of-control Gift user. Aside from the fact that those ice wouldn''t affect her, she still has an extra nullum bracelet - the same one that she made for Aurum. She actually made two, in the event that the other one would not work.


    She looked at the two girls in front of her, both looking at her with eyes full of worry. "I''m going to be fine, I promise. So just go back to the manor for now, okay?"


    She didn''t wait for them to reply, she pulled her arm from Aurum''s clutch and immediately ran towards the forest.


    "Brother!"


    Aurum''sst shout was thest thing she heard before she entered the forest. She ran towards the part of the forest with a high concentration of Mana where the Gift user would probably be. Half-way through, he saw a boy with red hair running towards her. Based on his trajectory, he probably came running from the source.


    When the boy saw her, there was confusion in his russet colored eyes. Then his brows wrinkled and immediately stopped in front of her. "What are you running here for? Can''t you see that mountain of ice over there?"


    Argent has no time to care about him. So she directly bypassed the boy and put more speed to her legs. She heard the boy shouting at her but she just ignored him and ran much faster. Until she reached an area where ice already spread. But that didn''t stop her. Wherever she walked, the ice on her feet will dissipate. When she reached the source, she almost couldn''t believe what she''s seeing. In front of her was a tall wall of ice. It was probably much higher than the tallest tree in this forest.


    Argent took a deep breath and walked towards that wall of ice.

 Chapter 9: the bastard prince

    Chapter 9: the bastard prince


    WINTER Percival de Albion was the second prince of the Kingdom of Albion. An iparable genius with an SS level Gift. The most favored son of the King. The likely heir to the throne. But before he became all that, he''s just a boy from a small vige living alone with his beautiful mother. It all changed five years ago. When he opened the door to a man wearing the most majestic clothes and with hair and eyes the same color as his own.


    The man introduced himself as his father. Winter didn''t doubt him. After all, they looked almost alike. Like two peas in the same pod. The man told him that he would take him away and that they would live together. Winter was ecstatic when he heard that. Because he always wanted to meet his father. He was always envious of the other children in the vige who have their mothers and fathers with them. Now, he didn''t have to be envious of them anymore. He was so happy, he didn''t even notice the horrified look of his mother when she saw his father standing in front of their doorstep.


    By the time he understood everything, it was already toote.


    His father took him to a castle much bigger than the whole vige he grew up in. He was amazed and in awe. He couldn''t believe that he''s going to live in such a ce from now on. But he couldn''t truly be happy because his mother was left in the vige. His father said that she still had to prepare some things before she could join them. Winter didn''t doubt him. So he only told his mother that she should finish whatever it was she''s supposed to do so they could all be together. His mother only showed him a very sad smile before hugging him tightly.


    When they reached the castle, Winter learned the identity of his father. He''s not just anyone. He''s the most revered king of their kingdom. And suddenly, Winter became a prince. Before he could even adapt to his new identity, he met his brothers and sisters. And the queen. The moment he met them, he realized one very important thing. His mother didn''t have anything she should finish, she stayed at the vige because she couldn''t go with them. Because his father already had a wife. That moment was the start of his hellish life.


    He faced the hatred of his half-siblings everyday, the cold eyes of the queen, and the obvious disgust of the pce''s servants. It''s fine. He could handle all that. What he couldn''t take was what his father told him. That he couldn''t see his mother anymore. That the moment he stepped in this castle, he already became the second prince of this kingdom. That as a prince, he had his own set of responsibilities. So he should forget about his mother because she was no longer a part of his life.


    That''s when Winter finally understood the meaning of his mother''s sad smile. Because she probably knew that they will never see each other again. How stupidly naive he was. To think that the happiness that day brought him, gave her mother unending grief. From then on, his heart started to be covered in ayer of ice.


    Later on, Winter discovered that the only reason that his father came looking for him was because he found out about the result of his Gift assessment. None of the four children of the king and the queen inherited the king''s SS level ice Gift. The highest one was the first princess who has an S level ice Gift. Which disappointed the king for so many years. Until he found out about Winter. Unlike his other children, Winter inherited his superior level Gift. So the first chance he got, he immediately took him back and legally registered him on the royal family''s ancestral line.


    Winter''s heart just became colder and colder after that.


    As years went by, he stopped asking the king about his mother. Because he knew, he would never get a proper answer. But he had to do something to at least ensure his mother''s safety. Because even at an early age, he understood that those people who were against him would sooner orter use his mother to subdue him. So he made a deal with the king. He would be an obedient and outstanding prince as long as the king made sure that no harm will fall on his mother. Of course he had to provide proof every year that his mother was living well.


    The only reason he could think of why the king agreed with this deal was probably because Winter didn''t ask to see or to talk with his mother. It probably gave his selfish prick of a father a false sense of security. Knowing that he will never try to run off as long as he ensured his mother''s safety. Because as long as he didn''t run or cause trouble, then the king could cultivate him as the heir to the throne without any worries.


    Winter epted his new role. He learned everything that his father wanted him to. National policies, economics, history - everything that could make him a great ruler in the future. But he didn''t forget to use all the resources given to him by his father to his advantage. Because he couldn''t fight against the king right now. Hell, he couldn''t even fight against the queen. So he woildn''t hesitate to use his father''s ambition for him. Not until he''s strong enough to fight back.


    But the king''s favor towards him didn''t stop others from scheming against him. Particrly his eldest half-brother. He was hell-bent on destroying Winter. Because of the obvious reason that he wanted the crown for himself. Too bad the king didn''t even put him in his eye. If not for the queen, their father probably has long thrown the first prince out of the pce.


    It was also because of this stupid eldest brother that Winter was put on house arrest in this small county. His youngest brother''s pet - a rare snow wolf - went missing. It was just a cub so it couldn''t have gotten far. The wolf was a gift from the queen, so she personally sent all the avable guards in the pce to look for it. After looking in almost all parts of the pce, his good eldest brother ''kindly'' suggested to look in everyone''s room.


    Winter already had a bad hunch after he heard that. Sure enough, the corpse of the wolf cub was magically found in his room. In his closet no less. His eldest brother immediately took that chance to use him of killing the cub. Of course their father didn''t believe him. There wasn''t even a concrete evidence that Winter did it. But in order to appease the queen, the king still decided to punish him. Then, the first princess timely suggested that the king could put Winter in a house arrest for a week. And so, he ended up here.


    He wondered at first why the first princess suddenly suggested that. But now, experiencing this excruciating pain, as if his whole body was being torn into pieces, he understood.


    The king sent a couple of his loyal guards to go with him along with several servants. This morning, Mis Greaves - the Earl of Brightmore and the eldest son of the Duke of Wakefield - came for a surprise visit. He invited him to go hunt in the woods. Winter wanted to kick him out but he knew he wouldn''t stop annoying him until he agreed. So after eating breakfast, they went to the woods together with some of the guards.


    Ten minutes after that, Winter noticed that something was wrong with his body. His Mana started to riot and without any warning his Gift just went out of control. Ice spread everywhere in a blink of an eye. The guards with them were immediately caught by the ice. Mis managed to get away just because his Gift was the opposite of his - fire.


    It was hard to think with all the pain he was feeling. But he knew for certain that it was impossible for him to get out of control unless someone did something to him. Then he remembered the breakfast he just had. Something must have been put in his food or his drink. Some kind of chemical that could agitate the Mana flow in someone''s body. One of the servants probably did it. The face of the first princess came into his mind and his insistence of putting him in this ce for house arrest. He wouldugh if he could. Looks like he''s still as stupidly naive as ever.


    So this was her n. To have him go berserk near thend of a Duke. If no one could stop him in time, then he could seriously hurt or even kill innocent people. The punishment for that would certainly be much biggerpared to killing the pet of a prince. He gritted his teeth in anger. That fox!


    He bit his lower lip and tried to endure the pain. He wanted to stop the uncontroble flow of his Mana, but he just couldn''t. If this continues, he will lose consciousness sooner orter and who knows what kind of tragedy he would wake up to. He just hoped that Mis will be able to find help or at least warn the people nearby.


    Winter looked ahead. He wasn''t sure if it was his eyes ying tricks on him. But he just saw a small shadow running towards his direction.


    ----------


    "Young Lady, pleasee with me," Felicia said while trying her best to stop Aurum from running towards the forest.


    "No! Let go! Let go!" Aurum shouted, wildly iling her arms and legs to get out of Felicia''s hold. "I said let go!"


    Felicia suddenly felt small needles attacked her brain. She whimpered and held her head with both hands, letting go of Aurum.


    Aurum nced back at Felicia because she suddenly let her go. She saw her holding her head and whimpering in pain. She immediately understood that it was because of her Gift. Aurum looked at her bracelet. She saw a crack on one of the small crystals. No. No. No. She couldn''t lose control. She couldn''t break this bracelet. It was something her brother gave her, so she couldn''t. She needed to calm down. Calm down. Calm down.


    Felicia reached out to Aurum and held her hand. "L-let''s go b-back, Y-young La... dy."


    Felicia''s action immediately calmed Aurum. Despite the pain she''s feeling, she still tried to stop Aurum. And even now, there was still no fear in her eyes. That drastically lessen Aurim''s annoyance towards her and felt that she could tolerate her more now. "I will stay here. You go back to the manor and tell Mother what''s happening."


    Felicia felt that there was no pain in her brain anymore but she didn''t have time to worry about that because of what the Young Lady said. "You can''t. The Young Lord said we should go back together."


    "I will stay here and wait for my brother. You can''t change my mind. So don''t waste time and go!"


    "B-but--"


    "I won''t go after Brother. I will stay right here. So just go!"


    Felicia''s expression was full of hesitation. But at the end, she had no choice but to agree with the Young Lady. Because she''s right. They would just continue to waste time arguing here. "Young Lady you must promise that you won''t go in the forest. Or else the Young Lord will surely be mad at you."


    "I know."


    That''s right, her brother would surely be mad at her. Even though she really wanted to go after her brother, after calming down, she knew she could do nothing even if she did. So she had no choice but to stay here and wait for her brother. Because she had no doubt in her mind, that Argent wille back.


    Felicia ran towards one of the horses and rode away. Aurum looked back at the forest.


    "Brother..."


    ----------


    After going through that huge ice wall and disintegrating most of the ice that came after, Argent finally saw the source of it all. It was a boy, probably ten, eleven years old, with icy blue hair. He was crouching down on the ground, his body, writhing. He looked up at her and saw a pair of pale blue eyes. There was ice forming on his eyshes, even his lips were already turning blue. He''s probably feeling a lot of pain right now based on his body''s bodynguage. But that pain didn''t trante on his face. It remained cold and impassive.


    Argent suddenly thought that she had already seen this face somewhere. So she immediately searched the original owner''s memory and sure enough, she quickly found this boy''s identity. The second prince - Winter Percival de Albion. No wonder this forest could be turned into an ice forest in a matter of minutes. She heard that the members of the royal family of Albion tend to be ice Gift users. And in the current generation, this boy in front of her was the most powerful.


    This second prince was quite famous. Not just because of his outstanding abilities, but because of his origin. If she remembered correctly, his mother was a famous opera singer. She had an affair with the king and when she found out that she was pregnant, she ran away. That''s why the nobles have another name for the result of the union of the king and the opera singer.


    The bastard prince.


    Winter saw a boy with silver hair that perfectly curled around his face. With that pale skin added to the soft contours of his face, he should have looked very delicate. But instead, he just exuded indifference. It''s those eyes. It''s as if nothing or no one could enter it. He furrowed his brows when he realized there was really someone in front of him. Why the heck was the current Duke of Hanover here?


    "Leave," Winter bit out.


    Argent ignored him and knelt down. She observed him. Despite his cold face, it''s very obvious how much pain he''s currently experiencing. The more pain he felt, the more out of control his Mana would be. And it would be more troublesome for them, especially if this ice got out of this forest. She tried to reach out for his hand so she could put the nullum bracelet on him. But before she could do that, she was violently pushed. She probably flew a few feet away because of that.


    "I said leave!"


    Argent stood up, feeling the pain from her backside. She red at this bastard prince. This was probably the first time she felt so annoyed. She strode towards him.


    "Leav--"


    Before he could finish what he''s saying, she already raised her hand and pped him. "If you tell me to leave one more time, I will punch the shit out of you. So calm the heck down."


    Winter was pped. It didn''t have much force. It didn''t even add to the pain he''s already feeling. But the p itself was more shocking to him than having his Gift go out of control. Before he could form any sort of reaction, Argent already knelt in front of him and took one of his hand. Then he saw him tying some kind of bracelet on his wrist. And suddenly, all the pain stopped. He couldn''t even feel the flow of his Mana.


    He looked at the bracelet unbelievably. But before he could say anything, his consciousness started to slip away. And then everything turned ck.

 Chapter 10: a sudden interest

    Chapter 10: a sudden interest


    AURUM has never taken her gaze away from the forest in front. That''s why she immediately noticed that the ice seemed to have stopped spreading. The image of her brother immediately came to her mind. Did her brother do something? Of course her brother definitely did something. Argent wouldn''t go inside that forest without any sort of n.


    These past few days, she already had a good handle on her brother''s personality. She''s indifferent to the extreme. She looked at other people as if they don''t even exist in her world. Her eyes only softened whenever she looked at her and their mother, and also at Felicia and her parents - Gregory and Nelly. With that, Aurum understood that to her brother, they were people she considered as important. That''s why she knew that her brother ran to that forest not because she wanted to be some kind of savior but because she must have thought that if this ice continued to spread, it will affect them in some way or the other.


    Seeing that the ice already stopped spreading meant that her brother sessfully stopped whoever or whatever was causing this. Maybe it''s safe now to go inside the forest. Just as she was nning to go, she saw a ten, eleven year old boying out of the forest.


    Mis urgently needed to find help. If the ice in the forest continued to spread and identally hurt innocent civilians, then the oue would only be bad for Winter. The nearest people he could ask for help would be the people from the Hanover manor. He has no choice but to ask the Duchess for help. He couldn''t go back to the ce where Winter was staying because the ice alreadypletely blocked the way.


    Thinking of the Hanover manor, Mis suddenly remembered the silver-haired, purple-eyed boy he ran into earlier. If he''s not mistaken, that''s the waste Duke. He has no idea why that boy ran into the forest. But maybe he could use that. Once the Duchess found out that her son went inside this dangerous forest, her chance of helping them would definitely increase. With that thought in mind, he continued to run.


    But he really wondered how his friend suddenly lose control of his Gift. People calling Winter a genius was not just for show. He really was a genius. He doesn''t only have an SS level Gift, he also has absolute control over it. Which was kind of incredible. That''s why what happened in the forest really baffled Mis. But before he could think more, he saw someone running towards his direction.


    It was a young girl wearing a white dress. Her long golden hair was shining brightly under the sun. Her big amber eyes were more beautiful than the most precious gemstone. Seeing this kind of image, Mis suddenly thought of an almost extinct mythical race - the elves. ording to legends, they''re the most beautiful creatures created by the goddess, Gaia. He had never seen an elf in his life. But staring at the girl running towards him, he couldn''t help butpare her to those mythical creatures. Because she''s probably the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.


    "You! Do you know where this ice wasing from?" Aurum immediately asked.


    [Wow. She''s even prettier up close.] - Mis thought.


    "Hey! Did you hear me?" Aurum asked again, annoyed.


    "Oh, yes, yes. I know where the source is," Mis said,ughing while scratching his head.


    Aurum frowned. [Why was this kidughing so foolishly?] "Then take me there."


    "No way. It''s too dangerous," Mis immediately refused.


    "Fine. Then I''ll go by myself." She doesn''t really need this kid. She could just follow the flow of Mana and reached her destination with no problem.


    "You can''t! What if something happens to you? I''ll go! I''ll go with you!" That''s right. He has to protect his goddess. Wait- what? His goddess? He shook his head. Anyway, he just couldn''t let this pretty girl go inside a forest that was about to freeze.


    Aurum''s eyebrows furrowed even deeper. "Whatever." Then she ran towards the forest with Mis following closely.


    ----------


    Argent stared at the unconscious prince. His Gift getting out of control was probably too much to handle for a child''s body that''s why he fainted. Argent sat down and began to think about what to do next. She couldn''t possibly pull this prince out of this forest. Aside from not having enough strength, there''s no way she''ll exhaust herself dragging this guy across the woods.


    She looked around and saw three frozen statues. They''re probably the guards of this prince. And they''re also probably dead by now. He nced back at the prince. What could have gotten him out of control? ording to the original owner''s memory, this kid was some sort of a genius Gift user. If that''s true, then the possibility of him getting out of control was probably pretty low. Then could someone have forced his Mana to get out of control like that? With his identity, that''s certainly possible. If he somehow hurt or kill someone because of this, then that would definitely affect his position as a prince.


    She already has a rough idea on how things turned out this way.


    Maybe she could use this situation to her advantage. He was a prince after all, and a very favored one at that. Now this prince owed her for stopping his Mana outburst. If she helped him some more, then he would owe her more. If, by some reason, the king doesn''t agree of her and her sister leaving for Amexem, then this kid might be able to help them convince his father.


    "Brother!" Aurum shouted the moment she saw her brother. She happily ran towards Argent and hugged her. "I''m so d you''re okay."


    If Aurum was feeling happy then Mis was horrified. His new-found goddess suddenly called the waste duke ''brother''. Which could only mean that she''s the other infamous twin. The one who killed a number of servants. That was even more surprising than seeing that the ice already stopped spreading. From what he heard she was supposed to be locked up because she can''t control her Mana. And that everyone who came near her suffered mental damage. But now she''s out here. He''s been with her for a couple of minutes now and yet he''s still fine. Does that mean she could control her Mana now? But before he could think more on that, he noticed the unconscious Winter lying on the ground.


    "Winter!" Mis ran to his friend and immediately checked if he was injured or something. He breathed a sigh of relief when he confirmed that Winter was only unconscious. So was this the reason that the ice stopped spreading? Because Winter fainted? He turned to the waste duke. "What happened?"


    Argent ignored the red-head boy and instead looked at her sister. "I thought I told you to stay out of the forest."


    "But I was worried about you. Besides, I honestly stayed there and I only ran here when I noticed that the ice stopped spreading. See, I''m not being reckless."


    "Yes, yes." She patted her sister''s head, full of pet. "How about Felicia?"


    "She ran back to the manor to get help."


    "I see." Good. Then they would probably arrive here any minute now.


    "Hey, didn''t you hear me? I''m asking what happened to Winter," Mis repeated.


    "Oh shut up. He clearly fainted, so why do you still need to ask my brother?"


    The little fanboy in Mis''s heart suddenly cried because of Aurum''s reprimand. [My goddess, could you not be so fierce?] Mis suddenly stopped. Wait- so he still considered her his goddess even after knowing who she was? He stared at the golden haired girl and his admiration didn''t even lessen a bit. Well, it looked like she''s still his goddess after all.


    Argent stood up and looked at the red head boy. "Why is the prince here in this forest?"


    Mis was slightly surprised that the duke knew who Winter was. But then again, every aristocrat in Albion probably knew about the second prince. He considered if he should answer the duke''s question. But then he nced at his goddess. His goddess will probably be mad at him if he didn''t answer her brother''s question. "I invited him to hunt. He''s currently under house arrest as some sort of punishment. That''s why he''s temporarily living on the cottage located on thend next to yours."


    With what she heard, Argent''s guess on what really happened herepletely solidified.


    After just a few more minutes, Argent saw her mother running towards them, followed by a number of servants including Felicia.


    Anthea hugged both her children. "Are both of you okay?" she asked while checking the twins for any injury. When she found out that nothing was wrong, she finally let out a sigh a relief. When Felicia told her about what happened, she would have flew if she could just to get here in time.


    "We''re fine, Mother," Argent reassured their mother.


    Felicia also ran towards them. "Young Lord, I''m so d you''re okay. And Young Lady, you said you''re not going to the forest," she said almost crying.


    Aurum only snorted. "Hmp!"


    Anthea looked around and saw the frozen soldiers and then her eyesnded on the unconscious prince and the red head boy. "What happened here?"


    "That''s the second prince, Mother." Anthea showed a look of surprise when Argent said that. "I think it''s best if he returns with us back to the manor. For his safety. Or something like this might happen again."


    Anthea agreed without any questions. She believed in her daughter''s judgement. If Argent thought that this was for the best, then it probably was.


    ----------


    Winter slowly opened his eyes. The first thing that he saw was an unfamiliar ceiling. He seemed to be lying on a soft bed. When he tried to sit up, he only felt the pain in his body. Then everything that happened came back to him.


    "Winter! You''re finally awake," Mis excitedly said when he saw his friend waking up.


    Winter looked at the red head boy. "Where...?"


    "We''re in Hanover manor."


    When Mis said that, the image of a silver haired boy with indifferent purple eyes shed inside Winter''s mind. "What happened?"


    "Well, you fainted. And then that duke said that it would be safer for you to stay here or something like what happened in the forest might happen again."


    Winter was slightly surprised when he heard that. Did that duke actually guess the reason why his Mana went out of control? Although that''s a bit of a stretch, he doesn''t really think that it''s impossible. He suddenly remembered the p and the duke''s annoyed face.


    And for the first time, in a long while, a sudden interest rose in his young heart.

 Chapter 11: heartbeat

    Chapter 11: heartbeat


    WINTER stared at the bracelet on his wrist. Even now he still couldn''t feel the flow of his Mana. He''s positive that it had something to do with this bracelet. Remembering that before he fainted, the silver-haired duke put this bracelet on him and the uncontroble Mana inside his body abruptly stopped flowing.


    He never heard of a device that has this kind of effect. Then he suddenly remembered the other ckbourne twin. The one with an SS level telepathic Gift. Did the duchess ask someone to make this especially for her daughter? Where could she have possibly found such a genius alchemist? If this thing came out of the market, many people would mor for it. After all, not all SS level Gift users have perfect control over their Mana. Not to mention, if this bracelet could be modified just a little bit, then it could be used as some kind of weapon. A weapon that could readily stop the flow of other''s Mana.


    Winter shook his head. Somehow, he had a feeling that if he used this bracelet in that kind of direction, then it would surely upset the silver-haired duke. And for some absurd reason, he didn''t really want that to happen.


    Anyway, this was not the time to think about those things right now. He still has to deal with the aftermath of what happened in the forest. After all, even if it''s not intentional, he still killed three royal guards. He couldn''t put all the me to his dear older sister because he has no evidence that she''s behind it all. Even if he interrogated every servants who went with him, he''s certain, none of them would admit anything. It would only waste his time.


    Even if he didn''t kill any innocent individual, he still lose control of his Mana near a duke''snd and ended up killing three royal guards. That fox could still use that to affect his reputation among the ordinary citizens. Maybe he could ask the Duchess to cooperate with him. After all, even if the former duke was no longer here, the ckbournes were still one of the oldest families in Albion. They still have a certain amount of influence.


    His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden knock on the door.


    "Come in," he said.


    The door opened and the Duchess came in. Winter wasn''t surprised seeing her. Because Mis went outside the room earlier to inform her that he was already awake. He stared at the Duchess. Out of all the nobledies he knew, Lady Anthea was the only one who preferred to wear trousers instead of borate gowns. It was probably because she wasn''t originally from Albion.


    "How are you feeling, Your Highness?" Anthea asked the cold-faced boy. This was not the first time she saw the second prince. But every time she did, she''s always surprised at how he''s almost a carbon copy of the king. If they have the same temperament, she might really suspect that the king just made a mini version of himself because he''s not satisfied with his other children.


    "I''m fine, Lady Anthea. And thank you, for your help."


    "It''s no trouble. I already contacted the pce and told them what happened. Someone willeter to pick you up and clean up the mess in the forest."


    Winter sighed inwardly. If the Duchess already reported everything to the pce, then there was no longer any point in asking her to cooperate with him. "May I ask what you told them?"


    "I told them that someone fed you with an elerant that''s why your Mana went out of control."


    Winter was somewhat surprised. He didn''t expect that the Duchess would actually give that reason to the pce. Now he didn''t have to worry. If he''s the one who gave that reason, someone would surely just question him. But if it came from Lady Anthea, then they would have no choice but to take it as the truth. After all, there was no reason for her to fabricate that.


    "It seems I have to thank you again, Lady Anthea."


    "No need. It was actually Argent who told me that that was probably the reason you went out of control. So if you wanted to thank someone, then thank him."


    There was a slight change in Winter''s expression when he heard that. So the duke really did guess his situation. Managing to infer that much just by seeing the situation in the forest, he must be outstandingly smart. But it seemed nobody outside this family knew that. Because if other people knew, then his reputation as a waste duke would surely vanish.


    Now that small spark of interest Winter had for the duke just grew even more.


    ----------


    Argent was sitting on the gardenwn reading a book while Aurum was lying beside her and using herp as a pillow. It was already mid-afternoon, three hours after they returned from the forest. Their mother already contacted the pce, so someone would probablye sooner orter to fetch that prince.


    "Brother, you''re going to take back the bracelet you made from that prince, right?" Aurum suddenly asked.


    She looked down at her sister. "Of course."


    Because of the effect of the nullum bracelet, it would be bad if the prince used it for some other purpose. So Argent had every intention of taking it back.


    Aurum smiled happily because of her brother''s answer. She couldn''t take the thought of someone having something that her brother made. Besides, that bracelet was hers to begin with. Her brother made it especially for her. So it''s not right for someone else to have it.


    "Lady Aurum!" called a voice from their left.


    Aurum sat up and they both looked to that direction. They saw the red head boy running excitedly towards them. Aurum frowned. What''s with this kid? Calling her name and ruining her alone time with her brother. She couldn''t help but feel displease.


    "Lady Aurum, this is for you," Mis said handing out a bouquet of different flowers to his goddess.


    Aurum frowned even more. "You''re giving me flowers you picked in our garden? How generous of you," she said sarcastically.


    Mis put down his hand holding the bouquet, embarrassed. He just saw a patch of beautiful flowers on the way here and the first thing he thought was to give it to his goddess. But she was right. How dare he be so insolent and give this to her? "I''m sorry. I promise next time I''ll definitely give you something that you will like. Flowers, choctes, jewels. Anything."


    Argent raised her brow. Why was this boy so enthusiastically offering these thing to her sister?


    "What, do you think we don''t have the money to buy those things?" Aurum said, annoyed.


    "That''s not what I meant, Lady Aurum. I just want to give you a present."


    "No, thank you," Aurum straightforwardly refused.


    "Hanover," a cold voice suddenly called from behind them, calling Argent by his title.


    Argent turned her head and saw the second prince standing behind them. His icy blue hair hanged around his perfectly sculpted face. His pale blue eyes showed no emotion. So he already regained consciousness.


    "May I speak to you alone?" Winter continued, staring at the silver haired boy.


    Aurum stood up. "Why do you want to speak to my brother alone?" she asked, her delicate eyebrows were knit together.


    Winter ignored her. He might have guarded against her if he didn''t know about the existence of the bracelet. After all, she has one of the most dangerous type of Gift. But seeing her standing here, not affecting anyone around her, only meant that she couldn''t use her Gift.


    Argent closed the book she''s reading and stood up. "Aurum, could you return this book back to the library?" she said, handing the book to her sister.


    "But Brother--"


    "Please?"


    Aurum pouted but still agreed. She took the book. But before she left, she didn''t forget to re at the annoying prince.


    Mis looked at his friend, wondering what he needed to talk about with the duke. But he immediately lose interest. Because right now, following his goddess was more important. "Lady Aurum, wait for me!" he called and ran after her.


    "Do you need something?" Argent asked when the two of them were finally alone.


    Winter stared at the silver haired boy in front of him. Even though the duke was looking at him, all he could see in those purple eyes was endless indifference. As if he doesn''t even exist in his eyes right now. For some reason, Winter was upset by that thought. He suddenly had an extreme urge to make this boy properly look at him. But he just slightly shook his head and removed that thought from his mind.


    "I talked to the Duchess. ording to her, you''re the one I should thank. So I will."


    With his cold face, he didn''t really seem like he''s expressing his gratitude. "If you want to thank me, then you could just owe me a favor. If I needed help in the future, you could just freely offer your assistance."


    Winter nodded in acquiescence.


    "That bracelet, could you give it back to me now?" Argent said before she forgot about it.


    Winter''s hands were behind his back As soon as he heard what Argent said, he immediately covered the bracelet on his right wrist with his other hand. He really didn''t want to give it back. Not because he wanted to use it to make some kind of weapon, but for the simple reason that the duke gave it to him. "I identally broke it earlier," he lied.


    Argent didn''t expect him to break it. "How did it break?"


    "It was already broken when I woke up. It turned into ice and broke into pieces."


    Was this prince''s Mana too strong that the nullum bracelet wasn''t able to hold it? It seemed Argent still needed to modify it.


    "I could pay for it. Just tell me how much is needed," Winter added.


    "No need. You could just owe me another favor."


    Winter nodded again. "How did you know that someone intentionally messed with me that''s why my Mana went out of control?" a question he really wanted to ask since earlier.


    "Looking at the situation and taking your identity into ount, anyone with a brain half as good as mine could easilye up with that conclusion."


    "You''re saying that you''re really smart."


    "I''m not saying it. I am."


    There was a slight tilt at the corner of the mouth of the silver haired boy. That was probably what the boy would consider as a smile. Winter couldn''t stop staring at him. Suddenly, he felt something loud and hard beating inside his chest. It took a while before he realized what it was.


    His heart.

 Chapter 12: visiting the royal palace

    Chapter 12: visiting the royal pce


    ARGENT, together with her sister and their mother, was sitting inside a luxurious carriage. They were on their way to the royal pce. After that incident in the forest two days ago, they finally received a reply from the pce regarding her and Aurum''s temporary move to Amexem. The king wanted to personally see them, to make sure that Aurum was really not as unstable as before.


    Argent guessed that the king was worried that Aurum might lose control of her Mana in a foreign country. Aurum was still an aristocrat and belonged to one of the oldest families in Albion. If she identally killed a civillian while they were there, it will definitely incite an international incident involving two powerful countries. Although Amexem was a fairly new countrypared to Albion, its power cannot be underestimated. So Argent understood that this meeting was really necessary.


    She looked outside the carriage''s window, suddenly remembering something. The bracelet that she used to stop the rampage of that second prince''s Mana. ording to that prince, the bracelet broke. But when she searched the room where he stayed in, she didn''t find any broken pieces. Even if it was broken by his ice Gift, then she should have found at least an ice fragment in the room. Which meant he lied to her and kept the bracelet with him.


    If that prince found talented alchemists, he could mass produced that bracelet. He could even make modify it ording to his liking. Was that his purpose for lying? Well, whatever. As long as he wouldn''t pull her and her family into his scheme, then he could do whatever he wanted. But if he indeed tried to implicate her and her family in some way, then she could only retaliate in return.


    Soon, they saw a high castle wall. As the castle gates opened, the carriage traveled on a long driveway. At the end of the driveway was a beautiful white castle. If Argent could describe it in a much simpler way, then she couldpare it to the castle logo of that famous filmpany in her original world. The carriage stopped. One of the grooms that came with them opened the door of the carriage and helped her and Aurume down. Their mother shortly followed.


    Argent looked around and saw many royal guards wearing red uniforms. She felt a warm hand on her shoulder. She looked up to her mother, holding both hers and Aurum''s shoulders.


    "Are you both nervous?" Anthea asked.


    Argent shook her head. But Aurum lowered hers. She immediately noticed that so she reached out to her and held her hand. "Don''t worry. Mother and I are here. We won''t let anything happen to you."


    Aurum turned to her brother. She''s not really worried that something might happen to her. She''s worried that she would do something that could prevent them from going to Amexem. Argent would never suggest to go to a far-off ce like that just because she wanted to get away from those school bullies. There''s definitely a different reason why her brother wanted to go there. If this was important to her brother, then she wouldn''t do anything to mess this up.


    She took a deep breath and calmed herself down. She smiled at her brother. "Okay, Brother."


    Anthea looked at her twins and couldn''t help but smile. "Come on, let''s go."


    Two royal courtiers greeted them and led them inside. When they went inside, Argent was not that surprise by the extravagance of the interior. She would be more surprise if the inside of this huge castle was not as morous as the outside.


    "Lady Hanover, the queen wishes to have tea with you. So if you could please follow me," one of the courtiers suddenly said.


    Anthea wrinkled her brows. That haughty queen wanted to have tea with her? That''s probably the funniest joke she''d heard in a while. It''s well known to all that the queen doesn''t like her because of her origin. She wouldn''t take the initiative to have tea with her. Unless the king asked her to. Which was probably the case. This could only mean that the king wanted to talk to her daughters alone. Her brows wrinkled even more at the thought of that.


    "I''m sorry, but please tell the queen that I have to apany my children to meet the king. I could have tea with her anytime she wants after that."


    "Forgive me, Lady Hanover, but I''m afraid I must insist," said the courtier again.


    "It''s okay, Mother. We''ll be fine," Argent interrupted.


    Argent already guessed what''s happening. The king probably wanted to talk alone to her and her sister without their mother guiding them. Or maybe he just wanted to see if Aurum was functionally stable. But whatever the case, they needed to get his approval so they could leave for Amexem. So they might as well get this over with.


    "Are you sure?" Anthea asked, still worried.


    "Yes. I''ll take care of Aurum."


    "And I''ll take care of Brother," Aurum seconded.


    Anthea showed a helpless smile, her worry decreasing. "Okay."


    ----------


    The twins entered the throne room. Guards were neatly lined up at both sides of the room. And at the end of the room, a man was sitting on an elegant chair. He has icy blue hair and a pair of pale blue eyes. On top of his head was a golden crown encrusted with jewels. There was a gentle smile on his face. But his eyes contained a certain kind of ruthlessness that his smile couldn''t hide.


    This was the king of Albion. Arthur Friedrich di Albion.


    Argent was kind of surprise when she saw the king. Because he looked like the much older and mature version of the second prince. The only difference was he doesn''t have that iceberg like temperament of his son. Instead he has a warm and gentle temperament.


    She and Aurum walked towards the king. She bowed and Aurum curtsied. "Your Majesty," they both greeted.


    "Lord Hanover, Lady Aurum, wee," the king greeted back.


    Arthur looked at the two children in front. The boy with silver hair has eyes filled with indifference. As if he doesn''t care about anything. Arthur raised one of his brows. It has been a while since hest saw this young Duke of Hanover. But from what he could remember, this boy was shy and timid. He was disappointed that the son of the former duke turned out to be like that. Not only was he a NoGift, he didn''t even have a noble temperament. But it looked like that was not the case now.


    Interesting.


    The golden haired girl was more beautiful than a delicate flower. No one could see how dangerous she was. When he found out that she has an SS level Gift, he was quite ecstatic. He n to betroth his heir to her. She has the family background to marry into the royal family. But then, three years ago, that incident happened. Which temporarily hindered his n. No matter how powerful she was, it''s no use if she couldn''t control it. But looking at her now, he can''t even feel a bit of Mana flow in her body. Proving she could now control her Gift. Excellent. Maybe he could proceed with that betrothal n after all.


    He smiled at them. "Your mother said that you wanted to study in Amexem. May I know the reason why? Expecially when you could get the best education here."


    "I want to have a good school environment for me and my sister. And no offense, Your Majesty, but we won''t be able to find it here. As you know, our reputation is not exactly the best. No matter where we study in this kingdom, that reputation will follow us. It won''t help my sister''s psychology. I''m sure you understand, Your Majesty," Argent said calmly.


    Sure enough, this kid did change. And for the better it seemed. "I do understand. Very well. Seven years. That''s enough time for the both of you to finish your primary education. Then you muste back. After all, you''re a duke of this kingdom. You have to fulfill your responsibility. To parliament and also to the people living in your estates."


    Seven years. That''s enough time. "I understand. Thank you, Your Majesty."


    "Now that''s settled, can I talk to Lady Aurum alone?" the king asked, smiling at them.


    It was clearly a gentle smile, but Argent felt like she was looking at a smiling fox that was up to no good. She turned to her sister, silently asking her with her eyes if she''d be fine talking to the king alone.


    "I''ll be fine, Brother," Aurum said, seemingly able to understand her.


    "Okay, I''ll wait for you outside," Argent said when she saw the determination in her sister''s eyes. She turned to the king and bowed before walking outside the throne room.


    She just went outside when her eyes met another pair of pale blue eyes. It was the second prince, standing just outside the throne room.


    Winter felt an inexplicable joy when he saw Argent, but that joy didn''t show on his face one bit. He still looked cold and expresionless. He knew that her father would be talking to the ckbournes today. That''s why when he heard that they''re already here, he immediately rushed to the throne room. And now he''s staring at the silver haired boy that''s been hounding his thoughts for the past two days.


    "Your Highness," Argent said with a slight bow.


    "Hanover," Winter returned.


    Argent didn''t know why this prince was standing outside the throne room. Maybe he''s nning to talk to the king or something. But since he''s already here, she might as well ask her about the bracelet. "That bracelet, it didn''t broke, right?"


    So his lie was found out. It didn''t really surprise him. Argent was really smart after all. "It didn''t."


    "What are you nning by keeping it?"


    "Nothing," he immediately answered. He''s afraid that Argent will think that he''s nning something using that bracelet. "I want to keep it, just in case what happened in the forest happens again."


    Well, that''s reasonable. "You can have it. It will just be another favor you owe me. But just in case you''re lying again, remember not to pull me or my family into anything."


    "Rest assured, I won''t."


    "Oh, and just a little piece of advice, if you don''t want to repeat what happened in the forest, try to surround yourself with people you trust."


    "I n to do just that." What happened in the forest taught Winter that lesson. "I heard you''re leaving for Amexem."


    When Winter found out that his father was going to talk with the ckbournes, he learned that it was because the twins nned to study in Amexem. He didn''t know what to feel when he learned that. But he suddenly felt an inexplicable lost.


    "Yes, we are," Argent simply said.


    "When are you going back?"


    "After seven years."


    After hearing that answer, Winter suddenly felt like his chest has been hollowed. "I see."


    He turned around to leave. He didn''t even notice how hard he clenched his fists. To the point where his knuckles whitened. And as he walked away from Argent, all he felt was... sadness.


    *****


    Mini-theater:


    Winter: I heard you''re leaving for Amexem. (Please don''t say yes._ )


    Argent: Yes, we are.


    Winter: When are you going back? ( () )


    Argent: After seven years.


    Winter: I see. ( (;`) )


    .

 Chapter 13: goodbye, for now

    Chapter 13: goodbye, for now


    AURUM excitedly checked her luggage one more time, making sure that she didn''t forget anything. They''re going to depart for Amexem today. Since Amexem was located in another continent, they have to board a ship to reach their destination. It would all be a new experience for her.


    Although quite honestly, she still felt a bit nervous about living in another country. After all, she hasn''t even experience living in this country. There were a lot of factors that scared her. But the thing she feared most was that she might do something that would cause trouble for her brother. She didn''t want that, not after all the things her brother had done for her. So she''s going to make sure that something like that wouldn''t happen.


    There was a knock on the door. She answered and told the person knocking toe in. Felicia entered her room. Unlike before, Aurum doesn''t feel that annoyed anymore whenever the maid was around. She probably had gotten used to her existence. Which was a good thing. Since Felicia would alsoe with them to Amexem. Aurum couldn''t really stay annoyed with her everytime. And besides, she found out that Felicia was not that bad. She acts pretty stupid sometimes, but that''s fine. Because she genuinely cares about her and her brother.


    "Young Lady, do you need help packing?" Felicia asked with a sunny smile on her face.


    "No need. I''m done."


    "Then let me take it outside."


    Felicia picked up the two luggages and walked out of the room. Aurum followed her.


    "Do you know where my brother is?"


    "The Young Lord is talking with the Duchess in the study."


    They were probably talking about the trip and the ce where they''re going to stay once they arrived at Amexem. Once downstairs, Felicia put her luggage together with the other luggages. She was about to ask Felicia if she was also already done packing when a servant ushered in a red head boy. Aurum immediately frowned when she saw the boy. On the contrary, when the boy saw her, his eyes visibly shone.


    "Lady Aurum," he greeted running towards her.


    "Why are you here?" she asked, frowning.


    Mis stared at the most beautiful girl in his eyes. The happiness he felt after seeing her again was immediately reced by sadness. Because she''d be leaving today. Not just to another town but to another continent! If he had known earlier, he would have visited the Hanover manor everyday. But he didn''t because he didn''t want to appear too persistent. He doesn''t want his goddess to hate him. But none of that matters now. Because she''s leaving. All he could do now was to say goodbye. And he would do it with a smile.


    "I heard you''re leaving today, so I just wanted to see you off. And you know, talk to you before you go."


    Aurum wanted to tell him that there''s no need for that. She doesn''t really like to deal with this boy. But then she thought how he personally went here just to say goodbye, it would be terribly rude of her if she just sent him away. "So, what do you want to talk about?"


    "Ahm, Young Lady, I''ll leave so you and Lord Brightmore could talk properly," Felicia interjected first. "Shall I bring snacks and tea?"


    "No need," Aurum answered. Felicia left them after that. She looked back at the Earl of Brightmore. "So?"


    Mis scratched the back of his head. "I heard you and your brother are going to stay at Amexem for seven years. That''s quite a long time."


    "And?"


    "So, ahm, could- ahm, could I contact you while you''re there? You know, from time to time." Mis almost smacked his face. Man, he sounded some.


    Aurum furrowed her brows. "Why would you want that?" she asked, a little confused.


    "Because... because I- I want us to be friends! Yes. Right. Friends. And we can''t be friends if we don''t havemunication." Now Mis just wanted to double p himself. Yup, it''s official, he''s reallyme. But he already started thisme reasoning, so he might as well continue. "So, could we, be friends?"


    Aurum stared at the boy in front. He looked flustered and embarrassed, like he knew that he was asking something silly but he didn''t care anyway since he really wanted to be friends with her. This was the first time someone asked to be friends with her. "You do know what I did three years ago, right? and you still wanted to be friends with me?"


    "I don''t care about that," he said immediately, not even thinking twice.


    And Aurum found that he really meant it. Somehow, that decreased her irritation of him quite exponentially. She doesn''t have the heart to refuse him. "Once a week. You could contact me using a defero crystal once a week."


    Mis felt like he had been given the most amazing gift just because Aurum agreed. "Yes, thank you!"


    "If that''s all, you could leave."


    "Can''t I go with you to the harbor?"


    "No."


    Mis knew Aurum would refused. But he didn''t feel disappointed. After all, she already agreed that he could contact her. That''s already a huge gain. "Okay. Then I wish you a good travel. And oh, I almost forgot, here." He took a paper bag from his space ring. "Winter asked me to give this to your brother."


    This was actually the reason why Mis found out that his goddess was leaving today. Winter asked him if he could give something to the Duke of Hanover. Probably because his friend knew that once he learned that Aurum was leaving today, he wouldn''t hesitate to run over here. After all, he didn''t exactly hide his fascination towards Aurum.


    Mis wondered why Winter just didn''t go here by himself. But he didn''t have the time to ask because he immediately ran here. Because if he didn''t, he''s afraid that he might miss his goddess.


    Aurum frowned when she heard the name of the second prince. But she still epted the paper bag. After that, Mis said goodbye to her. She looked down at the bag she''s holding, then opened it. She saw a defero crystal inside and a small note. She took the note and read it;


    ''This is a defero crystal that directly connects to mine. If you have any problems or need anything, don''t hesitate to contact me.''


    Aurum furrowed her brows even more after she read that. She couldn''t help but remember her talk with the king because of that.


    [Five days ago, At the Royal Pce]


    "I''m d you are finally able to control your Mana, Lady Aurum," the king said to Aurum, smiling.


    "Thank you, Your Majesty." Aurum was wary, she doesn''t really know why the king wanted to talk to her alone. Was it just to check if she really was able to control her Mana? That she''s not dangerous anymore?


    "How did you do it, if you mind me asking?"


    Aurum looked down, making sure the king wouldn''t see anything in her eyes. "My brother helped me. He keeps me calm, Your Majesty."


    "I see."


    She wasn''t really sure if the king believed her. But since he didn''t really say anything after that, she would just assume that he did.


    "So, you met my son, Winter. What do you think of him?"


    Aurum was confused by the sudden change of topic. How did the king suddenly ask about that? But she still needed to answer. She tried to remember the prince but all she could think of was his iceberg expression. "I think His Highness has a very powerful Gift," she just chose to say that since she really couldn''t think of anything.


    "I agree. He has a powerful Gift, just like you. I hope once you returned from Amexem, you could get along with him," the king said, still smiling at her.


    Aurum tried her best not to frown. She''s young but she''s not stupid. It was obvious the king wanted her to have some sort of connection to his son. But what and why? That''s what she didn''t understand. In any case, she doesn''t like it at all. So she just bowed her head and nodded.


    =====


    Aurum read the note in her hand again and couldn''t help but crumple it. Did the king ask the second prince to do this? Do the royal family want to have some kind of connection to their family? No. She wouldn''t allow that. She walked outside the manor. When she reached the garden, she sat down, picked up a stone and crushed the defero crystal.


    ----------


    Argent followed her mother out of the study. They just finished talking about all the details of the trip. Outside, they immediately saw all the luggages. Then they saw Auruming in from the outside.


    "Did you go somewhere?" Argent asked when she walked towards her sister.


    Aurum looked down and answered, "I just walked around the garden."


    "Are both your luggages here?" Anthea asked her daughters. They both nodded. "You didn''t forget anything?" They shook their heads. "Good." Then she put all the luggage in front of her in her space ring.


    Argent was still amazed by the existence of this so-called space ring. She couldn''t help but wonder how it really worked. It subverted a lot of her scientific belief. But then again, many things in this world tended to do that.


    After a while, all of the servants gathered to bid them farewell. One of the most emotional was Nelly.


    "Felicia, don''t forget to contact us when you get there. And always take care of His Grace and the Young Lady," Nelly said after hugging Felicia.


    Felicia resisted the urge to cry, but her eyes were still filled with water. "Yes, Mum." She turned to her father.


    Gregory put his hand on Felicia''s head and rubbed it. "Do a good job there."


    "Yes, Dad."


    "I''ll leave everything here to you, Gregory," Anthea said to their butler.


    "Rest assured, Your Grace, I will take care of the lord''s estates while you''re gone."


    Anthea doesn''t really worry about that. Gregory''s management ability was top-notch. That''s why she''s confident to leave everything to him. She turned to her daughters. "Shall we go, then?"


    Argent turned to her sister. "Ready?"


    Aurum, in turn, held her hand. "Yes."


    ----------


    Winter looked outside the window of his room. The ckbournes probably already left right now. He really wanted to personally go to Hanover manor to say goodbye. But he wasn''t confident that he could contain his emotions. Especially since he doesn''t exactly know what he feels. He looked down at the defaro crystal in his hand.


    Would Argent ckbourne contact him?


    Winter really wished he would.


    *****


    Mini-theater:


    Winter: (sitting in the corner, drawing circles on the floor) Why did Aurum crushed my defaro crystal? How would Argent contact me? It''s not like I want to connect with her. I just want to connect with Argent! ( )


    Mis: You can''t me my goddess for this. It''s your fault for not going there and giving it to the duke yourself. Look at me, I gathered my confidence and seeded!


    Winter: (red at Mis) Shut up!

 Chapter 14: andromeda

    Chapter 14: andromeda


    ARGENT stared at the huge mode of sea transportation in front of them. It was a bulking ship made of wood and towering masts. At the bow of the ship was a carved statue of a wowan. Her face was leaning towards the sea, her wind-blown hair was in a wild disarray. If she''s real, then there''s no doubt that she''d be a beauty. When they entered the harbor, this ship was the first thing she noticed. Probably not only her, considering the amazed expression of Aurum and Felicia.


    "What a magnificent ship," Felicia said, full of wonder. She turned to the Duchess and asked excitedly, "Are we going to board this ship, Duchess?"


    "Yes. This ship is called Andromeda. It travels around the five continents, stopping in major cities. I originally n to choose an ordinary cruise ship. But then I learned that Andromeda will dock here and it will coincide on the day that we leave for Amexem. So I immediately booked four tickets for us. This way we''ll get to travel on a world famous ship," Anthea said smiling at them. "Now, shall we go then?"


    They followed Anthea onto the ship, Aurum hugging Argent''s arm and Felicia just right behind them. When they got on board, Argent was somewhat surprised to see that there were fewer people around. Considering that this was a famous cruise ship and that it literally passed through the five continents, she expected more traveler on board.


    "Wee aboard," a male crew greeted them. "Please put your hand on this veritas stone and tell me your name along with yourpanions and your destination?" he added, presenting an almost transluscent stone, the size and shape simr to a small book, towards Anthea.


    Argent looked at the stone and turned to Felicia. "What''s a veritas stone?" she asked in a whisper.


    "It''s a stone that could tell if someone is lying. If you touch it and you tell a lie, it will glow red. But if what you said is the truth, then it will glow green," Felicia exined, also in a whisper.


    Argent nodded. So the crew here was using this stone to check the identity of their passengers. What an ingenious way to do it. It would make sure that the person who bought the ticket was really the one who board the ship. Before giving a ticket to someone, they probably checked first the background of that someone. To ascertain they''re not selling tickets to a criminal. In a big ship like this, they probably have a group of people in-charge in doing that. It''s even more effective than using a visa.


    Anthea put her hand on the veritas stone. "Lady Anthea ckbourne. I''m here with my children, Argent and Aurum ckbourne, and our maid, Felicia Jones, to travel to Amexem." After five seconds, the stone glowed green. Indicating that what Anthea said was true.


    "Thank you, Your Grace." The crew didn''t ask them to do the same since Anthea already vouched for their identity. Which was good for Argent since she wasn''t sure if the stone would work on her or not. After making sure of their identity, the crew lead them to their cabins. "This way, please."


    As they followed the crew, Argent noticed that they really were fewer passengers than she expected. "Is Andromeda not usually packed full with passengers?" She couldn''t help but ask the crew.


    "No, Your Grace. All of the cabins here are first ss. Add that to our high ss foods and amenities, not many people could afford to travel in our ship."


    Now that exined a lot.


    The crew stopped in front of a cabin door and handed three keys to Anthea. "This cabin and the other two on its left and right are your cabins. If you need anything, you can pull the bell in the cabin and a crewmate will immediatelye. Or you could go and ask the many crewmates around the ship. I wish you a good stay." He bowed and left them.


    "Mother, are Brother and I sharing the same room?" Aurum asked excitedly.


    "Yes. Because I know just how much you don''t want to be separated from your brother," Anthea answered, smiling. "This one at the center is yours and your brother''s room. The one on the right is mine and the one on the left is Felicia''s." She gave the other two keys to them. "Felicia will arrange our luggageter. For now, let''s go inside our rooms."


    The four of them entered their respected rooms. Once inside, the first thing Argent noticed was the big bed. It was enough for two adults to share. There was a closet and a table, the floor was covered by a lush carpet, there''s a chandelier on the ceiling, and another door that probably lead to the bathroom. It was truly a first ss cabin.


    Aurum ran towards the bed and sat there. "The bed is so soft." She turned to Argent. "Brother, let''s go look around the shipter."


    "Okay," Argent readily agreed since she really wanted to look around the ship.


    ----------


    After eating lunch at the dining hall, Argent and Aurum started exploring the ship. Felicia went back to their rooms to arrange their luggage while their mother was talking to a few people they met on the dining hall. Their mother was not afraid to let them go around alone since there''s a lot of crewmate on board. And she knew how responsible Argent was.


    Argent and Aurum went on deck. The ship has already sailed. Argent looked at the vast ocean. This was the first time she saw such a huge expanse of water. On the Earth where she was originally from, because of the advancement of technology, there was barely any sea area left. She must admit, looking at this blue vastness can really give people a calming effect.


    "Brother, where should we go first?" Aurum asked, hugging her arm.


    Argent looked at the ship map on her hand. One of the crewmates gave it to them earlier. "Let''s see. Let''s start here and make our way downwards. What do you say?"


    "I think it''s an excellent idea."


    They went to the huge ball room, the game room, and the library. Everywhere they went, people couldn''t help but stare at them. Two beautiful seven year old dolls walking hand-in-hand, it''s definitely an amazing sight. People tried talking to them, but they were soon discouraged because of Argent''s indifference.


    Argent looked at the map in her hand. She wanted to go to the engine room. The moment they got on board, the one thing she wanted to know most was how the ship could travel on the sea. Was it powered by coal or steam? Or just like everything else in this world, it''s powered by Mana? But she''s just not sure if they''re allowed to go there.


    "Brother, where should we go next?"


    "Let''s try to go to the engine room," she still chose to say.


    Aurum smiled knowingly. Her brother probably wanted to check how the ship''s engine works. "Let''s go then."


    Before they could walk, a guy suddenly fell in front of them. The stack of books he''s carrying scattered on the floor together with his sses. Argent wanted to go around the guy but she didn''t have the heart to step on those books. So as to make things faster, she bent down and helped the guy gather the scattered books.


    Once done, Argent nned to bypass the guy but they were immediately stopped.


    "Please wait." Argent stopped and turned to the guy. He was kind of in faced with big sses and messy ck hair. "Thank you for helping me. Uhm, I heard you two talking earlier, that you wanted to go to the engine room. As thanks I could bring you there."


    "No need. We could go there ourselves," Argent said, nning to turn around.


    "B-but ordinary passengers are not allowed to go there."


    Aurum raised one of her eyebrow. "What, are you saying you''re not an ordinary passenger?"


    "Not exactly. But my employers are not. They have a special pass that allow them to go anywhere in this ship. I could borrow a pass from one of them. What do you think?"


    Aurum looked at her brother. Argent''s brows were furrowed slightly, indicating that she''s contemting something. "Brother, let this four-eyes borrow that pass. I know you really want to go to the engine room."


    Argent didn''t deny it. Because she really wanted to go to the engine room. She looked at the guy in front of them. "Lead the way."


    The guy smiled. "Great. One of my employers'' room is not far from here." He started walking and the twins followed. "I''m Francis Dwight by the way. What are your names?"


    "Argent ckbourne. This is my sister, Aurum."


    "Nice to meet you, Argent, Aurum." Not reacting after hearing their names, this guy was definitely not from Albion. "You two are probably the most beautiful kids I''ve even seen." Then he suddenly blushed as if realizing what he just said. "Sorry, that was rude of me."


    Argent just ignored what he said. "Why are your employers allowed to go anywhere in this ship?"


    "They''re delegates from the Xing Empire."


    That didn''t really answer her question.


    "And so? We''re nobles and we didn''t get a special pass. What''s so special about those delegates?" Aurum said.


    "Uhm, I- I can''t really say."


    Aurum snorted. "Whatever. So what''s your job then?"


    "I''m acting as their trantor." He stopped walking in front of a cabin door. "Here we are." He knocked on the door. "Sir, sir!" But no one answered. "Weird. He''s usually in his cabin during this time." He held the knob and turned it. Miraculously, it moved. He slowly opened the door. "Sir?"


    When hepletely opened the door, he didn''t even manage to step inside. He stood there frozen, the books he''s holding falling on the ground.


    Argent was confused by his reaction. So she looked inside the room. And she was also frozen on the spot.


    Because lying inside was a corpse of a dead man.

 Chapter 15: one corpse after another

    Chapter 15: one corpse after another


    A MAN was lying on the lush carpet. Argent wasn''t even sure if it really was a man because of how grotesque and disfigured he looked. One of his eyes was protruding out of its sockets. Half of his face - and probably most of his body - was in a state of decay. His skin was ck and melting, like some kind of goo. It was like a bucket of toxic chemicals was poured on him. Heck, even his clothes was is a state of decay.


    "Brother, what''s wrong?"


    Aurum''s voice woke Argent from her slight shock. She immediately turned around and pulled her sister away from the cabin''s door. Away from the sight of that corpse.


    "What happened? Is something wrong inside?" Aurum asked, a bit confused. She didn''t get to see anything because her brother immediately pulled her.


    "There''s a dead body inside. You don''t need to look. It will just turn your stomach," Argent calmly said. Aurum paled a little after she said that. She has no n to lie to her sister. After all, something like this would be known to all the passengers in this ship sooner orter.


    Francis Dwight fell on his knees. "N-no... h-how could something like this h-happen...?" he said, his voice trembling. "W-what should I d-do? Wha--"


    "Calm down." Argent looked at the guy. He was pale and shaking. "Was that one of your employers?" Even though she already knew the answer, she still had to ask just to make sure.


    He turned to her. "Y-yes."


    "Go and tell one of the crew here what happened. Someone must report this to the captain."


    Francis gingerly nodded. He stood up and walked away in trembling knees. Argent observed the guy before turning her attention back to her sister. "I''ll go inside and check for something. Stay here."


    "Brother, no," Aurum immediately rejected the idea.


    "I''m just going to check something before one of the crew or the ship''s captaine over."


    "Then I''ll go with you."


    "No. That thing inside will just give you nightmares and a bad case of stomach ache. So be a good girl and stay here, okay?"


    Aurum pouted. "Fine. But be fast, okay?"


    Argent smiled and nodded before going inside the room. She looked again at the dead man on the floor. She could smell the decaying skin. But not so strong that the scent could travel past this room. Which meant the time of his death was probably mere hours ago. She wanted to check the body more closely. But aside from the fact that she''s not really an expert in this field, she could might as well tamper with the crime scene. Which definitely would not help anyone.


    So she looked about the room. There was no evidence of struggle, everything was in ce. Even the door didn''t have a sign that it was forcefully opened. Which meant the victim let the perpetrator in on his own volition. The killer could be a friend or a passing acquaintance. Or an employee.


    She went out after deciding there''s nothing more to see. "Let''s go," she said to her sister waiting patiently outside.


    "We''re not waiting for that four-eyes?" Aurum asked, a bit confused.


    "No need. The ship''s crew can handle this thing themselves."


    And if her assumption was correct, Argent didn''t want to stay here just to be used as an alibi.


    ----------


    The twins were on their way to their cabin room when they saw Felicia. When the maid saw them, she immediately came running towards them. "Young Lord, Young Lady, we have been looking for you, the Duchess and I," she said, the relief in her voice was evident.


    "Why? Mother knew Brother and I are strolling around the ship," Aurum said.


    "There''s been an rming incident," Felicia answered, as if not really sure how to exin it to them.


    That got Argent''s attention. "What rming incident?"


    "Well, you see, Young Lord, after I finished unpacking our clothes, I went to look for the Duchess in the dining hall. We decided to look for you while going around the ship ourselves. When we arrived at the ball room, we heard a scream. After a while, everyone in the ball room gathered around from the source of the scream. And there, we saw, ahm, I don''t know how to put it."


    "Just tell us what you saw," Aurum said impatiently.


    Felicia took a deep breath and said everything in one go. "We saw a man on the floor, bleeding from all his orifices. A look of abject terror on his face."


    "Was he dead?" Argent asked.


    Felicia nodded. "One of the passengers checked for his pulse and found none."


    They just found a corpse and another dead body suddenly popped up. What were the chances, really? "Do you know the identity of the dead man?"


    "ording to the Duchess, based on the man''s clothing, he''s probably from Xing."


    Argent raised one of her brows. Xing, huh? Now, wasn''t that interesting?


    Aurum turned to her and said in a quiet whisper only the two of them could hear, "Brother, do you think it''s rted to that thing you saw earlier?"


    "Most probably. But let''s not dwell on it. I have no intention to y detective and neither should you. It would be dangerous if the killer turned their attention to us," she whispered back.


    Aurum nodded obediently. She''s not really interested in what happened. But she knew her brother''s curious nature. So she expected that Argent would want to solve this mystery murder. But she also forgot that her brother hated troublesome things above all else. And this thing would definitely give them a lot of trouble.


    Argent looked at Felicia. "Let''s go back to our rooms and wait for Mother."


    The two agreed and they all walked towards their cabins.


    ----------


    By dinner, everyone in the ship knew about the murder of the two delegates from the Xing Empire. It caused quite a panic. After all, they''re in the middle of the sea and there''s someone roaming around killing people. That didn''t exactly put anyone''s mind at ease. But the captain promised that him and all the crew would do everything to protect the passengers. And they were now earnestly investigating what happened to the two delegates.


    After they ate dinner, Anthea decided that the four of them should sleep in one cabin until the situation eased up. In short, until the killer was apprehended. The cabin was big enough for the four of them, so she just asked one of the crews to bring them two pallets for her and Felicia to sleep in.


    They were about to enter the twins'' room when someone called out to them. Anthea turned and saw a tall man wearing a white uniform. He has locks of copper hair tied in a long queue and a neat beard of the same color. It was Andromeda''s captain. She catched a glimpse of him earlier in the ball room.


    "Good evening, Your Grace," he respectfully bowed.


    "Captain Morgan," Anthea greeted back.


    "Pardon me, Your Grace, but may I speak to your children?"


    "Whatever for?" she asked. Although she already had an idea why. Argent told her earlier about the corpse she saw. She actually hated that her daughter have to see something like that. If only she didn''t allow them to go off by themselves. But seeing Argent so calm, lessened her worry quite a bit.


    "Mother, I''ll talk to the captain," Argent said before the man could answer her mother''s question. She looked up at the tall man. "Is it about the Xing delegate that was found dead in his room?"


    "Yes, milord. The one who discovered the body - the trantor working for the delegates - said you and your sister were with him when he went to see his employer. Was that true?"


    "It was. I''m sorry if we didn''t stick around. Waiting there with a dead body wasn''t really pleasant."


    "That''s quite alright, milord. If you could tell us how you encountered this young man?" Morgan asked, looking down at the boy who appeared too calm for his ownfort.


    "Me and my sister were walking around the ship when he suddenly fell in front of us. I helped him gather the books he''s carrying at the time. He told us as thanks he could get us to the engine room. Because he heard that we wanted to go there. But first, we should go to one of his employee to get a special pass. When we got there, we saw the body," Argent narrated indifferently. "I think you should go look into that guy. He''s the most suspicious person here, if you ask me."


    "I''m afraid that would be hard, milord. Seeing as, just a few minutes ago, we found him dead in his own cabin room."


    Now, that was something Argent didn''t expect.

 Chapter 16: murder solved?

    Chapter 16: murder solved?


    ARGENT could count in her fingers the number of times her assumptions turned to be wrong. That''s why hearing the captain say that the person she thought responsible for the two murders that happened today was dead, she was quite surprised. But that onlysted for about a second or two.


    "I see. That''s terrible," she said, not meaning any of it. "But, may I ask captain, what does that have to do with us?"


    "We want to make sure that the young man you met earlier was really the trantor of the Xing delegates. So, if it''s not too much trouble, we request that youe with us to identify the body we found."


    That''s understandable. The guy she and her sister met earlier might have lied about his identity just so he could lead them to the cabin room of that Xing delegate. If he wasn''t the person he said he was, then he could only be connected to the two murders.


    "You''re asking my seven year old son to look at a dead body?" Anthea asked, her tone turning a tad bit aggressive.


    "My apologies, Your Grace, but it''s imperative that we do this. It can greatly help us with the investigation of what happened today," the captain said sincerely.


    "It''s okay, Mother. I''ll go with them. After all, I''ve already seen a dead body once today. There''s no harm seeing another," Argent said indifferently.


    "But Argent, this is not something you should get used to."


    "Mother, it doesn''t bother me. So, it''s fine."


    Anthea stared at her daughter. There was no nervousness or even fear in her purple eyes. Only calm indifference. Showing that what she saw earlier and what she would be seeingter would not bother her in the least bit. Anthea didn''t know if she should be d of that or be more worried. Because this was not the attitude a seven year old should have when encountering something like this.


    She knew how huge Argent''s change was after she woke up from her sister''s unexpected mental attack. She learned to ept it. After all, no matter how much Argent changed, she''s still her daughter. Nothing could change that. But sometimes, seeing her indifferent attitude could really unnerve her.


    Anthea sighed. "I understand. You could go." She looked at Captain Morgan. "I trust you will keep him safe?"


    "Absolutely, Your Grace. Thank you for your understanding," the captain bowed.


    Anthea turned to Felicia. "Go with your young lord."


    "Yes, Duchess!"


    "Mother, I also want to go with Brother," Aurum suddenly interjected.


    "No," Argent said before their mother could reply. She barely prevented Aurum from seeing a dead body earlier. She wouldn''t go and lead her to another. That wouldn''t help with her psychological development. "Stay with Mother. We''ll be back soon. I''m sure it won''t take long."


    Aurum pouted. She looked at her brother. By the tone of her voice and the look on her face, Aurum knew she wouldn''t cave in. "Fine."


    Argent smiled and patted her sister''s head before turning to the captain. "Lead the way, Captain."


    ---------


    The corridor they went to was the same one where the cabin of that dead Xing delegate was found. Argent noticed some kind of strange barrier that barricaded the entrance to the corridor. A thinyer of white light. It''s almost invisible, if you didn''t look carefully enough.


    "This is a ban I set up to prevent anyone from entering before we finish our investigation," the captain said when he noticed her gaze. "It only reacts to mine and my first mate''s Mana." He put his hand on the barrier and it slowly disappeared.


    Argent stared at the slowly disappearing light curtain. She could probably traipsed trough it without a problem. She was almost tempted to test it.


    "After you, milord," the captain said after the barrierpletely disappeared.


    Argent walked towards the corridor. Felicia immediately followed. Captain Morgan lead them to a cabin just one door away from the cabin of that dead Xing delegate. She guessed the cabins of the two Xing delegates and that trantor were probably all located in this corridor.


    The captain opened the door and the three of them entered. She heard Felicia gasp. No doubt because of the young man currently lying on the bed. He''s the first thing one would notice once you enter the room. Anyone with eyes could see at a nce that he''s already dead. What, with the deathly pale skin and the stark blue veins mapping it.


    "Was this the young man you met earlier, milord?" asked the captain.


    Argent went beside the bed and looked carefully at the man lying on it. She could see the endless fear in his eyes. On closer inspection, the blue veins on his skin was more pronounced. He was clutching his throat, as if he ingested something that he knew would kill him. "Yes, it''s the same guy," she answered.


    The same in face, the same clothes, the same big sses. The only difference she could see was that he was not wearing the gloves he''s wearing earlier. Which didn''t really make any difference at all. Being dead, itpletely erased the suspicion that he killed the two Xing delegates.


    She looked around. Just like earlier, there was no visible struggle in the room. "Were there only two Xing delegates and was this guy they''re only employee?"


    "Yes, to both questions, milord."


    "Then they''re probably specifically targeted. If that was the case, then the killings will probably stop now. The question now is why these three were targeted. I do hope you find the answer to that question, captain."


    Captain Morgan stared at the boy. He ended up with the same conclusion. He just couldn''t believe that he will hear it from a seven year old boy. A noble, no less. Who probably doesn''t know anything of how the world works. Seeing a child speak and act like an adult was truly disconcerting.


    "Have you already found the caused of death of the other two victims?"


    "Poison. Different kinds for both," the captain answered but immediately stopped before he said more. He has no business telling this to a kid.


    Argent already guessed as much. Considering the state of that dead body they found earlier and how Felicia described the other dead body. And seeing the body of this guy, he was also probably killed by some kind of poison. There''s a high possibility that it was all done by the same person. "Well, I wish you good luck, Captain. I think you will need it. Now, if you don''t need anything else, would you kindly escort us back?"


    "Of course, milord."


    "That poor guy. He''s probably the same age as me," Felicia said when they got out of the room.


    "No, he''s definitely older than you. Probably in his twenties. Don''t worry much about him, Felicia. I don''t want you having nightmares because of the death of a stranger."


    "Yes, Young Lord."


    Captain Morgan heard what the boy said. Cold, indifferent, and undoubtedly smart. He couldn''t help but wonder just what kind of man this young boy would grow into. Once they were out of the corridor, he immediately put up the ban.


    They started walking back to the ckbournes'' cabin. They were about to turn a bend when someone suddenly bumped into Argent. It happened so suddenly that neither Felicia or the captain could prevent it. Because the person who bumped into her was much bigger, Argent fell on her back.


    "I''m so sorry," said a girl''s voice. Argent looked up and saw a tall girl, probably Felicia''s age, with ck hair braided at the back and a pair of mud brown eyes. "I wasn''t looking where I''m going. I''m really sorry." She held her hand out to help her stand up.


    Argent was tempted to ignore her. But in the end, she just sighed and reached her hand to the girl''s. She easily pulled her up. Then Argent saw a glimmer of surprise in her eyes when she did.


    "Young Lord, are you okay?" Felicia asked fussing over her.


    "I''m okay, Felicia." She looked at the girl who was still holding her hand and staring at it in wonder. "My hand?"


    "Oh, ahm, sorry," she said, letting her hand go and not without a bit of reluctance.


    "You shouldn''t be running around alone at this hour, youngdy," the captain reprimanded.


    "Oh, is it because of the murders?" the girl asked in hushed tone.


    The captain didn''t answer her question, instead he called a crewmate nearby and asked him to escort the girl. Then they continued walking back to the cabin.


    "Thank you for your cooperation, milord," the captain said when they reached the door of the cabin.


    "d to be of help."


    ----------


    The tension was palpable in the air the morning after. It was obvious that the people on board the ship was on edge because of the murders that happened the day before. Argent was on deck. There weren''t many people, unlike when they aboard the ship yesterday. Felicia and Aurum were near the stern, while their mother was still sleeping in their cabin.


    Aurum looked back at her and waved. She waved back. Her sister''s been doing that for every ten minutes. Probably just to make sure she''s there.


    "Good morning," greeted a slightly familiar voice.


    Argent looked up on her side and saw the girl who bumped into herst night. She nodded and turned her head back to the ocean.


    "You''re a cold one, aren''t you? Probably doesn''t care much about anything. Except your family, I take it." Argent ignored her. "So if I say that I will do to them what I did to those three people who died yesterday, would you give me some of your time?"


    Argent sharply turned her head back to the girl. "You--"


    "Got your attention, huh?" the girl said, grinning from ear to ear.


    "What you said, it''s the truth?"


    "Do I look like I''m joking?"


    No, she doesn''t. There was yfulness in her eyes. As if she just told Argent the most interesting thing. But there were no lies. "What do you want?" she asked, coldly, remembering her threat just now.


    "I just want you to go with me quietly. Don''t worry, I won''t kill you. But I may do something to your sister if you refuse," she said still smiling.


    Argent gritted her teeth, then sighed. "Lead the way, then."


    The girl walked and Argent followed. They kept walking until they reached the door of a cabin. Argent''s mind was working non-stop, thinking of ways on how to get out of this situation.


    The girl opened the door. "Come in, milord," she said mockingly, gesturing for her to get in.


    Argent went inside. The girl followed and closed the door and probably locked it too. Argent immediately noticed the girl lying on the floor. She wasn''t that surprised not until she saw the girl''s face. It was the same face as the girl who brought her here.


    "Oh, this face originally belongs to that girl. I''m just borrowing it for the time being," the girl said when she noticed her gaze. "Human skin is quite helpful during jobs like these."


    Argent turned to her. And a sudden realization hit her. "The trantor we met yesterday..."


    Her eyes danced with amusement. "Smart." This time she - or maybe she should use he - used the voice of the trantor. "Oh, this is my real voice by the way," he added in another voice - a male voice.


    So she was right, after all. The guy she and Aurum met yesterday was really the one who killed those Xing delegates. Argent calmed herself. There was no use panicking. She couldn''t think properly otherwise. "Is she dead?"


    "Her? No, she''s just unconcious. And will remain so until I get off this ship. I don''t kill without contracts."


    Contracts? He''s an assassin then. "And yet you just threatened my family."


    "How else would I get you alone?"


    "What do you need from me then?"


    "Touch you. I want to touch you." He removed the gloves he''s wearing and suddenly kneeled in front of her. He cupped her face. His eyes filled with wonder the moment his hands touched her skin. Just like how it didst night. "Amazing. It really doesn''t affect you."


    Argent furrowed her brows. She hated other''s touch, especially if that other was a paid killer. But she forced herself to not move unless she agitate this guy.


    "I tried to poison youst night, you know? Not really to kill you. Just to damage the nerves in your body. You were so snotty yesterday, it kind of annoyed me so I wanted to punish you. But ''lo and behold. My Gift doesn''t work on you," he said while continually touching her face. "Every part of my skin wasced with poison, the disadvantage of my Gift. I have to wear enchanted clothes just to not walk buck naked. That''s why when I touched you yesterday and you didn''t even as much as flinch, heck, I didn''t even feel my Mana flowing into you, it amazed me beyond belief. Why is that?"


    "I will answer your question but you have to make two vows first."


    Argent read about vows. How powerful it was. How one couldn''t break it that easily unless one kill one self first. It''s like some sort of heavenlyw. She doesn''t really know how it works, she just know that it does.


    "Fine. What kind of vows?"


    "Under no circumstances will you hurt me or my family and you will not tell anyone - human or not - my secret."


    "I vow to Gaia that I will not hurt you or your family and that I won''t tell anyone - human or not - your secret." Argent felt some kind of zing after he said those vows. Guessed that meant that it worked. She breathed a sigh of relief because of that. "Satisfied? Now answer my question."


    "I''m immune to any kind of Gift."


    "I haven''t heard that kind of Gift," he said, somewhat confused.


    "Because it''s not a Gift. Let''s just say it''s my special affliction."


    The confused look disappeared, reced by a dazzling smile. "Then you must be specially made for me." He suddenly hugged her. She could feel the slow decay of the part of her clothes that touched his skin. So, he''s telling the truth about that. She wanted to push him away, but before she could do that, he just hugged her tighter. "I''m called Viper. And from now on, you will belong to me, Argent ckbourne."

 Chapter 17: dreich gallere

    Chapter 17: dreich gallere


    ARGENT took a deep breath. She hated it when people touched her. Especially if it''s a stranger. In this case, a stranger who''s equally dangerous as he was mentaly unstable. She had no doubt about that, considering all the things he''s blubbering about. "Let go."


    "Don''t wanna," he stubbornly said while rubbing his cheek on hers.


    She took another deep breath. She needed to calm down. He''s physically stronger than her. He would overpower her in a second if she tried to fight back. She doesn''t have any Gift that she could use against him. So she could only fight him psychologically. She went through everything that happened since she entered this cabin. He said that his skin was covered with poison - attributed to his Gift. The slow decay of some parts of her clothes proved that. Which meant he probably never experienced human contact before.


    That''s why he''s currently beyond wonder right now because he found someone he could freely touch. For however long he lived in this world, this was the first time that he touched another person. So Argent understood his enthusiasm. She might even symphatize with his plight. But not to her expense. Not when she''s the one being groped all over.


    If she understood him correctly - and she hoped to high heavens she did - her opinion of him would greatly matter. Because she''s someone ''special'' to him. The only person - to his knowledge - who he could touch. He wouldn''t want her to have a bad impression of him. Although at this point, she couldn''t really think how it would be possible for him to leave her a good impression.


    "If you don''t let go of me right now, I will hate you with everything in me," she said, calmly.


    Argent felt him stiffen, then slowly, he released her. His expression turned down cast, like a puppy who''s been suddenly kicked. "Please, don''t hate me."


    Argent couldn''t believe that an assassin who could nonchntly kill three people - and he probably killed a lot more than that, being an assassin and all - would act like this just because of what she said. She almost felt like she''s bullying a small kid. She sighed. "I don''t like being touched by a stranger. A stranger who''s job is killing people no less."


    Viper pouted sulkily and stood up. "I told you, I don''t kill without contracts. I only kill people because someone paid a great deal of money for them to be killed. I don''t kill senselessly. That''s one of the most important rule of our group."


    Group? So he belonged to some kind of assassin group? "Yeah, like that really change a lot. Look, I don''t know you and you being an assassin doesn''t really help. So let''s just pretend that all of these didn''t happen and I won''t tell anyone that you''re the one who killed the Xing delegates and their trantor."


    "No! How could you say that? That''s mean. Do you know how long I''ve waited for someone like you toe? All my life! So no, we won''t pretend that this didn''t happen. We''re part of each other''s lives now."


    The thought of this guy being a permanent part of her life just weirded her out. "So you don''t care if I tell the captain about you?"


    "Oh you don''t have to care about that. I already left my card for the good captainst night. He already knows that an assassin from Dreich Gallere was responsible for those three deaths. He will probably announce the news to the whole ship today."


    "Wait- what?" Argent asked, not sure if she heard him right.


    "Another rule. Once we finished with our kills, every assassin in our group leaves a card. It''s like a signature, to let everyone know that the deaths of the people we killed was done by us. It adds up to our infamy. Which in turn leads up to more clients for us."


    "Is it really okay for you to tell me all these things? I''m sure your superior from that group of yours won''t be happy with you tattling all these to a seven year old kid."


    "It''s fine. Everyone who''s not living under a rock pretty much knows about our group''s modus. Besides, as I''ve told you, you belong to me. I give you the right to know these things," he said smiling as if what he said was the most logical thing.


    "Listen, I''m not a thing that could just belong to anyone."


    "Of course not. You could only belong to me." He reached down and touched her cheek. "You''re made for me."


    Argent could see in the gleam in his eyes that he probably wouldn''t listen to anythings she says. Now she could see that his interest in her was probably not that simple. "Mister... Viper, in case you haven''t noticed, I''m a boy. So what you''re doing right now kind of creeps me out."


    "But it shouldn''t. I don''t particrly care if you''re a boy. Even the world doesn''t care if a couple both have the same gender. So you shouldn''t either."


    Argent felt a headacheing. She couldn''t believe how hard it was to argue with someone so illogical. "I do care because I''m not into that kind of thing."


    "Oh don''t worry, I''m also not into child sex. I''ll wait until you''re mature enough to do the deed."


    Argent felt her whole face heating up. More of indignation than of embarrassment. There''s really no way she could reason with this guy. All her brain cells would probably burn out if she spent another minute reasoning with him. She took a calming breath, one after another until she was back to normal.


    "I want to go back to the deck. My sister is probably already looking for me."


    "Okay. I''ll go with you." He reached out to her hand and held it firmly.


    Yes, she could definitely feel that headacheing.


    ----------


    Just as Viper said, by noon everyone in the ship knew that the person responsible for the three deaths was an assassin from Dreich Gallere. Captain Morgan found a card stuck on his cabin door. The words ''Dreich Gallere'' was written on it and a picture of a snake. The snake was a signature of a particr member of the assassin group - Viper. Apparently every member has a particr animal counterpart that they used as their sign and code name.


    Dreich Gallere was an assassin group well known throughout the five continents. ording to most people, they only have a handful of members. But everyst one was as deadly as another. They were all trained by their elusive leader - a mysterious person with a Gift people believed could level the world. They were efficient and very professional. They would kill anyone for the right price and they wouldn''t kill without one.


    Or at least that''s what her mother told Argent when she asked her about the said assassin group.


    Argent looked around the dining hall, they were currently having lunch. She could no longer feel the tension in the air she felt this morning. All because they found out who killed the three people who died yesterday.


    "Mother, why is no one panicking when there''s an assassin currently roaming around the ship?" she couldn''t help but ask. "They couldn''t honestly think that whoever did this jump off ship after he''s done?"


    "No, it''s because he''s an assassin from Dreich Gallere. They''re professionals when ites to their job. Once they left their card, it meant that they''re done and there will be no further deaths. Thus, this effect."


    "Not everyone is so calm. I saw the captain yelling at his crew earlier. I think he''s very angry," Aurum chimed in.


    "Howe I didn''t see it?" Argent asked, though she had no doubt that Captain Morgan would be pissed instead of pleased when he found the card left by Viper.


    "How could you, when you''re busy spending time with that ugly girl," Aurum answered pointedly. Her brother suddenly disappeared when they were on the deck earlier but when she returned she was with that ugly girl. And that girl stayed with them for the next three hours, cooing and touching her brother. She almost pulled the bracelet stopping her Mana so she could fry the girl''s brain. That''s how annoyed she was.


    "Aurum, that''s not very nice," Anthea chided before turning to her other daughter. "So, who''s this girl?"


    "You''re probably going to meet her soon, Duchess. She''s walking up to us right now."


    Argent sharply turned to the direction where Felicia was looking. And there was Viper, cheerfully sauntering towards them.


    He walked up behind her chair. "Good afternoon, Your Grace," he greeted her mother.


    "Well, hello. I heard you befriend my son," Anthea said, a bit amused.


    "Yes. Actually, I n to marry him when he grows up."


    Aurum forcefully put down her fork and narrowed her eyes on Viper. Anthea onlyughed. Argent, on the other hand, immediately stood up.


    "Excuse us, I need to talk to her for a minute."


    Argent pulled Viper outside the dining hall. She didn''t stop walking until they reached a somewhat isted space.


    "What are you doing?" she asked.


    "I just want to spend as much time with you as I could. I have to get off on the next port for my next assignment. This ship would probably reach that port in a week. I only have a week to spend time with you. I don''t know when I''ll be able to meet you again."


    That was probably the best news she received today. She would probably go crazy if she had to spend time with him until they reached Amexem. "If you spend every minute of that week with me, then after a week you get off this ship, and the person you''re currently impersonating gain back her identity, what do you think my mother, sister, and our maid would think when she suddenly stopped showing interest in me?"


    "Don''t worry, that girl is also supposed to get off this ship on the next port."


    Well, that wasn''t so surprising. He''s a professional after all. He probably nned everything out the moment he took this job. "Then don''t just show up when I''m around my family."


    "But you''re always around them."


    "Then I will make time for you," she forced herself to say. "But only two hours a day."


    "Okay. But you have to go on a date with me when the ship docked on the next port."


    "Date?"


    "Yeah. Andromeda usually stayed docked in a city for a day before it sails again. So, what do you say?"


    She sighed. Does she really have a choice? "Fine."


    Yup. That headache was already turning into a migraine.


    *****


    Mini-theater:


    Viper: We''re going on a date! I''m so excited!


    Argent: (Maybe I should just jump off ship and drown myself.)

 Chapter 18: a date to remember... or not

    Chapter 18: a date to remember... or not


    ARGENT looked at her sleeping sister. Andromeda was already docked on the port of the city of Ver two hours earlier. Her mother and Felicia already got off the ship to do some shopping. She and Aurum were supposed to go with them. But she feigned sickness the night before just so she couldn''t go with them today. Then her sister refused to go as well without her. She had to use some kind of special incense to force Aurum to fall asleep. So she could sneak out and do what she needed to do.


    She was about to open the door when she heard a knock. She sighed because she already knew who it was. She opened it and there standing outside was a young man with curly brown hair, murky brown eyes, and a face she would readily forget once she passed it by the street.


    "Ready to go?" the young man asked in that annoyingly familiar voice.


    She raised one eyebrow. "Well, at least you''re not dressed as a girl anymore."


    Viper pouted. "It''s not as if I wanted to dress that way. Her identity was the most convenient one to use at the moment, so I did."


    And because the real one was getting off the ship today, he has to use another identity. "You didn''t kill the owner of this new identity, right?"


    "I told you, I don''t kill without a contract. He''s happily sleeping in his cabin just like your sister back there."


    She looked back again at her sleeping sister. "Those incense don''t have any negative after-effects, do they?" she asked, because she got it from Viper.


    "No. Have you already forgotten the vow I made? I can''t exactly hurt any of your family members. Though I''ve been tempted this past week to poison your sister to death for being such a brat," he said, as if he didn''t just tell her he''s tempted to kill her sister. "She''s too attach to you. That''s not healthy, you know."


    She scoffed. Thising from a guy who''s not entirely mentally stable. "Let''s just go."


    Argent picked the hat on the bedside table and put it on her head. Just to be on the safe side, in case she identally met her mother in town. She could immediately hide her face using the hat. She went outside the cabin and closed the door, carefully making sure it was locked.


    Argent started walking towards the deck. Viper immediately walked beside her.


    "Just a reminder, I have to be back here before lunch. So you better have a n prepared because I don''t want to go wandering around town aimlessly for the next four hours."


    "What, I thought this would be an all-day event," Viperined.


    "If you want this to be an all-day event, then we could just stay here on the ship," she smiled sweetly at him, not the least bit sincere.


    "No! How could it be a date when we''re just going to stay here anyway?"


    "Then you have four hours for this date."


    "Maybe I''ll just take you away and never let you return," he grumbled.


    She narrowed her eyes at Viper. "Just try. I won''t make it easy for you. And if you seed, remember that I will hate you."


    Viper sighed. "You''re such a stubborn little minx. You keep fighting me when we both know you''ll just end up with me anyway," he said as if ending up with him was already a sure thing.


    "Whatever," she just said. She''s already tired of telling him that that wouldn''t ever happen. Doing that for the past week could have that effect.


    When they reached the deck, one of the crew mate put a stamp on their wrist before they got off the ship. Every passenger that got off the ship and nned to return the same day would get the stamp. It would separate the old passengers from the new passengers. It was quite a useful system.


    "So, where to?" Argent asked when they reached the pavement.


    "Let me surprise you." Viper smiled down at her and held her hand before pulling her.


    ----------


    Argent was certainly surprised when Viper pulled her to the first alley they saw. "Is there something amazing in this alley?" she couldn''t help but ask.


    "Yes. My face," he said proudly. "I''m going to remove the human skin so you could stare at my glorious face all you want."


    No thanks - she almost told him. But then she''s curious enough to know what he really looked like. So she didn''t say anything and just observed what he''s about to do. He first took a small vial from his pocket and then put a drop on each of his eyes. After that, he removed the curly brown hair and then slowly peeled off the skin on his face. It was quite a... fascinating procedure.


    When he was done, he turned to look at her. "What do you think?"


    Argent stared at him. His hair was now the palest tinum blond that it almost looked like silvery white. He has a tall nose and thin lips. But his most catching feature were his eyes. It was in different colors. One in forest green and the other sky blue. It was the first time she saw someone with heterochromatic eyes. She almost wanted to splice his gene and look for the mutation that caused it.


    "Hmm... you look better."


    "I know, right?" he said with a cheeky grin. "Come, let''s go wander the streets of Ver." He reached for her hand and pulled her again.


    Once they''re out of the alley, Argent had the time to observe the streets of Ver. It was quite busy, considering that it''s early morning. There were countless shops line in the streets, carriages passing by, and people with over the top frocks and dresses.


    "I told you I don''t want to wander aimlessly," she said.


    "But where''s the surprise if we already know where we''re going?"


    She just shook her head. "Just don''t pull me too far away."


    "Oh, there''s my favorite cafe here in Ver. They have the most amazing pomegranate tart. You''ll love it. It''s not too sweet. Just the way you like it."


    She was quite surprised that he noticed that about her. "You''ve been here quite a lot, then?"


    "I''ve been around the world quite a lot. Perks of the job."


    "No doubt."


    He pulled her inside the cafe called ''Sweet Escape''. Inside, he chose a booth isted from other tables. Once they''re seated, a waitress immediately went to their booth to ask for their orders.


    "Two pomegranate tart, a mochatte, and green tea," Viper told the waitress, not even bothering asking her. Again, she''s surprised to find he knew her preference on her food and drink. Quite observant of him. But she figured he needed to be observant to be a good assassin.


    The waitress left and after a few minutes she returned with their orders.


    Argent took a small bite from the tart and her eyes widen a bit at her first taste.


    "Good, right?" Viper said smiling.


    "Actually, yeah." She doesn''t really like sweet stuff overly much. So the citrusy taste of the tart was just right for her.


    "I knew you would like it," he said, grinning like a proud cat.


    Argent noticed that he was already wearing his gloves. Probably because he couldn''t hold a spoon using his bare hands. It would probably melt with his poison ridden skin. "Are you sure it''s okay for you to show me your real face?" she thought asking.


    "It''s fine. You''re not the type to run around and tell everyone you meet that you know the real face of the infamous Viper from Dreich Gallere. You''d find it too troublesome."


    "True." So he doesn''t only know her food preference, he also figured out her personality. Or at least some part of it. "So you''re quite a famous assassin, huh?"


    "I''m the best one in our group. Though other annoying members would definitely argue the truth of that."


    She took another bite of the tart. "You must have a lot of kills under your belt."


    "Hundreds. Or maybe thousands? I don''t know, I already lost count," he didn''t even hesitate to admit.


    "You don''t feel guilty at all, do you?" she asked curiously.


    "About killing people? Not at all. It''s my job. Just like other people with jobs, I''m just doing it." He shrugged, finishing his tart.


    "Hmm."


    "Wait- you won''t start hating me because of my job, right? Because that would be unfair."


    "No. I don''t really care what you do. As long as it doesn''t affect me, that is," she said honestly. That would probably make her apathetic. But she really couldn''t make herself care about people she doesn''t know. She just doesn''t have that emotional capacity.


    He grinned widely. "Which just makes me like you more and more."


    She just snorted and finished her food. "So, where to next?"


    He reached out to her and wiped the corner of her mouth - probably for crumbs. "Just let me surprise you."


    ----------


    Viper pulled her from one ce to another. A magical shop, a jewelry store, a dress shop. By the end of their third hour together, Argent felt like she''d ran a marathon. That''s how tired she was. She just kept telling herself that after this day, she''d be rid of him. And hopefully, she wouldn''t see him again.


    "I''m tired. Let''s rest for a bit," she said, sitting on a nearby bench on the za where they''re in.


    Viper sat beside her. "I forgot you have short legs."


    "Quite obvious, considering my age."


    "Don''t worry, you''ll definitely grow into them," he said, confidently. "So, you and your family are going to Amexem? Is it for vacation?"


    Argent shouldn''t be surprised that he knew about that. He probably didn''t have problems essing that information. She thought of lying, but then she thought it didn''t really matter if she did or not. He will certainly find the truth one way or another. "No. We''re going to stay there for awhile."


    "Great. I''ll make sure to drop by from time to time."


    "You talk as if you already know where we''re going to stay."


    "It won''t be a problem for me to find out."


    She sighed. She just knew she wouldn''t be able to get rid of this guy that easily. "What if I told you I could make something that could allow you to touch other people? Would you stop stalking me?" With the right amount of time and research, she has no doubt that she could make a device like that.


    Viper stared at her intently, as if memorizing every features of her face. "You''re a special existence for me. Even if you manage to make something like that, it would only be artificial. You will still remain that one special person that I could touch with or without any kind of device. So, no. I will remain a constant fixture in your life for as long as the both of us live." He kneeled in front of her. "That''s a promise."


    Then he leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose.


    And somehow, Argent has no doubt that he will indeed remain a constant fixture in her life.


    *****


    Mini-theater:


    Viper: I kissed Argent!!! ()/


    Argent: -shaking her head- (I hope I won''t see this guy for a dozen chapters.)

 Chapter 19: welcome to amexem

    Chapter 19: wee to amexem


    THE EARTH of this world has a seventy-thirty ratio of ocean tond. There were only five main continents. The continents were arranged in the shape of a pentagram. Thus the names; Northern, Western, Southwestern, Southeastern, and Eastern. But five hundred years ago, there existed a sixth continent. Thergest one located at the center of the five continents - the Mythos continent.


    It was the continent where the other three mythological races of this world roamed freely. The elves loved by the goddess Gaia, the beast kin with their explosive strength, and the majestic and all-poweful dragons. But five hundred years ago, a war broke out and these races barricaded themselves. Away from all the humans. Now, Mythos was basically invisible to humans. It becamepletely isted from the rest of the world.


    Argent walked down the port where Andromeda docked. They already arrived at the Western continent where the country of Amexem was. After almost two months of sea travel, they finally reached their destination. And thank God for that. She''s starting to get bored of all the ocean she''s seeing.


    "We''re finally here," Aurum said on her side, clutching at her arms. "Do you think Mother''s friend will like us?"


    "I''m sure he''s going to like you. There''s no way he can resist your charms."


    "Well, I just wish there won''t be another pest throwing themselves at you. Like that ugly girl," Aurum pouted.


    Argent sighed. Her sister was no doubt talking about Viper. Aurum was in a very foul mood during that week that Viper followed her around. She only came back to normal when Viper disappeared. Considering thest time they talked, Argent was pretty sure that Viper would definitely appear in front of her again in the near future. And probably using different faces each time he does. She should probably make sure that Aurum was not around whenever Viper appeared.


    "Children, Felicia," their mother called to them. She was walking in front. "We still need to travel to Warrshaw," she added referring to the capital of Amexem and the city where their mother''s friend lived. "So what mode of transportation would you prefer, horses or gryphons?"


    "Gryphons!" Aurum and Felicia answered almost simultaneously.


    Anthea grinned. "I guessed as much. Now, let''s go. As far as I can remember, there''s a stable of them here."


    She started to walk and they followed. It didn''t take long before they reached the stable their mother was talking about. It was just like what she said, a stable. Only it was wider and infinitelyrger. And inside were not horses but big creatures with wings. Argent couldn''t help but walk closer to the nearest one.


    This was the first time she saw a creature that didn''t exist in the Earth where she came from. Staring at the head and wings simr to an eagle and the body, hind legs, and tail of a lion, she couldn''t help but be amazed. What a glorious creature. She almost had the urge to drag one to an isted room and disect it.


    Argent turned and saw her mother talking probably to the person in charge. A few minutester, they were bounded inside a carriage being pulled by a gryphon. Aurum immediately hugged her arm the moment the gryphon took off.


    "Mother, how long will it take for us to reach Warrshaw?" Argent asked.


    "Probably just an hour," Anthea answered.


    Argent looked outside the window, down at the city they''re passing by. She could see factories and tall buildings, so unlike Albion''s artistic architectures.


    An hour flew by quickly and they reached their destination. The gryphonnded on a clearing down a hill. ording to Anthea, she already contacted her friend. So a carriage was already waiting for them. They all got off. Anthea talked to the driver. Then they steered out of the way and the gryphon took off. They immediately saw the carriage and went inside it. They started to travel up the hill and after twenty minutes, stopped in front of a three-floored mansion.


    They got off the carriage and Argent stared at the mansion in front. It was not as big as the Hanover manor. But it was still big and grand that there was no doubt that it belonged to someone rich.


    "Thea!" a rich baritoned voice called.


    Argent turned and saw a tall man walking down the steps leading to the mansion. He has dark blond hair arranged in a messy queue and a pair of emerald green eyes. He looked to be her mother''s age. With an air of mischief around him.


    "Jax!" Anthea hugged the man. It has been too long since shest saw him. Despite being annoyed at him most of the time, she truly did miss him.


    "I''ve missed you, Thea. You should have visited much sooner," he said, letting go of Anthea.


    "You know that''s not possible. Considering the situation." His expression sombered because he knew what she was talking about. "Let''s not talk about that now. Anyway, Jax, these are my children, Argent and Aurum. Kids, this is Jaxon McAllister, a very good friend of your father and I."


    "Wow, they''re like a pair of dolls," Jaxon said, amazed. "It''s nice to finally meet the both of you," he added, smiling down at them.


    "It''s nice to meet you too, Mr. McAllister," Argent and Aurum said almost at the same time. Argent bowed and Aurum curtsied.


    Jaxon''s smile broaden. "Please, just call me Uncle Jax."


    Aurum hid behind her and did not answer. While Argent just stared at the man. "Yes, Uncle Jax," she said, not really meaning it.


    Because as she stared at the man, all she could think was if he would be able to help her with her n.

 Chapter 20: the mcallister family

    Chapter 20: the mcallister family


    ANTHEA looked at her friend. They were in his study, while the children and Felicia were lead to their rooms. She''d known Jaxon the same amount of time she''d known her husband. Dorian ckbourne and Jaxon McAllister were both adventurers. They met in their youth, both reckless and seeking for adventure. Together with others they trust, they formed a small crew. A band of misfits sailing across the world, looking for undiscovered treasures. It was during one of those adventures she met them.


    Anthea could still remember how much Dorian infuriated her. The two of them fought and bicker, but in the middle of all that, they fell in love. Just a yearter, they got married and she became the new Duchess of Hanover. Remembering all those memories now gave a bittersweet pang in her heart. Because Dorian has been missing for eight years now. She refused to believe that he''s dead just like what everyone else said. Because if she did, then she''d break into pieces. And her daughters doesn''t need a broken mother.


    She shook her head. This was not the time for her to feel mncholic. She returned her attention to Jaxon. Thest time she saw him was eight years ago when the news about Dorian''s death came out. Dorian was not the only one lost, a lot of their other friends also went with him on thatst expedition. The only reason Jax didn''t also disappear was because he had to take over the family business. He had to stop being an adventurer that year.


    "I can''t believe it''s been eight years," Jaxon started. "The twins are all grown up. They''re lovely, Thea. Argent certainly is the splitting image of Dorian."


    "Yes. Argent was actually the one who suggested we go here. Saying that having their primary education here will help with their growth more than if they had it in one of the royal academies in Albion."


    "And the boy is right." From what Jaxon could remember, Argent was a NoGift. It was hard for a powerless kid to grow up in a stiffling society like Albion. Even if that kid was a duke. "But how about Aurum? You told me about that incident three years ago. Has she already gotten control of her Gift?" Because from what he saw earlier, he didn''t even feel the child''s Mana. Which was weird, considering she''s an SS level Gift. There should be at least a small spike. But there waspletely nothing.


    "No. Argent made a special bracelet that could stop the Mana flow in Aurum''s body."


    Jaxon was amazed by what he heard. A device that could stop the flow of Mana. He never heard of anything like that. And what''s more remarkable was that it was made by a seven year old boy. "Did he made it alone, with no one''s help?"


    "Yes."


    Jaxon whistled in admiration. "Then Thea, your son is a genius."


    "About that, Argent is actually a girl," Anthea didn''t hesitate to tell that important piece of information to Jax. If her twins would live with him for the next seven years, then he needed to know that. Besides, she knew she could trust Jax with that information. "My children are twin girls."


    If Jaxon was amazed earlier, he was unbelievably surprised now. That boy was actually a girl? He - or he should say ''she'' - acted with perfect calmness earlier. A calmness that any adult would envy. He couldn''t believe it from a seven year old boy, much less from a girl. Not that he''s being a chauvinist. Girls at that age just tended to be more emotional. Just look at his niece.


    "Was there really a need for a masquerade?" he couldn''t help but ask. Thea was not the type to subject her daughter to that kind of hardship.


    "You know that the Hanover title can only be passed on to the male line. If I didn''t pass one of them as a son, then the title would be given to some distant cousin. I know it''s selfish of me to let one of my children bear so much at such a young age. But I wanted to keep the manor. It''s where Dorian grew up. Every little trinket he found in his many adventures are there. That manor is him. I couldn''t give it up. Not when he''s missing. Not when I don''t even know when I''ll get him back."


    Anthea took a deep breath. She forced herself to calm down before she broke down and cried rivers in front of Jax.


    "I understand, Thea." He understood that kind of love more than anyone. "There are still no news about Dorian?"


    Anthea shook her head. "You know one of the reasons Argent wanted to study here was because she believed I would be confident enough to leave them here so I could personally lead the search for their father. As if she could feel that''s something I''ve been wanting to do."


    That made Jaxon smile. "As I''ve said, she''s a genius. And you could leave them here confidently under my guardianship, you know. I will look after them as if they''re my own. Which was really not hard since they''re yours and Dorian''s children."


    "Well, I do n on doing that. But not before Argent and Aurum feelfortable living here." Anthea would wait, even if it took a whole year for that to happen. "You said your nephew and niece are also living with you."


    "Yes. I had to take care of my brother''s children. You know what happened to him and his wife."


    The former head of the McAllister family, Jaxon''s brother, died nine years ago. He was travelling on a ship with his wife when it sank due to a strong thunderstorm. The sudden death of Jaxon''s brother was the reason he stopped bing an adventurer. Because he has to take responsibility for their family''s huge business empire.


    "Maybe you should''ve married a long time ago so someone could help you take care of the kids," she joked.


    "You know I couldn''t do that," he said, a bitter smile on his lips.


    Anthea immediately understood what he meant. "Still waiting for her?"


    "Always."


    ----------


    Argent looked around the huge yroom. After one of the servants showed them to their rooms, he took them here while they wait for her mother and Jaxon McAllister to finish talking. Felicia was currently arranging their luggage. Another servant brought cold drinks and cakes.


    She took a sit on a small couch while Aurum kept ncing around the toys around the room. And there''s a lot of toys, all kinds too. Dolls, board games, y houses, there''s probably even a magical toy around the room. But her mind was not on the toys. She was thinking about the wide scope of the McAllister''s family business. Or businesses for that matter.


    The McAllisters were one of the most prominent and wealthiest family in Amexem. They have a lot of businesses all over the country. They do trade with other powerful countries. It''s not an exageration to say that they control the Amexem''s economy. Now, she just had to think of a way to convince the head of that family to help her with her n. Easy. Anyone with a head for business would agree to her. Especially if they wanted to make a lot of money.


    Aurum lifted one of the dolls from the shelf. It reminded her of that particr doll she had three years ago. It was her favorite. That''s why her mental control snapped when the doll was broken.


    "What are you doing?" said a girl''s voice from the doorway.


    Both Argent and Aurum looked towards the doorway. They saw a girl probably two years older than them. She has wild me red hair and a pair of big hazel eyes. And those eyes were now narrowed at Aurum. "Let go of my doll!"


    She stormed inside the room but before she could reach Aurum, Argent stopped her from her track. "I apologize. But we were lead to believe that we''re free to y with any of the toys here. So I don''t think you, getting angry would be appropriate."


    The girl looked at her. And stared. "Who are you?"


    "We''re guests of Mr. McAllister," she answered.


    The girl harrumphed. "Fine. The girl could y with my doll but you have to y with me in return." She reached for her and tugged her arm.


    "No!" Aurum shouted. It only took her a few steps before she reached them. Then she tugged Argent''s other arm. "Let go of my brother!"


    The girl looked at Aurum. "You y with my doll so it''s only fair I get to y with him. So let go." Then she tugged Argent''s arm again.


    "You let go!"


    Argent sighed. She couldn''t believe that one day she''d be the rope in a tug-of-war between two children. She was about to tell them to stop when another voice spoke.


    "What do we have here?" said a young boy''s voice.


    Argent looked towards the doorway and there standing was a ten, eleven year old boy. He has honey blond locks and a pair of emerald green eyes so simr to the head of the McAllister family. He has delicate features. If not for his voice and the way he was dressed, she might have mistaken him for a girl.


    "Brother! Could you get that girl away from here?" said the girl.


    The boy looked at Aurum, then at Argent. Then he looked at the girl. "You shouldn''t really tug at him like that. Have you forgotten what Uncle told usst night? We''ll have an aristocratic family from Albion visiting today. That''s probably the duke you''re holding." He said the word ''duke'' in a voice full of mockery.


    "You mean this is that thrash duke? No matter. He still makes a pretty ything."


    Argent forced her arm out of the girl''s grasp. "Yes, I''m a duke. But sadly for the both of you, I''m no thrash. I assure you, my bloodline is quite noble. Far nobler than yours will ever be."


    The boy frowned at her while the girl red. And Argent could already tell that these two kids will be a problem.

 Chapter 21: two pairs of siblings

    Chapter 21: two pairs of siblings


    IT WAS the third day of their stay in the McAllister mansion. Everything had been fairly eptable. Their rooms werefortable, the food was great, and the owner of the house was easy to get along with. The only problem Argent has with living here was Jaxon McAllister''s nephew and niece. Just like she predicted, they really became a source of problem.


    Ruby, the girl with wild ming red hair, kept on hounding her. Whenever she saw Argent, she would start pulling, hugging, smothering her - not in that particr order. It''s like she really thought of Argent as some kind of new shiny toy. And she wouldn''t stop until that new toy became worn and old. Honestly, Argent was on thest stretch of her patience. If Ruby doesn''t stop, she might just forget that she''s only a nine year old kid. It doesn''t help that she always antagonized Aurum. And with her sister''s temper, they always end up in a fight.


    Then there''s the older brother, Finn. He''s a problem in a whole new level. Unlike his sister who straightforwardly shows her dislike, he''s more subtle in his. He''s like a devious two-faced bastard. Whenever there''s an adult around, he''s like the perfect young master. Kind, polite, and understanding. But when he''s alone with them, his attitude turned aplete one-eighty and became a rude jerk.


    "Brother, do we really have to stay here?" Aurum suddenly asked. The two of them were currently in the garden. "I don''t think I could live here for seven years with those two around."


    Argent actually already thought about that. But the pros of living here outweighed the cons. So she immediately let go of the idea of living somewhere else. Besides, it''s not as if their mother would allow them to do that. Going here in Amexem was already a big concession on her part. "Mother trusts Jaxon. If we live somewhere else, I don''t think Mother would have the confidence to leave us here."


    "And if Mother doesn''t leave, then she won''t have the time to look for Father." Aurum sighed.


    Her brother told her that one reason she chose to study here in Amexem was to give their mother time to do the one thing she''s been wanting to do for the longest time now; to look for their father. Their mother couldn''t do that because she couldn''t just leave them. But now, she has a chance to do that. Aurum understood that and she didn''t want to get in the way. But still. Those two were getting on herst nerves. Especially that stupid Ruby. And to think they were only here for three days.


    "Don''t worry, if the situation doesn''t get better for the next year or two, I''ll find a way for us to live in a different house," Argent assured Aurum. After all, her sister''s mental health was more important. It wouldn''t help her control her Mana if she''s stressed.


    "Really, Brother?"


    "Yes."


    Aurum was happy that Argent was willing to do that for her. But she also knew that she couldn''t continue to be spoiled by her brother. If she continued to be spoiled, then there mighte a time when Argent would be tired of her. And she couldn''t let that happen. So she would try to endure the presence of those two.


    "Do you think Mother wille back for lunch?" Aurum asked, changing the subject.


    "If there''s no problem, then yes." Anthea went to Starlight Academy - the school they were supposed to go to - to finish their regestration. She went there with Felicia. If everything went smoothly then they could start attending school by Monday next week.


    "Ah! There you are!" a familiar voice shouted from their back. Suddenly, someone hugged Argent from behind. She didn''t have to turn to know that it was Ruby. "I''ve been looking all over for you."


    Argent sighed before entangling herself from Ruby''s arms and turning around to face her.


    Ruby stared. Her brother asked why she''s giving too much attention to this boy. Yes, he''s a duke but he''s still a NoGift. Not worth of their attention. But she couldn''t help herself. This was the first time she saw such a beautiful boy. He could even rival her brother''s beauty. In closer inspection, Argent''s face was probably prettier than her brother''s. With his silver hair that softly curls around his face, his delicate white skin, and those purple eyes, he would immediately attract anyone''s attention.


    Well, it certainly attracted Ruby''s. She wanted his attention to be solely focused on her. Even though he always looked like he doesn''t care much about anything. It''s really annoying whenever he looked at her as if she doesn''t matter. But that''s okay, she''d just have to teach him who''s important and who wasn''t.


    "I''m going to town to buy a new dress. Come with me."


    Ruby reached for Argent but she stepped back. "No."


    Ruby frowned. "You can''t say no!"


    Aurum promised earlier that she would endure for the sake of her brother. But seriously, this Ruby could easily make her lose her patience just by speaking. "He can''t say ''no''? Do you really think you own my brother? Are you delusional or simply mental?"


    Ruby red at Aurum. She could tolerate Argent despite him being an indifferent jerk. But his sister on the other hand, she irritates the hell out of her. "Shut up! I''m not talking to you."


    "I won''t unless you stay away from my brother!"


    "And why would I do that?" Ruby turned to Argent. "You''reing with me."


    When Ruby tried to grab Argent''s arm, Aurum pulled her brother. "He won''t be going anywhere with you!" Then she pushed Ruby.


    Because she didn''t expect it, Ruby lost her bnce and fell on her back. This was the first time anyone dared to push her. She red at Aurum with murder in her eyes.


    Argent felt that Ruby was trying to umte Mana. She immediately knew what she was trying to do. So she stepped in front of Aurum to protect her. And just like she thought, a wave of me suddenly appeared and went in their direction.


    That was the scene that Finn saw when he entered the garden. Before he could think, he used his Gift to deflect the me that his sister created and then slowly extinguished it. It was easy, considering that he has a SS level telekic Gift. All three looked in his direction because of what he did. Finn observed everything in front of him. His sister with an angry expression, sitting on her back and the silver-haired duke standing protectively in front of his twin. He could already tell what happened here.


    Finn walked towards his sister and helped her stand up. Then she turned to the twins. "I apologized. My sister just lose her temper."


    "Lose her temper? Are you kidding me? She almost burned my brother to death!" Aurum was still shaking, thinking of what could have happened if those mes reached Argent.


    Finn looked at the girl. Aurum was indeed beautiful, if only she wouldn''t open her mouth. She might have a point, but no matter what Ruby''s fault was, he would always take her side. After all, she''s his only sister. "Then maybe next time you shouldn''t provoke her. Since both parties were at fault, I suggest we keep this incident to ourselves. What do you say?"


    Argent sneered. "Don''t worry, we won''t tell your precious uncle what your sister just did. But next time she tries to attack my sister, I promise you, I''ll make your lives a living hell." She held her sister''s hand and they both walked away from the garden.


    Finn watched them walk before turning his attention back to his sister. Ruby''s biting her lower lip, both her hands were clenched. Both signs pointing to her being frustrated and didn''t know what to do about it.


    "I didn''t mean to!" Ruby said before he could even talk. "It''s just- I''m so annoyed with that girl!"


    Finn sighed. "Even if that''s the case, you still shouldn''t have used your Gift. You could have honestly killed the duke. I already told you that their father was Uncle''s best friend. If you really ended up killing one of them, then Uncle might just abandon us. And where would that leave us?"


    Their uncle was the only family they have - or at least the only family that mattered. He certainly didn''t remember their parents. All he had of them were grainy memories. In his mind, their uncle was their father. That''s why Finn was always striving to be the best. So their uncle wouldn''t regret naming him as his heir. Just one misshap and those children from the branch family would sweep in like vultures.


    "I know. I''m sorry," Ruby said, trembling.


    "If you really can''t help fighting with her, just make sure you won''t go too far. And that whatever you do won''t get pointed back at you."


    It''s probably not an advice that a good brother should give to his sister. But Ruby has been spoiled too long, by him and their uncle both. It''s toote now to curve her stubborn streak. Not to mention, her temper.


    Ruby nodded. "I didn''t think that Argent would protect that annoying sister of his to that extent."


    She and him both. He was honestly surprised to see that duke going in front of his twin without even a shred of fear in his eyes. He might be a NoGift, but he''s certainly no coward. If Finn was not already annoyed with him, he might earned a bit of his respect.


    When he learned about their new guests who would be living with them for the next seven years, Finn nned to show them his perfect prince act. After all, he''s still a duke. It wouldn''t hurt to develop a connection. But when Finn saw him in the yroom the day they arrived, all his ns went into the gutter. There''s just something about him that rubbed him the wrong way. So he identally showed them his real attitude. And since he already did that, it''s stupid to suddenly changed it.


    "Maybe you shouldn''t pay too much attention to the duke," Finn said to Ruby. Again. He doesn''t know how many times he said that to his sister these past three days.


    "But Brother- I couldn''t help it! He''s just- he''s too pretty. I just want to y with him!"


    Finn sighed again. The duke was really too pretty for his own good. What, with that flock of silver hair, those big purple eyes, and that white, white skin that looked almost too soft to touch. He''s more beautiful than any number of girls. Finn shook his head. Since when did he care about other people''s looks? This was the reason why he doesn''t like that duke. He''s making him feel confused. And he doesn''t like that. He doesn''t like it at all.


    ----------


    Aurum stomped inside her room. "Argh! I hate that girl!" She turned around to her brother who just entered the room. "Brother, don''t ever do what you did earlier again. What if you got burned?"


    "If you''re in danger, it''s only natural for me to protect you. After all, I''m older." Besides that fire wouldn''t actually hurt Argent. It would burn her clothes though.


    "But still."


    She walked towards Aurum. "But if you''re really worried, then you should work on controlling your Mana. If you manage to control your SS level telepathic Gift, there would probably be only a handful of people who could put a fight against you."


    "I--" Aurum looked down. "I know that. But I''m also scared. What if what happened three years ago happen again?"


    "Controlling your Mana is the first step to prevent something like that to happen again. That''s why I picked Starlight Academy. They have aprehensive lesson to teach children how to properly control and use their Gifts."


    "I understand." If she could use her Gift without being afraid of the consequence, then something like what happened earlier wouldn''t happen again. She could properly protect her brother.


    "But first, you must control your temper. There will certainly be a lot of girls like Ruby in that school. You can''t always use violence whenever things don''t go your way."


    Aurum pouted. "I know. But she''s just so- so annoying." She couldn''t imagine what it would be like to face a dozen girls like Ruby. She might have a brain aneurysm if that happened.


    "That''s why you should draw the crowd into your favor. If girls like Ruby try to intimidate or bully you, act in a way that will let the crowd be on your side. Even they couldn''t do anything if the people around you start protecting you."


    "How- how would I do that?"


    Argent took a deep breath. This was something that she was nning to teach to Aurum. If she couldn''t learn to control her temper, then studying in this new school would just be hell for her. "Smile. Act sweet and polite. Listen to me, Aurum. Humans are visual animals. They tend to act kindly to people with better appearance. And you''re a very beautiful girl. With just one smile, people will naturally gravitate towards you. If you act kindly, they will like you even more. Of course, there will be people who would be envious. But those people would be outnumbered by the people who like you. So, it won''t matter. They won''t matter."


    "You mean I have to act like someone I''m not?"


    "If that''s what it takes. But don''t think too much about it. Even if you have to act, it doesn''t matter. Because I know the real you. And that''s more important than anything else. Unless, of course, you think other people are more important."


    "No! You''re more important than anything else!" Aurum would do it. She would smile, act like some sweet girl if she had to. "I will do it."


    "Good." Argent knew she was manipting Aurum. But this was for her own good.


    She just doesn''t know at that time how much her words would affect Aurum''s future development.

 Chapter 22: starlight academy

    Chapter 22: starlight academy


    ARGENT came down the carriage and stared at the building in front of her. It looked like a medieval European building, with all the turrets and spires. This was probably the first building she saw here in Warrshaw that used a European design. Aurum came down followed by their mother.


    "So this is it, huh," Aurum said beside her.


    "Yes." She looked at her sister. "Remember what we talked about."


    "I know, Brother." A bright smile crossed Aurum''s face. "Is this smile sweet enough for you?"


    The corners of her mouth tipped upward. "Yes, you look very lovely."


    "Thank you."


    "Come on, kids. Let''s go," Anthea said, urging them to move forward.


    They started walking. Argent looked around. There weren''t many students walking about. Not really surprising since they came here pretty early. But those who saw them couldn''t help but stare. She couldn''t me them, really. After all, the three of them together do make a great visual impact.


    Argent stared again at the building of the Starlight Academy. She chose this school because of itsprehensive education. Especially regarding Mana control and maniption. The people here could teach Aurum how to control her Gift. Argent hoped that after seven years of primary education here, Aurum would be able to take off the bracelet without killing anyone. That way, she could at least protect herself.


    A short, balding man with a pot belly greeted them at the entrance. He introduced himself as the vice-chairman. "Your Grace, my lord, mydy, wee to Starlight Academy." Anthea nodded to him. "I''ll lead you first to the faculty room to meet your homeroom teacher."


    "You should''ve not bothered, Mr. Smith," Anthea said.


    Mr. Smith snorted inside. He was only doing this because of the very sizable donation the Duchess made to their school. And having high ranking nobilities from Albion be their students was an added bonus. Not to mention, one of them has an SS level Gift. Those were rare in the world. That''s why SS level students enrolled in their academy were given special treatments. Because any honor they receive once they graduate would be an honor for the academy as well.


    "It''s not a bother, Your Grace," Mr. Smith said before turning to the two kids. "I take it, my lord, mydy, you already have a copy of your schedule?"


    "Yes," Argent answered.


    Every grade in Starlight Academy only has three sses. Both she and Aurum belonged to the same ss. Their subjects were pretty rudimentary since they''re only in their first grade. They have three subjects in the morning; World History, Mathematics, and Language and Vocabry. And two subjects in the afternoon; Mana Study, for her it was her chosen elective course, while for Aurum, it was advanced Mana ss.


    They have differentst subjects because Aurum has an SS level Gift. Every student with that level of Gift was required to attend an advanced Mana ss. They were so few that they only have one ss. As for Argent, she chose an elective course just like any other student. The elective she chose was swordsmanship.


    Being a NoGift, it would be bad for her to remain a weak chicken in this world full of people with abilities. She had to learn how to defend and protect herself. She thought of a number of ways she could protect herself. Learning some kind of martial art was one. But she thought better of it. Her physique just wouldn''t allow her to advance in that direction. She might be posing as a boy but she''s still a girl. It would be hard for her to change her muscle mass and physical strength. It would take a very rigorous, over-the-top training for that to happen. And she just doesn''t have the time for that. So she chose to use a weapon.


    Bows and arrows were too burdensome. Spears equally more so. Guns were out of the question. Aside from the fact that they didn''t exist in this world, Argent had no n on making one. Introducing weapons of mass destruction in this world would only lead to the same ending she had in her original world - countries moring for her to make weapons for them. No. She wouldn''t put herself in that situation again. Besides, making some kind of weapon that would just attract unwarranted attention was not part of her n. So she chose a sword.


    She could make a special sword without people thinking they could kidnap her for making one. In fact, she already has all the materials she needed before they traveled here in Amexem. The design of the sword was long finished. Last week, on the first night they arrived, she started to make the sword. And she''s been on it every night since. It would probably take another three weeks before she could finish it.


    Now what Argent needed was the knowledge on how to use the sword. At first, she thought of hiring a swordsmaster to teach her. She had no doubt that Amexem didn''tck capable swordsmen. But then she found out that she could learn swordsmanship here in Starlight Academy as an elective. She thought, why not give it a try? And if the teacher turned out to be useless, then she''d just revert to her original n - hire someone to teach her.


    Mr. Smith lead them to the faculty room. Once inside, the teachers there immediately looked in their direction.


    "Miss James," the vice-chairman called one of the female teachers.


    A woman who looked to be in her early twenties walked over to them. She was petite with dark brown hair tied in a messy bun and a pair of chocte brown eyes behindrge spectacles. She was wearing a bright floral dress. "Yes, sir."


    "Your Grace, this is Miss Sara James. She''s going to be the homeroom teacher of my lord and mydy. She''s also in-charge of the World History ss. Miss James these are your new students, Lord Argent ckbourne and Lady Aurum ckbourne."


    Argent made a slight bow and Aurum curtsied.


    "It''s nice to meet you, Teacher," Aurum said, smiling.


    Sara stared at the two children in front of her. She had never seen a lovelier pair of children. And they were lovely. The boy with his silver hair and purple eyes and the girl with her long golden hair and amber eyes. Anyone who saw them together couldn''t help but stare. She couldn''t help the smile that appeared on her face. "It''s nice to meet you too."


    "Miss James, I leave my children in your care," Anthea said.


    "Yes, Your Grace. You can leave them to me."


    "Now that''s settled." Mr. Smith turned to Anthea. "Your Grace, the Chairman would very much like to meet you. He''s not here thest time you came to visit. He would be saddened if he miss you again this time."


    "Of course." Anthea looked at her daughters. "I''lle backter this afternoon to fetch you. Be good okay, you two."


    "Yes, Mother," Argent and Aurum said almost at the same time.


    After Anthea and the vice-chairman left, the twins turned to their new teacher.


    "Ahm, should I call you Lord Argent and Lady Aurum?" Sara asked, tentatively.


    "No. You''re our teacher. If you treat us differently from others then that would only backfire on us," Argent said.


    "Oh, yes. That''s right." Sara was startled by how calm Argent was. ording to the information the vice-chairman gave her, this little boy was a NoGift. And yet she couldn''t sense any insecurity in him. She was a C level empath. Not strong enough to control others through emotion but enough to feel others'' emotion. It was a perfect Gift for a teacher. And right now, she couldn''t feel anything at all from this boy. The only reason she could think of was because he''s not projecting any kind of emotion right now. His twin, on the other hand, has her emotions all jumbled up. She cleared her throat. "ss is about to start. Let''s go and meet your new ssmates."


    They went out the faculty room and followed the teacher. They reached a ssroom. Miss James entered first and the twins followed. Argent saw sixteen kids sitting inside. All of them stared at her and Aurum when they entered.


    "Good morning everyone. We have new friends who will be joining us from today onwards." Sara turned to the twins. "Please introduce yourselves."


    "Argent ckbourne," Argent simply said.


    "Hi everyone! I''m Aurum ckbourne. I and my brother will be in your care from now on. I hope we could all get along," Aurum said, smiling brightly at everyone in front of them.


    Argent raised one of her brows. Looks like her sister was taking her advice pretty seriously. This was the first time she saw her with such a blinding smile. And based on the awed expression of the kids in front of them, it''s working.


    There were ten desk in the room, arranged in two columns. Five desk in each. Two students were seated in each desk. Because they transfered here mid-school year, the only avable seats were thest two desk on the back. They sat on one of the empty desks.


    "Okay, let''s start the ss," Miss James said once the both of them were seated.


    ----------


    -Lunchbreak-


    Most of the students in the room - almost all of them girls - surrounded the twin''s desk once the morning sses ended. They kept asking questions after questions. Aurum did her best to answer all of it, smiling like an angel all the while she does it.


    "We all probably should go to lunch," Aurum said, cutting short all the questioning. "Could someone guide us to the cafeteria? My brother and I doesn''t really know where it is."


    "You could eat lunch with us. We''re also eating there," one of the girls said.


    "Yes, we don''t mind," another girl said rather too enthusiastically while sneaking nces at Argent.


    "Hey, we also want to eat lunch with them," another one said.


    "That''s right!"


    "It''s okay everyone. We could all just eat together. You don''t have to fight," Aurum said, gently smiling. It made all the kids surrounding them sighed in admiration. "You don''t mind, right, Brother?"


    Argent just shrugged. "It''s fine."


    "Great. Let''s go then." Aurum smiled and held her brother''s hand. Truth to be told, the muscles on her face were starting to hurt because of all this smiling. But she has to follow what her brother taught her. And it worked. This was the first time that so many kids her age fawned over her. It''s not really that bad of a feeling, honestly.


    With the guidance of their ssmates, they made their way to the cafeteria. Many students were already there. Once again, they attracted a lot of attention. There weren''t many avable tables that could aodate the twins and their ssmates. So at the end, they decided to just separate. Three girls ended up sitting with the twins.


    A waiter soon approached their table and took their order. ording to the girls with them, the shool''s cafeteria functions like a restaurant. The only difference was they don''t have to pay since paying for food was part of their tuition. While waiting for their orders, the three girls with them kept talking to Aurum while sneaking nces at Argent. Argent just ignored them. Good thing Aurum seemed to be rather natural in this acting all sweet and kind thing. It greatly allowed her to not force herself to socialize.


    Their food just arrived when a familiar voice called Argent''s name. She sighed because she already knew who it was. Just like she thought, Ruby came marching towards their table, two girls nking her sides. Argent almost forgot that Ruby and her brother, Finn, also went to this school.


    "Argent, here you are. I''ve been looking for you," Ruby said.


    "Ruby, is he the one you told us about?" one of the girl said, staring at Argent with ardent eyes.


    "Wow. You''re right, Ruby. He''s so pretty," the other girl said, putting her face close to Argent''s.


    "Hey, don''t get too close. He''s mine," Ruby said pulling her friend away. "Anyway, Argent,e eat with us." She red at the three girls seating with Argent and then sneered at the silent Aurum.


    "I rather eat with my sister," Argent said not even looking at Ruby.


    "And I want to eat with you. So,e on." Ruby started pulling Argent''s arm.


    Aurum forced herself not to be pissed off. But it was hard. Especially since it involves her brother and the ever annoying Ruby. Then a devilish idea came to her mind. She looked at Ruby, making sure no hate would appear on her face. She put her hand on Ruby''s hand that''s holding her brother''s arm. "Ruby, please, you don''t have to drag Brother. You and your friends could just join us here," she said softly.


    Ruby furrowed her brows. What''s wrong with this annoying idiot? She has no patience, especially not with this girl. So she forcefully retracted her hand that Aurum was touching. "Don''t touch me!"


    The moment Ruby did that, Aurum acted as if she pushed her. She deliberately fell down her chair. "I-I''m sorry," she stuttered as if afraid. She made sure that she will appear weak and that she was forcing herself not to cry.


    Argent immediately went beside Aurum, helping her stand up. Everyone in the cafeteria witnessed what happened. Without closer inspection, all people could see was Ruby being unreasonable and bullying the much younger Aurum.


    Argent turned to Ruby. "Leave," she said coldly.


    With Argent''s cold reception and the whispering of the students around, Ruby huffed and stomped away with her twockeys.


    "Are you okay?" asked one of the girls sitting with them.


    "I can''t believe she did that. I know her family is very rich but that doesn''t give her the right to just push people like that," said another indignantly.


    "It''s okay. I''m sure she didn''t mean it," Aurum said with a weak smile. "Let''s just continue eating."


    Once they all sat down again, Argent lean towards her sister. "Good job," she whispered.


    Aurum smiled and whispered back, "I know."


    ----------


    -Afternoon ss,st subject-


    "Are you sure you''re fine looking for the ssroom of the advanced Mana ss on your own?" Argent asked her sister once Mana study was done.


    "I''ll be fine, Brother. They did give us a map. And besides, if you go with me then you''ll bete in your own ss," Aurum answered. Though she was really tempted to ask her brother to go with her. But she stopped herself. She didn''t want to be her brother''s deadweight.


    "Okay then. I''ll immediately go to your ssroom once I''m finished with my ss."


    "Okay. I''ll wait for you."


    They separated once they went out of the ssroom.


    Argent looked down at the small map in her hand. Her elective course was being held in the small gymnasium located way back the academy''s main building. Based on the map, it was near the forest at the back of the academy. She walked and soon she reached the small gymnasium. She tried to open the door but it wouldn''t budge. She knocked but no one came to answer. Her brows furrowed at that.


    She was just about to walk back towards the faculty room to ask a teacher why the door to the gymnasium was closed when she heard a man''s voice. "What are you doing there, kid?"


    Argent looked around and then a man suddenly jumped down from a nearby tree. He was tall andnky. His long ck hair was messy and tied in a ponytail. His eyes were droopy and there were stubbles on his face, giving him azy look. He was wearing something that resembles a Yukata - some kind of informal Kimono that people from Japan in her original world wore.


    "I have a ss here," Argent answered the man.


    "Oh so you''re that transfer student." The man walked towards her. "Just so you know, no one''s taking this ss. I heard the instructor is quite the demon. It''s better for you if you choose another elective."


    "I''ll be the judge of that."


    "Well, don''tin that I didn''t warn you." He walked to the door of the gymnasium and easily opened it. He walked inside and then he turned around to face her. "Then I would like to wee you, kid."


    "Wee me? Why?" she asked, though she already have an idea in her mind.


    "Because I''m your sword instructor, Hattori Shingen." The man grinned at her. "Please to meet you, kid."

 Chapter 23: departure and an unexpected (or rather unwanted) visitor

    Chapter 23: departure and an unexpected (or rather unwanted) visitor


    "SO HOW was your first week at school?" asked the voiceing from the defaro crystal.


    Aurum looked at the image of the boy inside. He has red hair and a pair of bright russet colored eyes. One look at him and anyone could tell he''s often up to mischief. "It''s okay, I guess," she answered Mis.


    This was the time of their weeklymunication. Mis always contacted her every Saturday. He never missed a Saturday ever since she and her family left Albion. Honestly, Aurum was a bit annoyed at first but then she got used to it. And now she could admit that she quite enjoyed their weekly conversation.


    "Just okay?"


    "Well, a lot of my ssmates do admire me," she boasted.


    "Of course they do! They''d be blind idiots if they don''t," Mis said rather indignantly. Aurum smiled. This was what she liked about being friends with Mis. He always boosted her confidence. "How was your sses? Are they interesting?"


    "They are. Our homeroom teacher is kind. I like her subject the most. And oh, I''m also in their advanced Mana ss. It''s my second favorite subject."


    Because there, she''s properly learning how to control her Mana. The whole week has been very educational. The instructor in-charge of the ss could be hands on because there was only seven of them to teach. There were only two girls. The other one was already on herst year that''s why she immediately acted like a big sister to her. The others also couldn''t help but dote on her. The only thorn in the whole situation was that that pretentious Finn McAllister was also there.


    Seeing him smile and act like a prince to everyone gave her the strong urge to punch him every single time. The only constion was he probably felt the same way every time he sees her act all kind and sweet. By evidence of the tick of the muscles on his face. The only thing she could do was to endure. So she did her best not to look at his direction. Lest she couldn''t really help herself and ended up punching him.


    "Is there any boy in your school you, well, fancy?" Mis asked hesitantly.


    "Fancy?" she scoffed. "Of course there isn''t. No boy could ever be more magnificent and excellent than my brother."


    Mis seemed to be relieved by her answer. "Yes, of course. Speaking of your brother, did he misce the defaro crystal I gave you? Winter has been trying to contact him but it never connected."


    Aurum suddenly remembered the defaro crystal she purposely broke. Then she also remembered that talk she had with the king. She couldn''t help but be annoyed. "Tell that prince my brother doesn''t want to be friends with him. I don''t want to talk anymore. Good night." Then she ended the call.


    She put the defaro crystal on the bedside table and sat in front of the dressing mirror. She started fixing her hair. The mention of that prince really put him in a bad mood. It''s a really good thing that she destroyed that defaro crystal. She couldn''t take it if he really ended up befriending her brother.


    There was a knock on the door.


    "Come in!" she called.


    Felicia came inside. "Young Lady, do you need help dressing?"


    "I''m already dressed. I''m not a baby. But you could fix my hair."


    Felicia smiled and excitedly ran to her back. She picked up the brush and startedbing Aurum''s long golden hair. "Young Lady, what hairstyle do you want?"


    "Hmm... a braid will do. But make sure it''s pretty."


    "I''ll try my best, Young Lady."


    "Is my Brother already outside?"


    "Yes, Young Lady. The Young Lord is already with the Duchess."


    The three of them together with Felicia would go to some of the famous ces in Warrshaw. It''s thest day their mother would be here with them. She''s going to depart back to Albion tomorrow. And then she''d start her journey looking for their missing father. Aurum really didn''t have any opinion on that. If their mother found their father, then good. If not, then that''s fine too. But for their mother''s sake, Aurum does hope that she find him. Because it''s pretty obvious that she still loves him very much.


    Once Felicia was done with her hair, both of them went outside. She smiled when she saw her mother and brother. She held her brother''s hand and then looked up at their mother.


    "Mother, let''s go."


    Anthea smiled down at her daughter. "Someone''s happy."


    "Of course. I''ll get to spend the whole day with you and brother. Why wouldn''t I be happy?"


    "Perhaps you''re happy because you''ll get to buy anything you want today," Argent teased.


    "Well, there''s that."


    Anthea''s smile widened at the interaction of the twins. "Come on, you two."


    ----------


    Early the next morning, the twins, Felicia, and the McAllisters were in front of the mansion''s gate bidding farewell to Anthea.


    "Thea, are you sure you don''t want me to at least apany you to the dock?" Jaxon asked his friend.


    "No, Jax. That would be too troublesome." Anthea crouched down in front of her children. "So, I must say goodbye for now. But I''ll contact the both of you at least every other day so be sure to always keep a defaro crystal near." She hugged the two. She''s still reluctant to leave her children in this foreignnd. But she needed to embark on this journey. She needed to know what really happened to her husband. And besides, she has no doubt that Jax will take care of the twins. "Study hard and take care of each other. I love you both."


    Aurum hugged her back while Argent gently pat her back.


    "We also love you, Mother," Aurum said.


    "Take care on your journey, Mother."


    Anthea stood up and looked at Felicia. "You too, Felicia. Be sure to take care of yourself and of course, make sure to take care of these two."


    "Yes, Duchess. I''ll do my best for the Young Lord and Young Lady," Felicia said, tears welling up in her eyes.


    Then Anthea looked at the other two children. She knew the twins has a bad rtionship with Jax'' nephew and niece but she still hope that they could all get along. After all, Argent and Aurum will stay here for the next seven years. It''s not good if you always quarrel with the people living with you. "I hope you two could be Argent and Aurum''s good friends."


    "It would be our pleasure, Your Grace," Finn said smiling like a little gentleman. Of course he didn''t mean any of what he just said.


    Ruby did not hesitate to cling to Argent''s arm. "Don''t worry, Aunt Thea, I''ll take care of Argent. But I couldn''t say the same with the other one."


    Jaxon shook his head and sighed. Sometimes he really worries for this niece of him. Maybe because of his spoiling, she might not grow up into a proper adult. "Ignore this littledy. I''ll take care of your twins, Thea. As long as they''re in my care, nothing bad will happen to them."


    "I trust you, Jax." Anthea crouched down again and hugged her twins. Then she immediately boarded inside the carriage before her tears fell off.


    And thus, the Duchess of Hanover started her new journey.


    ----------


    Argent was on her way to the small gymnasium. Last week, her sword instructor, Hattori Shingen gave her a small paper containing a set of exercises. He told her that he wouldn''t start teaching her anything unless he deemed her strong enough to take it. Apparently her body strength was too weak that she didn''t even have the right to hold a wooden sword. Then he left her to her own devices. After that first meeting, she''d never seen him since. But she still went to the gym everyday and did the exercises her gave her diligently.


    Argent was not worried that she''s doing all these things for nothing. After all, most of the exercises strengthen her arm and upper body strength. She guessed that if she did enough, then her sword instructor will show himself to her again.


    As she walked, there were many students who stared tantly at her. It looked like even after a week, they still hadn''t gotten their fill. Well, at least most of them were not like the students in the original owner''s former school. Even though she''s a NoGift, none of her new ssmates showed extreme disdain towards her.


    The difference could probably be attributed to the two countries culture. In Albion, the two most important things were one''s heritage and one''s level of Gift. Being a Duke and yet being a NoGift was like bringing dishonor to the whole peerage of Albion. But here in Amexem, they really don''t give much credit on those things. Most families only care if your rich or not.


    That''s why this country was perfect for her ns.


    "Staring at you so openly, I really want to dig these children''s eyes out," said a very familiar voice.


    Argent looked up and saw the face of her home room teacher. But that voice, it could only belong to-- "Viper."


    Viper - with miss James'' face - smiled. "Hello, my dear Argent. Did you miss me?"


    *****


    Mini-theater:


    Viper: Did you miss me? Did you? Did you?


    Mis: I had a small appearance! Yey! ()/


    Winter who hasn''t shown himself for ten chapters: (- )

 Chapter 24: the legendary swordsman of the east

    Chapter 24: the legendary swordsman of the east


    "YOU DID not kill my home room teacher, did you?" That was the first thing Argent asked when she saw the man - masquerading as her teacher - standing beside her.


    "Argent, you wound me," Viper said, acting as if hurt. "I told you I don''t discriminately kill without contract. Though I do hurt people from time to time. But that can''t be helped. Since there''s just a lot of annoying people in the world. Just like these kids. I swear, if they continue to stare at you, I''ll gouge their eyes out."


    "Please, don''t," she said. Though she really doesn''t care much if Viper really did turn these students blind. But having that kind of incident right now would be too troublesome. "So, where did you put miss James?"


    "Oh, the teacher? She''s sleeping at a closet somewhere."


    She sighed. "I hope you''d get her out from whatever closet you put her before you leave."


    Viper immediately pouted. "Do I have to?"


    "Yes, you do."


    "Fine. But you have to ask me nicely first. How about you give me a kiss?"


    Argent nced at him indifferently. "Then you could just leave her wherever you left her. I''m sure someone would find her sooner orter."


    She continued to walk and Viper immediately followed. She sighed again. It looked like she had no choice but to endure this guy''s presence again. Even if she wanted to make him leave, she has no way to make it happen. So she would just endure his pestering until he leaves again.


    "Tch. Stingy."


    "What are you doing here anyway?"


    "I told you I''ll visit you as soon as I finished my next assignment. So, did you miss me?"


    "No."


    "You didn''t even think twice!"


    "Why should I?"


    "You''re so heartless," Viper said while fake-sobbing.


    "Stop that. These students will think miss James suddenly became a head case," she said noticing how the students they passed by looked at them weirdly.


    "You think I''m a head case?" he said, acting as if shocked.


    "Aren''t you?"


    "No, I''m a genius," he said, like a proud peacock.


    "Whatever you say."


    Soon they reached the area near the small gymnasium.


    "Are you going to have your ss there?" Viper asked, pertaining to the small gym.


    "Yes."


    "What subject?"


    "Swordsmanship."


    "You''re learning how to use a sword? Why?" he asked, as if he didn''t understand why she would do so.


    "Because I''m weak," Argent answered simply.


    "No, you''re not. You''re immune to any kind of Gift. How could you be weak?"


    "That won''t be enough. Someone could still kill me with any kind of weapon. I need to learn how to defend myself."


    "Do you mean, you have many enemies?"


    "I will have. One day." When she became the richest person on this Earth.


    "Then I''ll just kill them for you. And since you''re very special to me, I won''t even charge you for it."


    "Geez. How magnanimous of you," she said, sarcastically. When they reached the gym, she turned to Viper. "Leave. I don''t want you disturbing me."


    "No. I don''t--"


    Viper didn''t manage to finish what he was saying because of the killing intent he suddenly felt. It was very subtle. Like some kind of warning. Then he felt a fast moving object moving in his direction from the right. He immediately took off one of his gloves and easily caught it. He opened his palm and saw a small stone. It immediatelly started to decay under his touch.


    Argent was curious why Viper suddenly stopped talking. One moment he was silent, as if contemting something. Then he suddenly raised his right arm and a small stone appeared on his palm. Before she could ask him, her sword teacher - Hattori Shingen - suddenly jumped down from a tree. It was the same tree he jumped down from when they first met. He still looked disheveled and unkempt.


    She just blinked and her teacher disappear from where he was originally standing. Her eyes widened when he suddenly appeared on Viper''s side, brandishing his sword that looked very much like a katana. He swung his sword towards Viper. Viper reacted fast and jumped away. But it was not fast enough. The human skin he was wearing was cut in half showing the lower half of his real face.


    "Nice reflexes," Hattori saidzily. "With such a high quality human skin, you must be an assassin from Dreich Gallere. Tell me, what is an assassin doing here?"


    Viper narrowed his eyes then he smiled. It looked kind of creepy because of the broken human skin. "My, my, so this is where the legendary shadow swordsman is hiding." Argent raised one of her brow when she heard that. Legendary swordsman? "Don''t worry I''m not here for you. I''m here for him," Viper continued, nudging his chin on her direction. "He''s my special someone."


    Hattori turned to her. She shook her head. "I''m not. Though he''s really not here to kill anyone. So, there''s no need for the two of you to fight and gather unwanted attention."


    "I supposed not," Hattori agreed and sheathed his sword. "You keep interestingpany, ckbourne." By what the boy said, he knew exactly who this assassin was. A seven year old boy, getting the attention of someone from Dreich Gallere and not being daunted by it, he''s either very brave or very stupid. Or, based on Argent''s expression, he probably just didn''t care.


    "Trust me, sir. If I could, I would wash him off of my hands."


    "Argent-! Don''t say that," Viper shouted, stomping his feet.


    "When would I start my lesson, sir?" Argent asked Hattori instead, ignoring Viper.


    "Definitely not too soon," he answered, then he started walking away.


    "Hey, I have a colleague who has contract to your life. Do you mind if I tell them your whereabouts?" Viper called out to Hattori.


    "I don''t mind. If your colleague is not afraid of death, then he or she can have a go at me anytime," Hattori answered and continued walking.


    When he''s out of their sight, Argent opened the door to the gym and entered inside. Viper, of course, followed her.


    "Is he your sword instructor? If he is, then you would definitely benefit from his teachings," Viper said.


    "Do you know him?" she curiously asked.


    "Yeah. He''s kind of famous. He''s from a small country in the East continent called Kano. That country was being ruled by a number of warlords each upying a different states. One of the warlords ruling the biggest state was particry cruel and tyranical. It was said that Hattori Shingen stormed the warlord''s castle alone, killing all the warriors inside and the warlord himself. He only has a C level shadow maniption Gift, yet he managed to do all that because of his superb swordsmanship. He earned the moniker shadow swordsman after that siege. But he also gathered a lot of enemies. That''s why when he suddenly disappeared, some of those enemies paid Dreich Gallere to have him killed. I just can''t believe he''s actually hiding in this school, teaching even."


    "Huh. Interesting." Argent didn''t think that her new sword instructor would have that kind of background. "So, are you going to tell your colleagues that he''s here?"


    "Of course not. I''m just yanking his chain. Besides, I told you, him teaching you would benefit you. Why would I hinder that?"


    "Oh, I didn''t think you could actually be thoughtful."


    "I know, right? I didn''t think I could either. Just goes to show how special you are to me. So, you definitely should give me a reward."


    Half of Viper''s face was still covered by the broken human skin and he looked like a ghost from a horror movie. It was kind of funny. Argent couldn''t help butugh inside. And because he would really do her a favor by not informing his colleagues about Hattori, so she decided to give him a reward.


    "Hold out your hand, the one with the glove." He did as he was told. She took a small candy from her pocket. It was given to her by one of her ssmates earlier. Then she put it on his gloved hand. "There, your reward."


    Viper looked down at the candy in his palm and suddenly pouted. "But I want a kiss!"


    "That''s all you''re getting. If you don''t want me to get angry, go outside and don''t disturb me."


    Viper continued to pout but still ate the candy. Then he suddenly leaned down and kissed her cheek. "You''re definitely sweeter than this candy," he said, shamelessly before running outside the gym.


    Argent just stood there rigidly for a second before letting out a deep breath. Wait until she learned to use a sword. She would definitely hack that Viper into pieces someday.

 Chapter 25: the real training begins

    Chapter 25: the real training begins


    ARGENT gazed down at thepleted sword in her hand. The de was 32 inches long, made up of a strong metal. It was shaped like a katana - a Japanese sword. Because she didn''t really like the big and bulky shape of Western swords. On its hilt were three crystals. Each crystals have different functions. The one at the top increases the sword''s sharpness. The one at the middle makes the sword almost weightless. And finally, the one at the bottom enables the de of the sword to shrink up to dagger length so that it would be easier for her to carry it anywhere. Unlike the first two crystals, she needed to touch the third one for its effect to show.


    Tempering and forging the sword was not really that hard because of the magic tool she bought while they were still in Albion. Having these tools were really convenient. She only needed to understand how to use those things before she could proceed. But that was basically nothing considering her learning speed.


    Sinceing to this world, Argent already discovered that all the elements in the Earth where she originally came from could also be found here. So when she decided to learn swordsmanship, she wanted to make a sword made using nanotechnology. But building a device from scratch just to make that would take too much time that she didn''t have now. In the end, she decided against it and chose to make a sword using another method. But in the future, she would surely make a sword using nanotechnology.


    Argent touched the third crystal and the sword immediately shrunk to dagger size. She immediately put it on a simple ck scabbard.


    "Wow. That was awesome. Did you make that yourself?" a familiar voice suddenly said behind her.


    She looked back and saw a in faced maid. "I told you not to enter my room."


    This maid was Viper. He has been living in this mansion for two weeks now using the identity of one of the maids. But only during at night and the weekends. Because during the day, hees to school using whatever identity was avable. He has been pestering her non-stop ever since.


    Viper pouted. "But how could I talk to you if I don''t go to your room?" He took the sword turned dagger from Argent''s hand and examined it. "I didn''t know you could do Alchemy. Where did you learn it?"


    Alchemy, in this world, was the process of turning one material into another by using one''s Mana. Oftentimes, the products of Alchemy were magical tools and magical weapons.


    "I don''t. Have you forgotten, I''m a NoGift. I couldn''t use Mana." Argent took back the dagger. "This is just a simple weapon."


    Viper looked like he didn''t believe her. "But you''re so special. Even without Mana, I''m certain you could do Alchemy," he said, full of conviction.


    She shook her head and just ignored his nonsense. "When will you go? Don''t you have people you have to kill?" she asked,pletely changing the subject.


    "Are you telling me to go?" Viper asked looking at her like an abandoned puppy.


    "Yes, actually."


    Viper suddenly kneeled down and hugged her waist. "How could you be so heartless to your sweetheart?" he said with fake tears.


    Argent''s face ckened. She was highly tempted to stab him with the dagger. Then the door to her room suddenly opened and Aurum walked in. Her sister''s amber eyes immediately narrowed when she saw Viper hugging Argent.


    "What are you doing?" Aurum asked, ring at Viper.


    "Tch. The big annoyance is here," Viper said but not too loudly so Aurum didn''t hear him.


    "Let me go and get up," Argent ordered.


    Viper reluctantly let go of her and get up. "Good night, young master," he said and walked towards the door because he knew he could no longer spend time with Argent as long as that irritating sister of his was here. Never mind, he''d just sneak inter and watch Argent sleep. As he always does for the past two weeks. Before going out, he didn''t forget to sneer at Aurum - the annoying brat.


    Aurum frowned. These past two weeks she often saw this maid following around her brother. She''s even starting to catch up to Ruby on Aurum''s list of people that should stay away from her brother. She walked towards Argent. "I think Uncle Jax should fire that maid."


    "Ignore her." Because it wouldn''t solve the problem even if Jaxon did fire her. The one he would be firing would be the original maid and Viper could just use another identity to enter the mansion. She pulled Aurum to sit on the bed. "How was your advanced Mana ss?" she asked instead, diverting her sister''s attention.


    Which seeded because of how enthusiastically Aurum answered. "It was great, Brother. I''m starting to learn a lot of things. I think by the end of the school year, I could remove the bracelet and maintain my Gift at E level." That''s probably not much for others but for Aurum, it certainly was. Considering how much she couldn''t even control her Gift before. "The teacher assigned to me was also very good. She could exin everything to me so clearly so I''m not really having a hard time."


    "That''s good. How about the other students, are they good to you?" Argent really hasn''t gotten a good look at the other students at the advanced Mana ss. Because everytime she came to fetch Aurum after their ss ended, almost all of them already left.


    "Yes, they are. Since I''m the youngest, they''re spoiling me too much." Aurum didn''t hate that feeling. In fact, she quite liked it. But it''s still the best when her brother was spoiling her. "I just hate that Finn was also there."


    "Is he causing trouble for you?"


    "Not really. You know how he is, always acting like a fake prince. He won''t dare cause trouble for fear of ruining his perfect image," Aurum said rolling her eyes. "He''s just an eyesore, that''s all."


    The corner of Argent''s mouth twitched because of what Aurum said. She raised her hand and pat her sister''s head. "Then just don''t look at him."


    Aurum nodded. "How about you, Brother? How''s your sword training?"


    Argent sighed. "I''m still on the exercising phase."


    "Maybe you should just ask Uncle Jax to get a swordmaster to teach you. They might be more reliable than that teacher at the academy. One of the students at the advanced Mana ss told me that that teacher is just a good for nothing deadbeat."


    If Argent didn''t learn who Hattori really was, she might take Aurum''s suggestion into consideration. But now that she knew how he''s some sort of legendary swordsman, she just became more excited to learn from him. "No, I think I''ll stick with this one. We should really not judge a book by it''s cover. We don''t know what kind of surprise its content might bring us."


    She just hoped that Hattori could finally find her ready and start teaching her.


    ----------


    Another week passed and Argent was still doing the exercises Hattori told her to do. Aside from attending ss, her days were filled with finalizing her business n and doing those exercises. If she could, she wouldn''t attend those boring sses because she already learned all the things the teachers were teaching. So she decided that after the academy''s quarterly exam - which was pretty near - she would take another exam to skip grades.


    The only good thing that probably happened this week was that Viper was finally gone. He received some kind of message asking him to go back to their assassin group''s headquarters. So no one has been hounding her every move since then. Which was just the way she liked it.


    Another afternoon, Argent was doing one of the exercises when the door of the gym opened and Hattori came in. She stopped and looked at the legendary swordsman. He still looked like a bum who hasn''t taken a bath for days. Hezilly walked towards her.


    "I''m surprise you haven''t given up yet," Hattori said once he reached the boy. He admitted that he just offhandedly told him to do the exercises first before he could teach him. Because he expected that he would give up sooner orter. Especially when he found out the kid was a high ranking aristocrat from Albion. From his experience, aristocrats tend to despise any sort of suffering. No matter where country they''re from. He didn''t expect for this little lord to persist until now.


    "I don''t have a reason to," Argent simply said. "So if the reason why you''re still not teaching me anything because you''re just waiting for me to give up, then you''re just wasting your time. And mine. I suggest that you''re the one who do the giving up. Because I certainly won''t."


    Hattori suddenly howled inughter. What an interesting kid! "Then tell me first why you want to learn the art of the sword?"


    "Because I want to learn how to properly defend myself. As you probably already know, I''m a NoGift. In this world full of people with extraordinary abilities, I''m just a weak chicken. But I don''t want to remain weak. If there''s a room for development, then I''ll dly grab it. You probably won''t believe me, but in the near future, I will be one of the most prominent person in this world. Many will surely try to kill me. I couldn''t just possibly let them seed. So I need this. I need you to teach me."


    Hattori was silenced for a few seconds before bursting intoughter again. This was probably the first time that someone told him that they would be a very prominent person in the future. And the one who said that was just a seven year old kid. But the way he said it, as if he''s just stating a fact, really got to him. For the first time Hattori was tempted to ept an apprentice. To pass down everything that he knew. He never really epted one because he never found someone deserving. But now, looking at this boy, he found himself wanting to make him his apprentice. And so, he did.


    "Okay, but you have to call me ''Master'' first," Hattori finally said.


    Argent tilted her head as if in contemtion. But then, at the end, she still agreed. After all, if Hattori really taught her swordsmanship, then he would really be her master. "Master."


    Hattori grinned. "Good." He took out a wooden sword from his space ring and gave it to Argent. "My sword style is known as the Sui-Ryu style. It means to move like water and to strike like a dragon. It has twelve core techniques under it. We will start with the most basic one, are you ready?"


    "Yes, Master."


    And so, Argent''s sword training finally began.

 Chapter 26: skipping grades

    Chapter 26: skipping grades


    ARGENT checked Aurum''s answers on the mock exam she made. She was satisfied to see her sister''s score. She got 78 correctly out of 100 questions. And that was enough because she calibrated this test''s difficulty to that of the second graders. So, having that kind of score was definitely enough for Aurum to pass the uing exam.


    Argent patted Aurum''s head. "My sister is really smart."


    Aurum gave her a wide grin. "Will I pass the test tomorrow, Brother?"


    "Of course. I have no doubt you would."


    Tomorrow was the Starlight Academy''s quarterly exam. Argent already made a decision that after the results of the test came out, she would request if she could skip grades. She has no doubt that she would take the top score in their grade. It would be truly embarassing if she couldn''t. Proving how smart she was would make the teachers more inclined to approve of her skipping grades. But to make sure that they would agree, she needed to talk to Jaxon first.


    Argent pick another mock exam and put it in front of Aurum. "Here''s another one."


    Aurum looked at the test paper sulkily. "Do I still have to answer this? I thought we''re already done."


    "This will be thest one. After this, I''ll ask Felicia to make you your favorite desert."


    "Okay." Aurum reluctantly picked up the pen and started answering the questions on the test paper.


    "I''ll go out for a while. Be sure not to cheat, okay, Aurum?"


    Aurum pouted, as if extremly affronted by the idea. "Of course I won''t."


    Argent just smiled helplessly and went out of her sister''s room. She then proceeded downstairs. She carefully checked if Ruby was around before walking towards the study. These past weeks, avoiding the girl had became a habit. Interacting with Ruby just gave Argent headaches so it''s better to just avoid her.


    Once in front of the study, she knocked on the door. It was Sunday and usually during this time, Jaxon was inside his study. Probably looking at ount books or something.


    "Come in," said Jaxon''s voice from inside.


    She opened the door and entered the study. Just as Argent thought, Jaxon was sitting behind a mahogany desk looking through some papers. He looked up and smiled when he saw her.


    "Do you need something, Argent?" The girl seldom took the initiative to speak to him. Ever since the twins came to live here, Argent treated him in a sort of formal way. Which highly dissatisfied Jaxon. He wanted to be closer to the twins and be treated like their genuine uncle. After all, they''re the children of his closest friends. But Argent kept him at arms length while Aurum - although much better than her sister - didn''t really interact with him that much. What a travesty.


    Argent walked towards the desk. "Uncle Jaxon, I apologized for disturbing you."


    "It''s fine. I''m not really that busy."


    "I know this may seem presumptuous, but could I make a request?"


    Jaxon was slightly surprised. But hearing what Argent said, it immediately made him happy. "Sure. Sure. What is it? Anything you want, as long as it''s in your Uncle Jax'' ability, I''ll definitely give it to you."


    Argent didn''t understand what got him so excited. But it didn''t really matter as long as he helped her. "I heard that the Starlight Academy allows students to skip grades as long as they passed a certain academic exam. I want to take that test. I will ask my homeroom teacher if I could. But if she refused, could you talk to the Chairman so they could allow me to?"


    Argent was sure that if Jaxon talked to the Chairman, he would surely not refused him. After all, who would refused the wealthiest man in the country?


    Jaxon raised one of his brows. "May I ask why you want to skip grades?"


    "Because I already know everything that''s currently being taught to all the 1st graders at the academy. Remaining there for the whole year would just be a big waste of my time."


    "I see." Jaxon certainly knew how smart Argent was. And her staying at that level would really be a big waste of his time. Not to mention, her talent. "You don''t have to talk to your teacher. I heard tomorrow is the academy''s quarterly examination. If you want, I could talk to the Chairman now and tell him that you will take that advancement exam instead of the quarterly exam. What do you think?"


    Argent thought about it for a few seconds before nodding in agreement. Jaxon''s suggestion was definitely better.


    Jaxon smiled. "How many grades do you want to skip?"


    "I want to directly go to the seventh grade."


    Somehow, Jaxon was already expecting that answer. "I better get to it then."


    "Thank you, Uncle Jaxon."


    She slightly bowed towards Jaxon and walked outside the study. She hasn''t even walked that far from the study when someone suddenly spoke, stopping her from her tracks.


    "You really are quite gutsy, aren''t you?" Argent turned around and saw Finn standing near the door of the study. He walked in front of her. "Wanting to directly skip to seventh grade, I don''t know if you''re arrogant or just simply shameless."


    "I''m neither. I''m smart," she answered. "Evesdropping is a bad habit, you know? Not something a perfect prince should do. That''s what you wanted right, to be the perfect prince?" she added, mocking him.


    Finn clenched his teeth. He knew that he shouldn''t pick a fight with this guy. That''s something he wouldn''t ever do under normal circumstances. But every time he saw this guy, he just couldn''t help but feel irritated. Especially since whenever he saw this guy''s overly pretty face, it felt like his heart was being scratched by something. "Do you really think you could skip up to the seventh grade? Asking Uncle Jax to speak to the Chairman, you''re just going to humiliate him."


    "I won''t. Because I''m going to pass. And then you''re the one who''s going to end up feeling embarrassed because of the way you''re acting right now."


    Then she turned around and walked away. Leaving Finn with a dark expression on his face.


    ----------


    The twins stood in front of their ssroom''s door. Argent turned towards Aurum and said, "Are you nervous?"


    "Not really. I''m pretty confident after all the mock exams you gave me. But I''m nervous for you."


    Aurum already knew that her brother would take the advancement exam today. At first, she didn''t really like the fact that they wouldn''t be ssmates anymore once Argent passed this exam. But then she reminded herself that she shouldn''t pull her brother back. And besides, even if her brother was not in the same ss anymore, she already knew how to control the people around her with her acting and her smile. She was sure that no one would dare to bully her. But not having her brother by her side, even if only during ss, still saddened her.


    "What, are you nervous that I won''t pass?" Argent teased.


    "Of course not. You''re so smart. I''m a hundred percent sure that you will. I''m just worried that something may happen and then it will ruin your test."


    Argent held her sister''s hand. "Nothing will happen. Go on in. I''ll pick you upter."


    "Okay." Aurum finally entered the ssroom.


    Argent started walking towards the room where she''s going to take her advancement exam. After a minute of walking, she found the empty ssroom. She entered the room and sat on one of the front seats. She didn''t wait long before the vice-chairman came in. She was kind of surprise. She didn''t expect that it would be him that would facilitate her exam.


    "Your Grace," he greeted. "Are you ready to take the exam?"


    "Yes, vice-chairman. But before we start, did the vice-chairman brought what I asked?" She asked if they could record her while she''s taking the exam. She knew that there''s a magical tool that could do that. If she passed, and she definitely would, there would definitelty be people who would question it. So, she decided to be prepared in advanced. If they saw how she answered everything correctly, then that would definitely shut them up.


    "Yes, of course." The vice-chairman took a small crystal ball from the inside pocket of his coat. It looked like a defaro crystal, but Argent knew it has a different function. "Shall we start?"


    "Then I''d trouble the vice-chairman."


    The vice-chairman walked towards her and put a few pages of paper in front of her. Then he stood beside her to record everything. Argent took her pen and started answering the questions.


    The vice-chairman didn''t really have that much of an opinion about this advancement exam. He just thought that this little boy was too arrogant, wanting to skip straight to seventh grade. But Jaxon McAllister personally talked to the Chairman so that this little duke could take this advancement exam. And since they couldn''t offend him, they could only agree. Now if this boy failed, that was out of their control. And Mr. McAllister should not me them.


    He nced at the paper and his eyes widened when he saw Argent''s answers. He checked the answers from top to bottom and found that they were all right. So he couldn''t help but observe more. But as Argent flipped the pages of the exam papers, he found that all of Argent''s answers were correct. Until the boy was at thest page, and he still hasn''t written any wrong answer. The vice-chairman gulped. This boy was a genius!


    "I''m done, vice-chairman," Argent said, giving the exam papers to the vice-chairman.


    "Yes, yes," the vice-chairman took the papers. "We will tell you the result after a week." But he was pretty sure that this boy would definitely pass this advancement exam.


    Argent bid farewell to the vice-chairman and walked outside the ssroom. The quarterly examsted only until the end of the morning ss. There was still a lot of time left before Aurum finished her exam so she decided to go to the small gymnasium to pass the time. She might as well continue her swordmanship training.


    Once she reached the gym, she went inside and started practicing her footwork. The Sui-Ryu style used a unique footwork technique called the ''water dance''. It was something that would help the user to move fluidly and gracefully while fighting. She hasn''t really fully grasp it. It would probably take months before she really could. But it doesn''t matter because she''s determined to learn everything.


    "Don''t you have an exam today?" said a familiar voice from the doorway.


    Argent turned and saw her master leaning on the gym''s door. "Master." She bowed slightly. "I''m done with my exam."


    "Already? But I heard the one you took today was the advancement exam."


    Argent was not that surprised that her master knew about it. After all, he''s still a teacher here. "It was."


    "And you''re already done after only an hour?"


    "Yes."


    "Are you certain you would pass?"


    "Yes."


    Hattori grinned. "Good. Taking that kind of exam and then failing would only embarrass me, your master."


    "Skipping grades would mean that I would graduate early. Would master still teach me if I do?"


    Hattori flicked Argent''s forehead. "What kind of question was that? I already said that I will be your master. Even if you leave this school, even if you grow old, I will always be your master. That''s something that would never change. Remember that."


    Argent touched her flicked forehead and showed a rare smile. "Yes, master."


    ----------


    Aurum went out of the ssroom and immediately saw Argent waiting for her outside. She ran towards her brother and hugged her arm. "Brother."


    "Did you do well?" Argent asked.


    "Of course," Aurum answered confidently. "But I''m so hungry. Answering all those questions just depleted my energy."


    "Then let''s go home."


    Aurum said goodbye to their other ssmatesing out of the ssroom. And the two started walking outside the school building. They walked towards the parking space provided by the school where countless carriages where parked. They walked until they saw the familiar coachman who''s been driving them to and from school since they arrived here.


    "Milord, mdy," he greeted them.


    Argent furrowed her brows. The coachman''s voice seemed somewhat different. But before she could think more about it, the coachman already opened the carriage''s door and when she saw Finn and Ruby inside, shepletely forgot all about it. The siblings usually didn''t ride with them. They usually ride in a separate carriage.


    "Why are you two here?" Aurum asked, clearly annoyed.


    "What''s it to you? May I remind you that this carriage belong to our family. So us being here is not something you should question," Ruby snarled back.


    "Milord, mdy, the other coachman suddenly caught a cold. So Master Jaxon told me to also fetch the young master and the young miss," said the coachman, answering Aurum''s question.


    "Let''s go inside, Aurum," she just said. They couldn''t just stand here all day. Sharing a carriage wouldn''t kill them so they might as well go home together.


    Aurum tsked but still went inside the carriage. She followed suit. When all of them were seated, the carriage started moving.


    Ruby suddenly reached for Argent''s hand. "I heard you took the advancement exam today. How was it?"


    Aurum immediately pulled her brother''s hand away from Ruby, this witch. "Of course he did good, do you even need to ask?"


    "I''m not asking you, you annoying brat!"


    Then the two started their usual round of bickering.


    Argent sighed and just looked outside the carriage''s window. She frowned. Because they''re taking a different route than usual. Finn was seating opposite her and their gazes met. Just by looking at his expression, she knew they were thinking about the same thing.


    Something was wrong.

 Chapter 27: kidnapped!

    Chapter 27: kidnapped!


    ARGENT''S suspicion just grew worse when she noticed the constantly reducing number of buildings as the carriage continued to move. She has no doubt that by the end of this ride, they''d end up some ce abandoned. She had to prevent that no matter what. Because nothing good would certainlye out if this carriage reached its destination.


    "Aurum, can you read the coachman''s thoughts?" she whispered to her sister in a very low voice so the coachman wouldn''t hear them. Because she''s pretty sure this coachman was trying to kidnap them. "Whisper your answer back."


    Although Aurum was somewhat confused by her brother''s request, she still did it. "No, I''m sorry. I still couldn''t remove the bracelet you gave me. I''m not confident that my Mana would not go out of control if I even tried," she whispered back. "Is something wrong, Brother?"


    "There might be." Argent leaned towards Finn. "Can you stop this carriage?" she asked in a very low voice.


    "Why? And why are you talking so weakly?" Ruby asked before Finn could speak.


    "Shut up for a moment, Ruby," Finn scolded his sister. He turned to Argent. He certainly understood why he asked that. Finn already felt that something was wrong since the carriage made that turn earlier. He''s been travelling the same road for four years since he enrolled at Starlight Academy. It''s stupid how this coachman didn''t even think about that before deciding to change their course. Heck, even Argent noticed that something was wrong. "I could. But what will happen after that?" he answered Argent''s question in an equally low voice.


    "Once you stop the carriage, attack the coachman. Throw him as far away as possible. Then we''ll drive the carriage back to the mansion ourselves." That''s the best n Argent could think of under the circumstance. "Do you agree?"


    "Well, it''s not as if I have a choice, do I?" Finn sighed. Doing what Argent asked was better than doing nothing at all.


    "Wait- what the heck is happening?" Ruby asked, also making her voice down.


    "Brother," Aurum called to Argent with a questioning look on her face.


    "I think we''re being kidnapped." Both girls showed a shocked expression once Argent said that. "So I want the two of you to stay here and not panic once Finn stopped the carriage. Okay?"


    "I understand, Brother," Aurum immediately agreed. Though she''s still not clear as to what''s happening, she trust her brother. She would do anything she asked.


    "Ruby," Finn chided when his sister didn''t immediately answered.


    "Fine. But be fast about it," Ruby grumbled.


    Argent turned to Finn. "Do it now."


    The carriage immediately stopped once she said that. She and Finn moved as fast as they could. They both went out the carriage. Finn pointed his palm towards the surprised coachman. The coachman probably flew a few kilometers away from them. Argent immediately sat on the coachman''s seat and held the horses'' reins.


    She turned to Finn. "Come on." Finn sat beside her and she immediately drove the carriage. "Do you know the way?"


    "Just turn the carriage, then I''ll guide you along the way."


    Argent turned the carriage with great effort. But they haven''t even gotten that far when they suddenly heard a hard thump behind them. They both turned and to their utter surprise, they saw the coachman squatting on the carriage''s roof. The usual amiable expression on his face was gone, reced by a sinister smile.


    "Naughty children should be punished." Then he blew some kind of powder towards them.


    Argent felt a sudden dizziness. As if her conciousness was slowly being swallowed. And then everything turned dark.


    ----------


    Argent slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was a barely visible ceiling. She started to rise and she immediately saw her threepanions. The three were wearing some kind of metal handcuff. She looked down at her wrist and noticed that she didn''t have one. Their kidnapper probably didn''t think that she needed one. Which meant this handcuff probably prevented anyone from using their Gifts. That''s the only reason she could think of why she didn''t have one. After all, she''s a NoGift. And therefore, considered to be not dangerous. He didn''t even bother to take her space ring.


    She looked at the handcuffs. It probably has a different characteristics than the bracelet she made. Hers directly prevents the flow of Mana. This handcuff could probably just only seal it for a time. Because if they have the same properties, then her Mother have long used it for Aurum. The fact that she didn''t meant that the two were vastly different.


    Argent looked around. They were in some sort of prison cell, as expected. It was damp and dark. The only light wasing from amp attached to the wall opposite the prison cell. Done with her observation, she woke up her threepanions. The first one who gained conciousness was Finn, followed by Ruby, then Aurum.


    "Are you alright?" she immediately asked her sister.


    "I- I''m fine," Aurum answered and slowly sat up. "Where are we?"


    "Some kind of prison." She turned and saw Finn helping Ruby sat up.


    "Looks like he still got us," Finnented looking around the cell. He looked down at his wrists bounded by handcuff. "And we can''t use our Gift."


    "I thought the two of you are going to handle things?" Rubyined. "Now what are we going to do?"


    "We''re going to get out." Argent was about to take her sword from her space ring when she heard footsteps.


    Soon, a man stood in front of the prison cell. He was wearing the same clothes as the coachman but a different facepletely. He was bald. Half of his face was covered with ck swirling tattoos.


    "I see that my prisoners are awake," he said in that same voice when he was acting as the coachman.


    Because this man in front of them was definitely the coachman who picked them up from the academy. The only reason his face was different was because he was now using his original face. And he only used a human skin mask to impersonate the real coachman.


    Wait- human skin mask?


    "You''re from Dreich Gallere," Argent said, quite sure of her suspicion. Using human skin mask was one of the characteristics of an assassin from Dreich Gallere. Take Viper for example. That''s why her master immediately knew he was from Dreich Gallere when he noticed Viper was wearing a human skin mask.


    The man was clearly surprised by what she said. But soon, he just showed them his sinister smile. "That''s right. I''m from Dreich Gallere. Code name; Gecko."

 Chapter 28: back to square one

    Chapter 28: back to square one


    ARGENT immediately shielded Aurum, then calmly looked at the man who called himself ''Gecko''. He opened the prison cell and entered. "Who is your target?" she didn''t hesitate to ask. If this guy was a member of Dreich Gallere, then the only reason why he kidnapped them was because he was hired to kill someone in their group.


    Gecko sneered at him. Although he was slightly shock that this little boy knew about Dreich Gallere, but once he thought about the boy''s identity, he immediately calmed down. He''s a duke. Even though he''s still young, it''s not impossible for someone to teach him about the most famous assassins organization in the world. "Why do you think that I only have one target? I could be here to kill all four of you."


    Argent felt Aurum shivering behind her after they heard what Gecko said. She held her sister''s hand, silently reassuring her that she wouldn''t let anything happen to her. "You could have been hired to kill Finn or me. But it''s absolutely impossible for someone to hire you to kill the four of us."


    Gecko raised one of his eyebrows. "Oh? May I know why the little lord would think so?" he asked with a bit of mockery in his voice.


    "Killing Finn would certainly bring benefits to someone, like being the next head of the McAllister family. The same reason that if I was killed then someone else could take the title of the Duke of Hanover. But it''s absolutely impossible for a single individual to gain those benefits by killing all four of us," she answered.


    Since Jaxon doesn''t have any children, then the heir of the McAllister family was automatically Finn. But Argent heard that the McAllisters have a lot of branch families. Certainly there''s someone who definitely wanted to take the whole McAllister family as their own. And one of the easiest way to do that was to kill the heir. The same reasoning could be applied to her. If she''s gone, then some distant cousin could easily take the title from her.


    But the people who wanted Finn dead and the people who could possibly want Argent dead, were in two different countries, not to mention continents. And the possibility of them colluding to get rid of her and Finn was absolutely low. So if someone hired this Gecko to kill her or Finn then it could only be either one of those two. That''s why it''s highly improbable for Gecko to be hired to kill all four of them.


    Finn stared at everything that''s happening. He couldn''t believe that Argent could talk calmly about someone hiring an assassin to kill either one of them. He heard about Dreich Gallere from his Uncle Jax. Being from the wealthiest family in the country, it''s inevitable for them to be subjected to assassination attack. That''s why he knew about Dreich Gallere. They kill anyone for the right price. Hearing this guy admitting that he''s from that organization, for the first time in his life, Finn felt fear.


    And here was Argent, acting all calmly as if they''re not in a dark prison cell with an assassin out to kill one of them. Finn couldn''t understand why he could easily act this way. It''s even more unbelievable because Argent was a NoGift. Where does he get this kind of courage? He didn''t even know but a seed of admiration was already starting to sprout in his young heart.


    Gecko suddenlyughed. It''s not a pleasant sound, almost like a nail scratching the surface of a ss. "You''re quite smart, little lord. As a reward, I''ll answer your question. Someone hired me to kill the little master of the McAllister family."


    Finn''s muscles tightened. Although he already somehow expected that answer, it''s still made him gnashed his teeth. In anger or fear, he was not even sure. "Who hired you?"


    Gecko grinned maliciously at him. "One of your family members."


    "It''s probably that damn dog-faced bastard!" Ruby eximed angrily talking about their Uncle''s cousin. He''s the only one who always wanted to be the owner of the McAllister family. "Whatever he paid you, our Uncle could double- no, triple it. Just let us go."


    "That''s not how this works, littledy. I couldn''t vite the contract I made with your family member. That would reflect badly on our organization, you know."


    "If you''re target is Finn, why did you also kidnap us?" Argent interrupted. Certainly, he didn''t take them to kill them. After all, ording to Viper, they don''t kill people without contracts. But that''s only ording to him, this guy might be totally different.


    "I only really nned to kill him, but then I saw the three of you. Seeing your pretty little faces, I thought why not earn extra gold coins out of you three? So I decided to auction you off. There are a lot of perverts in this world, you know. And they just love beautiful little kids like you. The three of you will surely fetch a huge sum of gold coins," he answered in a tone as if he''s just talking about the weather.


    "You want to sell us?" Ruby said incredulously.


    "That''s what I said," Gecko said, smiling at them.


    "Where did you take us?" Argent asked, already had a bad hunch.


    "The dungeon of a famous underground auction hall. Once I kill young master Finn here, I''ll take the three of you straight to the auction that will happen a few hours from now. Convenient, right?"


    Argent''s brain worked double time, thinking of a way on how they could escape this mess. Then an idea came to her. She looked up at Gecko. "Viper mentioned you to me," she said calmly,pletely lying through her teeth.


    The moment she said that, Gecko''s attentionpletely focused on her. "How did you know that name?"


    "Because I know him. tinum blond hair, different colored eyes, that''s him, isn''t it?" Gecko''s pupils shook. That''s certainly Viper. He just couldn''t fathom how he could reveal his real face to a little lord from Albion. "He mentioned you quite a few times. He said you''re too weak and useless. That you''ll always stay at the bottom of the hiearchy. Always trying to get through but could never really enter the inner circle."


    Gecko''s expression immediately turned viscious. He didn''t doubt what Argent said, because it''s something Viper would totally say. Argent secretly smiled when she saw his dark face. That''s what she wanted. For him to get angry enough that he would momentarily lose reason. She just guessed that Gecko was not in the upper echelon of Dreich Gallere. No one with a high position would sell off three children just to earn more gold coins. Argent hasn''t had time to think more when Gecko suddenly grabbed her neck and lifted her from the floor.


    "Brother!" Aurum shouted.


    "Repeat what you said," Gecko ordered, his grip on her neck getting tighter.


    Argent couldn''t breath. Her lungs already felt like it''s burning because ofck of oxygen. But she still managed to give Gecko a smug look. "I said... *cough* you''re w-weak."


    Gecko''s grip became tighter and tighter. His vision waspletely dimmed with anger, he didn''t even notice when Argent took her sword from her space ring and plunged it to his chest. Argent made sure that she burried the sword deeply through Gecko''s heart. His grip on his neck disappeared and Argent fell on the floor. She coughed a few times before standing beside Gecko who also fell on the floor.


    There was shock on his face but it immediately changed into a sneer. "You will regret this."


    She ignored him and pulled the sword from his chest. She immediately noticed that there was not even a drop of blood on her sword. Not even on Gecko''s chest. Argent''s brows furrowed. But before she could even think on the hows and whys, Gecko''s body began to turn into dust.


    "What the heck?" Ruby eximed.


    "Are you okay, Brother?" Aurum asked, worried. Completely disregarding what happened to Gecko.


    "I''m okay, Aurum."


    "That was probably connected to his Gift," Finn said referring to Gecko''s body thatpletely disappeared. Argent couldn''t agree more. That''s the only reason she could think of anyway. Finn turned to her. "That waspletely reckless of you."


    "We don''t have time for this." Argent turned to Aurum first and easily cut her handcuffs. Then she turned to Ruby and did the same. Lastly, she cut Finn''s. "We need to get out of here before someone noticed what happened."


    Finn didn''t argue anymore and made a shing motion towards the prison bars. The prison bars were immediately cut into pieces. The three of them went out. The cell was located at the end of a corridor so there''s only one way they could go. They ran straight ahead without stopping until they came to a fork in the road. They could either go to the left or to the right.


    "We need to separate," Argent said without thinking twice.


    "No," Finn didn''t hesitate to oppose.


    "The exit could only be either on the left or the right. We would waste too much time if we tried both ways. If one of us find the right way, then they could escape here much faster and they could look for help. That''s the only chance we got." Argent''s voice asked for no arguments. "I and Aurum will go to the right and you and Ruby will go to left."


    Before Finn could argue further, Argent already pulled Aurum towards the right. Finn muttered a curse and has no choice but to pull Ruby towards the left.


    "Brother, is this really alright?" Ruby asked hesitantly while following her brother.


    "Hell if I know." Finn clenched his jaws, he couldn''t help but be filled with worry. Argent was a NoGift while Aurum couldn''t use her Gift to the fullest. If they encountered trouble, then there''s no way they could defend themselves. The only way to prevent that was to get out of here more quickly.


    So he ran faster.


    On the other end, Argent and Aurum were also running as fast as they could.


    "Aurum, listen to me, if we meet any danger, I want you to remove that bracelet. Okay?"


    "But Brother--" Aurum couldn''t help but remember what she did three years ago. Remembering all those dead bodies, her whole body voluntarily shivered.


    "It''s okay, Aurum. You could never hurt me." Aurum''s ability was something to be feared of. But because of Argent''s special constitution, it could never affect her. It would surelye in handy during this situation. Especially now that they''re separated from Finn and Ruby. Aurum could freely use her Gift without affecting the two.


    When they saw the stairs, Argent pulled Aurum faster. But they haven''t even reached it when someone familiar walked down the steps. Argent couldn''t help but widen her eyes in surprise.


    "Do you really think you managed to kill me?" Gecko asked with that sinister smile. "What you stabbed earlier was a copy. This one too is a copy by the way. As long as no one kills my original body, I wouldn''t die. And just so you know, my body isn''t here."


    "That''s your Gift, making copies of yourself?" said Argent.


    "Yes. Kind of convenient with my job, really. Now, what did I say earlier? Ah, yes. That you will regret what you did."


    Before Argent could move, Gecko already blew that annoying powder towards her face. Then everything turned dark.


    ----------


    When Argent woke up this time, she was in some kind of pit. She looked around and saw the countless audience above. It was like she was in a diator arena. Then her sight fell on a small cage hanging above the other end of the arena. She could clearly see the long golden hair of the person inside.


    "Aurum..."


    She started walking towards the end. But then a sudden voice filled the surrounding.


    "Ladies and gentlemen," said a man on a tform, wearing a half-mask. "Before we start the auction, one of my dear friend prepared a special entertainment for you. You would be able to witness on how this beautiful boy will save her sister amidst all obstacles," he added dramatically.


    Then dozens of men suddenly entered the arena, looking at Argent as if she was some kind of prey.


    A drop of sweat fell from her forehead. The only thing on Argent''s mind was - how the heck would she get herself and Aurum out of this shit hole?

 Chapter 29: the fighting pit

    Chapter 29: the fighting pit


    "THE BOY in front of you is a NoGift. So as not to cut our entertainment short, these honorable men are not allowed to use their Gifts and they can only attack him one at a time," the masked man added.


    Argent almostughed when she heard that. That was probably the best course for her. If all of these men attacked her at the same time, she would surely die.


    "Of course, I know many of our esteemed guests here want to purchase this beautiful boy for themselves. There''s a piece of paper in front of you. All you have to do is write the amount of gold coins you''re willing to bid for the boy and it will be automatically recorded. When the boy suffers a mortal injury, the bidding will end and the person with the highest bid will win. Rest assured, we will definitely patch him up and return him to a perfect condition before giving him to the winning bidder. A friendly reminder, your bid could not be lower than one million gold coins."


    This time, Argent didugh. A million gold coins? How cheap. Her brain alone was worth billions. And these people thought they could buy her? Let''s see if they have that ability. She clenched her fists, a firm determination crossed her purple eyes. No matter what she needed to do, she would make sure that she and Aurum would get out of here alive.


    "Now, shall we begin?" said the masked man again.


    The crowd cheered. The men in the pit actually started lining up. There were a total of fifteen men and all of them lined up in a straight line until thest one reached the hanging cage where Aurum was in. The distance between two men was enough for one to move freely without disturbing the other.


    "How long can youst, little boy?" asked the man in the forefront.


    Argent ignored him and looked at her space ring. That Gecko didn''t take it away even knowing that she had a sword inside. Which meant he didn''t care if she used the sword or not. Maybe in his opinion it wouldn''t really affect the final oue. She sneered. [Let''s just see if things will really go your way.]


    The man in front suddenly attacked her. She skillfully dodged to the right and pulled her sword from the space ring. She didn''t waste time and immediately shed the man''s throat. She made sure that her sword would cut an important artery in the man''s neck. The man has no time to react because blood immediately gushed out from his neck. But she didn''t stop there. This was the only time that she could have the element of surprise. She better made use of it to the fullest and kill as many as she could.


    She ran towards the next man. Because what she did earlier was too fast and too unexpected, the man still didn''t know that the man in front had his throat shed off. He just saw the kid running towards him. Before he could even move, he suddenly felt a sharp pain from his chest. He looked down and saw a sword that ran through his chest. Argent pulled her sword and ran to the next man. Not even looking at the man who just copsed.


    The next one still didn''t expect her attack and had no time to defend. So Argent easily pierced his head. Running the sword from the man''s chin straight to his brain. She pulled her sword and blood and some brain matter sshed on her clothes. She ignored it and ran towards the next one. But this time she was destined to be disappointed. The man managed to stop her attack using his sword. Argent saw him lifting his foot, no doubt nning to kick her. She immediately jumped back.


    So that''s that. She could only kill three people with her current ability. She has been practicing the footwork of the Sui-Ryu sword style for a few weeks now. And she could clearly see its effect now. Her movements became more fluid and her speed also increased. She could easily move her body the way she wanted to. Not to mention, she could easily predict the movements of others. Learning the sword was really a good decision.


    "Not even batting an eye after killing three men, you''re quite heartless, aren''t you?" said the man.


    Argent just raised her brow. This was the first time she killed someone using her own hands but she didn''t really feel any remorse from it. Why would she? The fact that they''re here, being excited at the thought of abusing a kid was enough proof that they''re not good people. She would definitely not lose sleep killing one or two of their kinds.


    The man suddenly rushed towards her. He shed his sword and she quickly dodged. But the moment she did, he thrust his hand and gripped her neck. He pushed her down, her back violently hitting the floor. Then he kneeled on her hand holding the sword.


    "I guess this is it for you, kid," the man said, pointing his sword to her stomach.


    Before he could run that sword through her, she kicked his crotch. She made sure she put enough power in her kick to break his balls.


    "Argh!"


    As expected, he immediately let go of her and fell, writhing on the floor. She stood up and pierced his head. "You talk too much."


    Everyone in the audience was silent. They couldn''t believe that they just saw a seven year old NoGift kill four grown men. Not only them were shocked but also the men in the pit. The next man especially so. That''s probably why when Argent ran towards him, the first thing he did was to use his Gift. Three small fireballs went straight towards Argent. She ignored all of it and continued to run. All three fireballs managed to hit her. But it only scorched her clothes.


    The man probably thought she would stop because of it that''s why he showed a triumphant smile. But that smile quickly vanished when Argent''s sword stabbed through his stomach and then through his throat. Up to the moment he died he didn''t understand how the fireballs he released seemed to not affect the kid.


    When Argent pulled her sword, she felt that someone was trying to attack her from behind. She tried to dodged but she wasn''t fast enough. Her attacker''s weapon - some kind of metal w - shed from her left shoulder down to her arm. She bit her lower lip and ignored the pain. The man took that chance to follow up on his attack. He shed his metal w and she dodged. Then his other hand turned into jagged stone. When he tried to pierced her chest, his hand immediately turned to normal.


    "What the--"


    Argent took that chance to stab her sword through his chest. Then to make sure, she stabbed him again. The man fell and she stared at the remaining people in front of her. Well, there''s still nine left.


    Gecko watched everything from one of the VIP box. He gnashed his teeth. Not even able to seriously injure a seven year old NoGift, those useless trash.


    "What an interesting boy," the masked manmented.


    "Yeah, interesting indeed," Gecko said through his teeth. If these shitheads continue to be useless, he would personally kill them.


    The next man attacked Argent. His weapon was two daggers. He thrust one of the daggers, making her dodge to the left. He was obviously expecting that. Because his other dagger was already there, waiting for her. It easily pierced through her already injured left arm. She waved down her sword. He jumped back but not before pulling the dagger. She could feel her arm muscle tearing. She hadn''t even move yet when he threw one of his daggers and it burried through her right thigh. She clenched her teeth and pulled the dagger.


    This guy was obviously more skillfulpared to thest six men she killed. Well, at least they still follow the rule that they could only attack her one at a time. The man rushed towards her again and she readied herself for the attack.


    Aurum slowly regained conciousness. The first thing she saw was a metal roof. She tried to get up and that''s when she noticed that she''s inside a cage. She looked around and she saw people in some kind of audience area. It looked like they were watching something. She looked down and her heart almost stopped when she saw her brother fighting a huge man. Even at this distance, she could see how bloody her brother was.


    "Brother!"


    Because of her call, Argent paused. The man she''s fighting took that chance to insert another dagger through her stomach. But Argent acted like it didn''t affect her and instead she looked at Aurum''s direction. "Just wait, I''m going to get you out of there." She took out the dagger and continued to fight with the man.


    Aurum''s whole body started trembling. She could clearly see just how many wounds was on her brother''s body. If this continued, Argent would really be in danger. Her brother might even die. No! That''s something she couldn''t let happen. Not today. Not ever. Aurum was suddenly filled with so much anger. They would pay for this. They would pay for what they''ve done to her brother.


    The handcuffs on Aurum''s wrist suddenly broke, followed by the breaking of the bracelet Argent gave her. And then, a powerful Mana filled the whole arena.


    The man Argent was fighting suddenly stopped moving. He held his head and screamed. It was not only him, but the rest of the men in the fighting pit. Blood started flowing from all of their orifices. She heard a scream from the audience area and saw that the same thing was happening to the people sitting there. It was easy to figure out who was doing it. Argent looked at the hanging cage. Looked like her sister was really angry. The men in the pit fell one by one. The screams in the audience area was getting louder and louder. Yup. Definitely angry.


    Argent sat down and wait for everything to end.


    Gecko felt like his brain will blow up any second now. What the heck was happening?


    "You didn''t tell me the girl is a powerful Gift user," the masked man said. He was still acting nonchntly, as if the powerful Mana was not affecting him. The only evidence that it did was the blood flowing from his nose. "I expect you''ll pay for all the damage done here. Until we meet again, Gecko." Then he disappeared.


    That was thest thing Gecko saw before his copy''s brain turned into mush.


    Argent waited until she was sure that everyone in the pit was dead. Then she stood up and pulled the dead bodies towards the hanging cage. No matter how hard it was, she started stacking the bodies to make a temporarydder. She could only stack up to three bodies. That''s the limit her seven year old body could do. If she didn''t do all those exercises her master asked her to do, she might not even be able to move one body.


    Argent climbed to the top of the stacked bodies. Then she shed a hole through the cage''s floor. "Aurum, jump. I''ll catch you."


    Aurum didn''t hesitate to jump. Her brother managed to catch her. But because of the force of her jump, the both of them fell from the stacked bodies. Argent took the brunt of the fall. But it seemed like Aurum didn''t even notice it. Because she just continued holding on to Argent. Aurum was clutching her so hard, it felt like her ribs would break. But Argent just let her and hugged her back instead,pletely ignoring all her wounds and pain she was feeling.


    Argent gently patted her sister''s back. "It''s okay. Everything''s going to be okay."


    Now they could finally get out of this ce.

 Chapter 30: rescue

    Chapter 30: rescue


    FINN and Ruby at this time were running non-stop. They just got out of a restaurant building where the underground dungeon they were kept in was located. Getting out of the restaurant was quite easy. There wasn''t much security and they could mix in with the ordinary customers. Finn suspected that the restaurant was probably a camouge for the underground auction.


    What was really hard was trying to get out of the underground dungeon. They were not stopped by one or two men but almost a dozen. Finn almost thought that they''ve probably gone the wrong way. But of course they wouldn''t just stand there and let those men take them back. So the two of them didn''t hesitate to use their Gifts.


    It was the first time the both of them used their Gifts with the intention of causing major damage to a person. It didn''t bother them much while they were fighting. But once they were out, they felt the full effect of what happened. They injured people, probably even killed some. Finn was not psychologically prepared for that. Even his vivacious sister hadn''t spoken since they got out.


    But Finn didn''t have time to ponder over their psychological health because there''s a more important thing he needed to worry over. And that''s if Argent and Aurum managed to go out or if they''re being auctioned at this very moment. That''s why Finn needed to contact their uncle quickly. So he could rescue the twins. But Finn needed to find a safe ce first before that. It wouldn''t do them any good if those good-for-nothing bastards found them and took them back.


    So Finn continued to pull Ruby until they reached a very busy street. Then he pulled Ruby inside a clothing store. He turned to the first person he saw inside - a middle-aged woman.


    "Excuse me, madam. But may I know where this is?" he asked.


    The woman was obviously surprise by his question, then she noticed that the two kids were alone. "Are you two lost?"


    "Yes, madam," Finn answered not bothering to deny what the woman said. "If you could be so kind to tell us where this is, then we could contact our family."


    "Of course. You''re in the business district of Kirst City."


    Kirst City? That''s just next to Warrshaw. Good. That meant once Uncle Jax knew where they were, he coulde here much faster. "Thank you, madam."


    "You''re wee. But be sure not to separate with your parents next time." The woman smiled and left.


    Finn took the defaro crystal from his pocket. He took it from one of the men who attack them earlier. He put his Mana into it and visualized his Uncle. A few seconds passed and Uncle Jax'' image appeared inside the crystal.


    "Finn? Are you okay? Where''s Ruby? And the twins?" Jaxon asked continuously, his handsome face full of worry.


    "Ruby and I are fine. But the twins-- Uncle Jax, please listen," Finn told him everything that happened as quick as he could. "The underground auction was located at a restaurant called Mirage. Please hurry, Uncle."


    "You did well, Finn. Stay where you are. I''ll send my secretary to get you."


    Then the connection ended.


    "Brother, Argent and that brat, will they be okay?" Ruby asked.


    "They will be." They must.


    ----------


    Jaxon opened the curtain of the carriage he''s in and told the coachman to fly faster. He''s currently in a carriage being pulled by gryphons. When he received the news that the kids might have possibly been kidnapped, he immediately mobilized his intelligence group to find their whereabouts. He already received a report earlier that the person who kidnapped the kids took them to Kirst City. But that was it. They didn''t know where in the city he took the kids. So Finn''s call shorten their search by leaps and bounds.


    Jaxon called his secretary and told him to fetch Finn and Ruby. Then he called his men to go straight to that Mirage restaurant.


    He clenched his fists. He couldn''t believe that someone in the family would really dare to do this. Do they really think that he''s some kind of soft persimmon? That he would turn a blind eye and just let them try to kill his nephew? He sneered. Looks like he needed to do a major family clean up.


    Just fifteen minutester, the carriagended. Jaxon got off the carriage and saw the Mirage restaurant not far away. He walked towards it and one of his men immediately approached him.


    "What''s the situation?" he asked.


    "We already surrounded the perimeter and took hold of the employees inside, Master."


    "The twins?"


    "We''re still searching for them."


    Just after he said that, another of his men came out of the restaurant building and strode towards them.


    "Have you found them?" Jaxon immediately asked.


    Aplicated expression appeared on the man''s face. "About that- Master, I think you should see it for yourself."


    What he said just confused Jaxon. "Just lead the way."


    When they reached their destination, Jaxon immediately understood what he meant. They were in some kind of fighting pit. In front of them was a total bloodbath. Dead men drowning in their own blood. And in the middle of it all were two children hugging each other. The sight of Argent and Aurum woke Jaxon from his reverie. He immediately ran towards the two.


    "Are you okay?" Jaxon eyes widened when he saw Agent''s wounds.


    "Silly question," Argent said sarcastically. She winced when she tried to move. Aurum was still hugging her like a ko. Good thing she managed to put a spare bracelet on Aurum before Jaxon and his men came. Or else, their brains may have exploded by now. "Just get us out of here."


    ----------


    Viper crushed the defaro crystal in his hand. He just received a report from the spy he put in the McAllister household. He put the person there so he could know whatever Argent was doing whenever he''s not with him. That way he wouldn''t miss any events in Argent''s life. If he didn''t do that, he might have not known what happened today.


    "That lizard, I''ll fucking kill him!"


    "You know it''s forbidden in our organization to kill a member with a code name," a sultry voice suddenly said.


    Viper turned around and saw a woman with long ck hair that almost reached the floor. She has delicate white skin and a pair of seductive blue eyes. She has that kind of beauty that could tempt almost anyone.


    Viper narrowed his eyes. "Vixen, who told you to eavesdrop?"


    Vixen smiled. If the man in front of her was not Viper, then he would be probably starting to offer his love to her by now. "I was just passing by. It''s your fault you didn''t take your call to a more private location. So, are you really going to kill Gecko?"


    "Not that it''s any of your business, but yes, I will," Viper said,pletely annoyed.


    "You''ll be punished, you know."


    "I don''t care. It will be totally worth it."


    Vixen stared at him. "All this just for a boy? Will that really be worth it?"


    "If it''s for him, then yes, it will."


    "May I ask why?" Vixen asked, totally not understanding what Viper was saying.


    "Because when I''m with him, I don''t feel like such a monster."


    Then Viper passed by her, thinking of a thousand way he would kill a certain lizard.

 Chapter 31: surprise gift

    Chapter 31: surprise ''gift''


    "I''M SORRY, Thea. It''s my fault. I''ve been negligent. I didn''t even think that my dear cousin would try to do something like this," Jaxon apologized to the woman in the defaro crystal.


    That ''dear cousin'' and his wife and children were now cut off from the McAllister family''s genelogy. So from now on, whatever he does, he wouldn''t ever be the head of the McAllister family. Jaxon wanted him to be an example for others. That if they tried to do something simr, they would end up like him. Jaxon believed that the other members of the family were greedy enough to not try something like that. After all, being cut from the family meant that they could no longer enjoy the family''s riches.


    "It''s not your fault. I''m just d the children were fine." After Anthea received a call from a crying Felicia, telling her that the four children were kidnapped, she felt like her heart would explode from worry. She only put down her worry when Jaxon told her that her twins were safe. "Maybe I should go back."


    After this incident, she really wondered if her decision to leave her kids and look for Dorian was right. If she was there and not sailing in the ocean, maybe she could have prevented something like this from happening. Now, she couldn''t even be beside her kids to give themfort and assurance.


    "I don''t think Argent would want that," Jaxon said.


    "You''re right, she wouldn''t." Anthea could already imagine Argent''s objection.


    "I swear I won''t let something like this happen again. I''ll put security around them if I have to."


    "I know and I don''t doubt that you would," Anthea said. "When you found them, was it bad?" Jaxon already told her everything that happened, up to the point where he found the twins in some kind of fighting pit. He just didn''t tell her what exactly it was he saw in that fighting pit. But when she saw his expression while mentioning it, she knew it was bad.


    Jaxon couldn''t help but remember the bloodbath he saw because of Anthea''s question. His men who canvassed the fighting pit told him that the caused of death of the people who died there was because their brains exploded. He has no doubt that that was due to Aurum''s powerful Mana. Honestly, even for an SS level Gift user, the girl''s power was truly overwhelming. But that was not all, not all of them died from Aurum''s Gift. Six died from sword wounds. And ording to the angle of the wounds, the one who inflicted the wounds had a much shorter stature. Which only leaves one person - Argent.


    The weird thing was, both twins didn''t seem to be affected by what they did. Argent was, of course, wounded. But she''s still as indifferent as ever. Aurum appeared shocked. But Jaxon could see that that was not because of the death of the people in the fighting pit but because Argent was hurt. He didn''t really know how to tell that to Anthea.


    "I think Aurum needs someone to guide her with her Gift," he just said.


    Anthea sighed. Just by that answer, she knew that it was probably pretty bad.


    "I know of someone who could guide her. If you would allow, I''ll ask her if she could help Aurum," Jaxon added.


    "I''d trouble you then. Once Argent wakes up, please contact me immediately."


    "Of course."


    Then the call ended.


    Jaxon pinched the bridge of his nose. He still had to deal with the aftermath of what happened. It was a headache since a lot of the people who died were somewhat prominent figures. The silver lining was that the underground auction was illegal. So it wouldn''t be hard to cover up the things that happened there. With the McAllister family''s influence, it would be easy to spread the news that they were killed by someone who''s keen on revenge.


    But really, out of all the things that happened, the one that really bothered him was when he asked someone with a healing Gift to heal Argent''s wounds, it didn''t have any effect. That got him thinking. Does she have some kind of special constitution? Was that the reason why all the people in that fighting pit died and she survived?


    Looked like he needed to have a serious talk with the kid.


    ----------


    Argent opened her eyes and saw the familiar ceiling of her room in the McAllister mansion. Her whole body ached. And then everything slowly came back to her. The kidnapping, Gecko, the fighting pit. She tried to sit up, but before she could that, someone suddenly grabbed her hand.


    "Brother!" Argent nced to her left and saw her sister''s beautiful face. "Do you need anything? Are you hurting somewhere? Are you hungry?"


    Argent was about to answer when she noticed how pale Aurum''s face was. There was even a prominent ck smudge under her eyes, a sign that she hasn''t been sleeping. "Aurum, have you slept?"


    Aurum shook her head. "I can''t. How could I sleep when you''re in this condition?" She squeezed her brother''s hand. "I''m sorry. I''m sorry I didn''t protect you sooner."


    Argent flicked her sister''s forehead. "Silly girl. There''s no need to forgive. None of these is your fault. I hope what happened in that pit won''t affect your determination to control your Gift."


    "It won''t." It just even strenghten Aurum''s desire topletely control her Gift. Because that''s the only way she could protect her brother.


    Argent sat up and opened the quilt on her right side. "Then sleep."


    Aurum climbed up Argent''s bed. Shey down and hugged her brother''s arm. She closed her eyes and slept.


    Argent looked down at her body. She could see the bandage around her wounds. She has no doubt that Jaxon probably tried to heal her using someone with a healing Gift. But obviously, it didn''t have any effect because of her special constitution. It would definitely baffled anyone who witnessed it. She had no doubt that Jaxon would ask her about it. Just thinking about that possible conversation was already giving her a headache. Her thoughts were cut when she heard the knocks.


    "Come in," she called.


    The door opened and Finn came in. There was surprise on his face when he saw her up.


    "You''re awake," Finn said, walking towards the bed. "Do you feel alright?"


    Argent raised her brow. "Yes."


    "That''s good. Ah, yes, your homeroom teacher called. The result of your advancement exam were already out. You passed. With flying colors, I might add. You could skip to the seventh grade when the next semesteres. Turns out you''re right. I''m the one who ended up embarrassed," Finn said, thest one pertaining about the conversation they had when she made the request to skip grades to Jaxon.


    "I see." That was not really surprising, she already expected that result. "Is there anything else?"


    "I--" He took a deep breath. "I want to thank you. If it wasn''t for your quick thinking, I probably would be dead by now and the three of you would be sold somewhere."


    "That''s unexpected. I didn''t think you had it in you to sincerely express your gratitude." Argent was really somewhat surprised. Finn might act like a gentlemanly prince, but underneath it all, he''s extremely arrogant. Not really someone that could easily say ''thank you'' to another and meant it.


    Finn never really thought that there woulde a time he would say ''thank you'' to this kid. But he couldn''t just ignore what Argent did. Especially since the only reason that he and Ruby managed to escape unscathed was because of Argent. And in turn, he was the one who ended up most hurt. Finn could still remember when his uncle put Argent inside the carriage, all bloody and wounded. He didn''t understand, but he felt a slight pinch in his heart when he saw Argent like that.


    "I may not like you but that doesn''t give me the right to deny the fact that you did help us."


    "So you''re quite reasonable if you wanted, huh," Argent said, one end of her lips slightly tilting up.


    Finn stared at that not-quite smile. That was the first time he saw him with that expression. It actually made his face more beautiful. Finn immediately turned his head away, because he could already feel the blushing up from his face. "I''ll leave you to your rest."


    Finn immediately walked towards the door. When he opened it, the maid, Felicia was there about to knock. He went out and the maid came in, holding a box.


    Felicia''s expression brightened when she saw Argent. "Young Lord, you''re awake!" she eximed, running towards the bed.


    "Sshh... Turn it down, Felicia. Aurum''s sleeping."


    "I''m sorry, Young Lord. I''m just d you''re awake. You''ve been unconcious for the past two days."


    [Two days? I guess I''ve been hurt more than I imagined.] Argent noticed the box Felicia was holding. "What''s with the box?"


    "Oh yes. This was dellivered for you, Young Lord." Felicia handed the box to her.


    Argent took it, confused as to who might send her something. There was no return address, only her name. Argent removed the packaging and opened the box. Felicia gasped when she saw what''s inside. Argent only raised her brow.


    Inside a box was a head. The head of someone she''s recently been acquainted with. Gecko. The expression of fear and pain on his face was so vivid, it was obvious he experienced a rather gruesome death. She took the note inside and read it.


    [A little gift for you. I won''t be able to visit you for quite a while. Probably a few years. I hope you won''t forget me. With all my poisonous heart. -- Viper.]


    Argent couldn''t help but smile. Well, wasn''t this a nice parting gift?

 Chapter 32: a certain generals son

    Chapter 32: a certain general''s son


    ARGENT tried to move her left shoulder and couldn''t help but wince. It''s been a week since the kidnapping incident and most of her wounds hasn''t healed yet. She knew there were a lot of people in the mansion wondering why all her wounds hasn''t healed totally since Jaxon already called a healer. What they didn''t know was that the healer Jaxon called was just an ordinary healer, not someone with a healing Gift. So the healer healed her wounds using a more traditional means, i.e. a bit of medicinal herbs and elixirs and a lot of stitching.


    So far Jaxon hasn''t asked her yet about her special constitution. She''s not stupid enough to believe that he wouldn''t ask her about it. He''s probably just waiting until Aurum returned to school so he could ask her alone. Since Aurum had been sticking to her for the past week. In fact, it took a lot of convincing before her sister agreed to go back to the academy. But now that Aurum was back to school, she and Jaxon would probably have that conversation today.


    Argent put down her pen and creaked her neck. She''s finally done writing herprehensive business n. Now that she''s found a sword teacher, and she also sessfuly skipped grades, the only thing left was to start implementing her n.


    Someone knocked and Felicia came in carrying a tray of tea and sweets. "Young Lord, why did you get up? Your wounds hasn''t fully healed yet. You should stay in bed," she said while putting the tray on the table she''s sitting at. "Why hasn''t your wounds healed anyway? Was the healer hired by Master Jaxon a quack?"


    Argent chose not to answer that question. "I''m fine, Felicia. I''m not that fragile. These small wounds won''t kill me."


    "They''re not small wounds, Young Lord. If the Duchess sees you right now, I''m sure she''d agree," Felicia said while pouring her tea.


    After Felicia said that, Argent remembered her talk with her mother. She could clearly see how worried her mother was. She knew her mother would propose to go back once she saw her injured state. So before her mother could say it, she told her first that she shouldn''t. It''s much more important for her to continue her search for their father. At the end, her mother still reluctantly agreed.


    "Felicia, could you call Uncle Jaxon? I want to tell him something," she told Felicia.


    "Okay. Eat your snacks, Young Lord." Felicia cut a slice of the coffee vored cake she brought and put it in front of her before going out.


    Argent took a bite of the cake and drank her tea. It didn''t take long before Jaxon came and sat in front of her.


    "Tea?" Argent asked.


    "No thanks. How are you feeling?"


    "Much better."


    Jaxon stared at her for a while. "Do you know what my Gift is?" he suddenly asked out of nowhere.


    "You''re telekinitic, just like Finn."


    "That''s right. And do you know what I just tried to do earlier? I tried to make you float. But curiously enough, you didn''t even budge an inch. Do you know the reason why or was it something surprising for you too?"


    Sure enough, they would have that conversation today. "When I tried to get close to my sister, I found out that her Gift doesn''t work on me. I thought maybe it was because we''re twins. But then when I tried to make Felicia attack me using her Gift, the water dissipated before it even touched me. From then, it''s easy to make a conclusion. That apparently Gifts don''t work on me. I also don''t know the reason why. Maybe it has something to do with me being a NoGift," she said vaguely. That''s the closest to the truth she could tell him. Jaxon was a sharp person. If she said too little, she would just appear more suspicious. So, it''s better to tell some truth and conceal the rest.


    "Does your mother know about this?"


    "No. It would only make her worry unnecessarily. Especially since it doesn''t really have any negative effects so far. Well, if you don''t count the fact that healing Gifts also don''t affect me. I hope you won''t tell it to my mother. We both know she should focus right now on the search for my father."


    Jaxon wrinkled his brows. He knew she was right. Anthea would definitely panic when he told her about this. But he couldn''t help but worry since he had never heard of someone that couldn''t be affected by Gifts. If some ck organization heard about this, they could kidnap Argent, train her, and make her into a weapon. Not to mention if this... something could actually have a negative effect on her body.


    Argent could easily see in Jaxon''s expression what he was thinking. "If you''re worried, I promise I will tell you immediately if I start feeling that something''s wrong."


    Jaxon sighed. He couldn''t really do anything right now butpromise. He just had to monitor Argent more strictly starting today. "You better keep this promise."


    "Of course," she answered, sipping her tea.


    "So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about? I guess it''s not about your special constitution."


    "No." Argent pushed the stack of paper beside her teacup in front of Jaxon. "I have a business proposition."


    ----------


    Eastern Continent, Xing Empire.


    In the household of the famous General Zhang, the mistress of the house and the wife of the General was kneeling in front of the statue of Gaia, sincerely praying. She hasn''t stopped praying for months. Ever since her only son fell intoa half a year ago. She still remembered that incident. His son suddenly fell off his horse and then his Mana erupted. It took a lot of manpower before his Mana was contained. Then after that, he never woke up.


    [Please, dear Goddess... Please, hear my prayers.]


    She suddenly heard footsteps. Then a young maid came running in. "Madame! The young master woke up!"


    Madame Lin stood up. "W-what?"


    "The young master, he woke up!" the young maid excitedly said again.


    Madame Lin felt like a great weight has been lifted from her shoulders. She turned to the goddess'' statue. [Thank you. Thank you.]


    She ran outside of the room, disregarding her poised image and continued on to her son''s room. Once there, she didn''t wait for the maids to open the room, she opened it herself and immediately went inside. She saw his thirteen year old son lying on his bed, groaning mournfully as if having a nightmare.


    Madame Lin walked beside the bed and held her son''s hand. "Lei Feng, my son."


    Slowly, Zhang Lei Feng opened his eyes - a pair of obsidian ck eyes as dark as the night sky. And the first word he muttered was, "Xia Yin..."

 Chapter 33: the beautiful founder

    Chapter 33: the beautiful founder


    IN THE PAST seven years, a big change ured in the world. A certainpany began producing the most remarkable device called sPhones. It was rectangr in shape and has many cool functions. It has something called a ''camera'' that can take the image of anything or record the things happening around a person. The image was called a ''picture'' and the recording was called a ''video''. But not only that, sPhones have things in them called ''Apps''.


    Apps were small icons on the screen of an sPhone. Each one has different functionality. The most famous ones were - the [Sk] where people could search about everything and anything; [TalkUs] a call app where people could call others, send them messages, and even directly talk to them thru something called video call; [VMall] where people could buy and order products from differentpanies and individuals; [Quill&Ink] where people could post the novels they''ve written and people everywhere could read it; [VideoFlix] where people could post videos and watch videos posted by others;stly, and probably the most often used one, [Jiffy] where people could post the everyday things that was happening to them, which could include pictures and short video clips. Every user''s profile has a ''follow'' feature. Anyone who clicked it could pay attention to that person.


    The first time buyers have to register an ount on the [SilverCorp] app. The process of registration included putting the person''s fingerprint on the app. So a person could only have one ount. And that ount was used to register to the other apps. It was made so to avoid the creation of fake ounts and identity theft. It could also provide more privacy and security to the users.


    The products and other services provided by the sPhones, like the things in the [VMall] for example, could be bought using cyber coins. You could have cyber coins by buying load cards. The cheapest load card cost 100 gold coins which could be converted to 100 cyber coins.


    Almost everyone in the world probably have their own sPhones. Even the poor people. Because the cheapest one only cost 5,000 gold coins. Even though the pictures and videos taken by it were poor in quality, it was enough as long as you could use it.


    sPhones brought an unprecedented cultural revolution and change in people''s way of life. Nowadays, people prefered to shop thru [VMalls] than go outside and look for the things they need. So businessmen have no choice but to follow the trend and set up shops in [VMall]. Novelist could easily earn money thru [Quill&Ink] by gathering readers and letting them buy the chapters of the stories they''re posting. The same could be said for people posting videos in [VideoFlix]. They were even acting troupes shooting dramas and posting it on the app.


    The younger generationpletely embraced the change. They loved it. Socializing with people all around the world. They found it novel and interesting. But the much more older generation had an opposite reaction. Especially the old priests from the Temple of Gaia - the major religion in the world that worshipped the goddess Gaia. For some reason, they found it sphemous. But even so, they couldn''t stop the rise of its poprity. And now, they''re part of everyone''s everyday life.


    All of these could be credited to onepany - Silver Corporation.


    It was founded seven years ago. The first batch of sPhones they produced could only be bought in Amexem. But slowly, their production spread from countries to countries. And now, there''s probably only a few ces in the world that didn''t sell an sPhone. In just seven years, Silver Corporation managed to integrate itself in society. Now it''s probably thepany with the highest revenue in the world. Some might think it''s a miracle but really, it''s just pure genius.


    It was no secret that many tried to make a copy of sPhones. But even if they tried to disassemble it and study each and every part, no one could seem to understand how it really worked. Even the famous alchemists couldn''t figure it out. Everyone knew that the creator of sPhones was the founder of Silver Corporation. So really, maybe they should understand first how the mind of this genius worked before trying to copy his creation.


    And now at this time, almost everyone was staring at the screens of their sPhones, waiting for the live video feed of the official channel of Silver Corporation in [VideoFlix]. Just the other day, the official [Jiffy] ount of Silver Corporation announced that they will post a live interview of the founder of theirpany in their [VideoFlix] channel and it will be hosted by Aurum ckbourne.


    Who was Aurum ckbourne? She''s the most followed individual in [Jiffy]. Partly because she''s the spokesperson and face of Silver Corporation. Ever since the founding of thepany, they would release a video every time they make a new version of sPhone. And everytime, the star of the video was always Aurum ckbourne. But that''s not the only reason she was loved by many. It was because she''s as beautiful as an angel. Long, flowing golden hair, porcin white skin, and a pair of amber eyes. Who doesn''t love beauty, right?


    But the main reason everyone was patiently waiting for the upload of this live video was because they could finally see the mysterious founder of Silver Corporation. In the seven years since its conception, he had never shown himself in public. He didn''t even have his own [Jiffy] ount. No one even knew his name! But that would all change after this interview.


    Suddenly the screen shed and the familiar silver ''S'' logo appeared then it was followed by the smiling face of Aurum ckbourne. Her golden hair was in a high ponytail tied by a long sky blue ribbon. Her pink lips has a gentle smile. She was wearing a white dress with a flowing skirt that reached just above her knees. At the age of 14, she was already 169 cm. Add that to her grace and temperament and no one would even see her as a kid.


    Aurum smiled at the camera. "Hi everyone!"


    Because of her appearance, thements on the video was full off; [Ah, my goddess is so beautiful!], [Hello, goddess!], and [Marry me, my angel!].


    "I know a lot of you has been waiting for this moment, so I won''t dy this any longer. Please wee, the founder of Silver Corporation and my beloved twin brother, Argent ckbourne!"


    [???]


    [Wait- did I just hear it wrong? Did my goddess just say her ''twin brother''?]


    [Upstairs you''re not the only one, I also heard it.]


    [()]


    On the screen, a tall teenage boy came into view. He was wearing a crisp white shirt under a simple blue suit, paired with ck cks that perfectly showcased his long legs. His short silver hair looked particrly soft. His amethyst like eyes were surrounded by thick silver eyshes. To say that he was handsome was not urate. It''s probably more appropriate to call him beautiful. But despite his beauty, no one would associate this person to the word ''feminine''. Because he was exuding so much air of indifference. As if no one was worthy to be in his sight.


    [Shit! Is this pretty boy really the founder?]


    [Ah! Ah! Ah! The founder is so beautiful!]


    [I think everyone''s focus is wrong. If he''s the founder and the twin of Aurum, then he''s also only 14 years old. That means he started making sPhones when he was seven!]


    [Upstairs, you''re right! I also just realized it just now!]


    [Is this boy still human???]


    "Brother, could you smile for our audience?" Aurum asked sweetly.


    The silver haired teenager just patted Aurum''s head. "Don''t make trouble," he said in a low husky voice. He didn''t smile but his tone was soft and his eyes were full of pets.


    [Ah!!! The founder''s voice is sooooo good!]


    [I don''t care if he''s human or not, founder please marry me?]


    Aurum just smiled and the two sat face to face. "Brother, could you introduce yourself to our viewers? I''m sure many of them has been wanting to know more about you."


    Argent faced the camera and said, "My name is Argent ckbourne, 14 years old, the maker of sPhones, and the founder of Silver Corporation. Oh, and I''m also a NoGift."


    [A NoGift? No way!]


    [How could he be a NoGift?]


    [I guess not everyone could be a perfect human being. The goddess Gaia is still fair at least.]


    [A NoGift? Then he''s nothing but a waste!]


    [Upstairs, is your brain still functioning? Could a waste person make the sPhones you''re using right now?]


    [Who cares if he''s a NoGift? He''s beautiful and super smart, not to mention filthy rich! That''s enough. Founder, marry me, okay?]


    [Upstairs, +1]


    "How did youe up with the idea of sPhones?" Aurum followed up.


    "I just thought how interesting it would be if people in every corners of the world could somehowmunicate with each other. Thus, the design of the sPhones was born."


    "Being just seven back then, I''m sure everyone is wondering how you even manage to create something like this."


    "It has nothing to do with age. Doing something like that all depends on a person''s brain. I happened to be extremely smart. So even at seven, making the design of the sPhone was pretty easy for me," he said it in a very matter-of-factly tone that you couldn''t help but believe that what he said was nothing but the truth.


    [How arrogant!]


    [Being smart doesn''t give you the right to be arrogant!]


    [The founder is not arrogant! He''s just telling the truth!]


    [Don''t you hear the founder''s tone? He''s not boasting, he''s just stating facts!]


    The interview continued for twenty minutes. During that period, people constantlymented on thement section. Until the interview reached its final minute.


    "Sadly, we could only stop here." Aurum turned to her brother. "Brother, do you have any words for our viewers?"


    "Only one thing." He looked straight at the camera. "Thank you."


    He still looked indifferent but no one could deny the gratitude in his words.


    [Ahh!!! The founder is wee!]


    [We''re the ones who should thank you! Thank you for bringing sPhones to us!]


    [Thank you founder!]


    [Founder, please make a [Jiffy] ount so we could follow you!]


    [Upstairs is right. We hope to hear more from you soon!]


    [We love you founder!]


    At the end of the interview, the number one trending topic in [Jiffy] was #thefounderistoobeautiful followed by #founderpleasemarryme.


    And that''s how Argent ckbourne introduced herself to the world.

 Chapter 34: news from around the world

    Chapter 34: news from around the world


    KINGDOM OF ALBION, Royal Pce.


    The two princesses were in one of the castle''s drawing room, waiting for the arrival of their mother. The older one was already on the cusp of womanhood. Her long icy blue hair was ited neatly behind her back. Her blue eyes were sharp and cold. But because of the gentle smile on her lips, she appeared gentle and amiable. She''s Icelyn Jade di Albion - the first princess of Albion.


    Sitting with perfect posture, Icelyn reached for the teacup in front of her and daintly took a sip from it. "Noelle, please stop ying with your sPhone. Mother will be here any minute and you know how much she hated that gadget," she said, not removing the smile on her lips.


    Noelle - the second princess - just snorted. The fifteen year old princess has apletely different temperament than her older sister. Her icy blue hair was fashionably short. She was wearing a non-standard short dress - something that a princess shouldn''t wear. There''s a small butterfly drawn mark at the corner of her left eye, adding to her charm.


    "She just hate it because people continuously post bad things about her and she can''t do anything about it," Noelle said, taking her attention back to the sPhone she''s holding.


    Noelle was right. Ever since the conception of the sPhones, the public''s opinion on the queen plummeted year by year. Not only her, but also the first prince. They don''t seem to understand that the world has changed. That they could no longer do whatever they wanted without any sort of repercussion. One bad word, one rude move, they could easily be captured by people around them. Then it would get posted at [Jiffy] which in turn would surely gather resentment.


    The royal family counldn''t just grab those people and throw them to jail. Because most of those people don''t post their real names. They have no way in knowing who they were. So whatever bad things they posted, the royal family could simply do nothing.


    "Sister, do you know when the Duke of Hanover wille back?" Noelle asked, suddenly changing the topic.


    Icelyn raised one of her brows. "Soon, maybe. After all, he already finished his primary education. Being a duke, he''s now required to attend parliament. Why do you ask?"


    "Because he''s the founder of Silver Corporation, duh."


    Yesterday, Noelle insisted on watching the video of the founder of Silver Corporation together. Icelyn didn''t object because she also nned to do that. Silver Corporation was probably the biggest and richestpany in the world right now. But for seven years, nobody knew who founded it. Even if someone tried to investigate, they would juste up with nothing. Icelyn was curious about this mysterious founder. Someone who could do everything he did in just a span of seven years would definitely be extraordinary.


    But when Aurum ckbourne introduced the founder as her twin brother, Icelyn felt like she heard a joke. When Aurum first appeared on the promotional video of Silver Corporation, she immediately recognized her as that SS level monster who identaly killed five of her servants when she was only four years old. And now, she''s telling everyone in the world that her twin brother, the famous waste, was the founder of Silver Corporation. What kind of bad joke was that?


    However, when the beautiful teenage boy came into view, all the insults inside her head just vanished. And just like that, Icelyn could easily imagine how this boy managed to build Silver Corporation. He exuded this air of indifference. As if he''s above all mortal men. That was not simple confidence, that was something no ordinary man could have. Especially not some waste. Just looking at him, no one could doubt that he''s not who he said he was.


    "He''s amazing, isn''t he? Being able to do the things he did in his age," Noelle continued, a hint of admiration in her voice. She turned to her sister. "If I ask, do you think Father could arrange a marriage for us?"


    Icelyn was momentarily stunned by Noelle''s question. "You want to marry Argent ckbourne?"


    "Yeah. Why not?" Noelle remembered yesterday''s interview. The moment the young duke came into view, she felt her whole face red up. That was the first time she saw such a beautiful teenage boy. But more than that, she admired his intelligence. Despite being a NoGift, no one could deny that he''s a one of a kind genius.


    "He''s a NoGift."


    "So? I don''t care about bloodlines. I''m not nning to take over the crown after all. If we do get married and one of our children turned out to be a NoGift, I''ll love them just as fiercely."


    "Then you should talk to Father. I''m sure he wouldn''t deny your request. An alliance thru marriage with someone like the Duke of Hanover will definitely be benificial to our family."


    Noelle smiled brightly. "Then I''ll do that."


    Icelyn almostughed at her sister''s naivety. Yes, an alliance with the duke would certainly be beneficial. But at the thought of those indifferent purple eyes, there''s no way Argent could be manipted into marriage by the king. He would probably choose to give up his title and permanently leave Albion than tie himself to the royal family.


    But Icelyn didn''t tell any of that to her sister and just smiled gently at her.


    Meanwhile, in one of the famous tea houses in Londinium, two teenagers were sitting inside one of the VIP rooms. One has messy red hair and russet colored eyes. He was constantly tapping at the table as if he has to let out the abundant energy inside him. The other one has icy blue hair, surrounded by a cold atmosphere. He was expresionless and no warmth could be seen in his pair of pale blue eyes.


    "Have you seen the interview yesterday? Man, I can''t believe that that Argent really founded Silver Corporation. I have no idea at all. Aurum didn''t even mentioned it at all in the past seven years we''ve been talking to each other," Misined a little.


    He and Aurum were friends. It took a lot of effort on his part for that to happen. Mis didn''t mind. Because he truly liked Aurum. Even if she only saw him right now as a friend, that''s fine with him. It''s better than having no rtionship at all. He believed that they were already close enough for Aurum to reveal something like this to him. But instead, he found out about it thru a live stream video. Like he was no different from anyone else. That''s why he couldn''t help but feel a little bit of grievance. Add that to the countless admirers of Aurum all over the world and his heart couldn''t help but produce a tiny bit of sourness.


    Winter didn''tment and just took a sip from his teacup. Unlike Mis, he wasn''t surprise at all when he learned that Argent was the one behind Silver Corporation. Because he knew at an early age how brilliant the duke was. What surprised Winter more was probably his appearance. The young boy he first met became a tall teenager with an extremely beautiful face.


    "Maybe that''s the reason why you haven''t managed to contact him before. Because he was so busy building his ownpany," Mis continued.


    Winter''s brows wrinkled slightly because of what Mis said, but after a second his expression immediately turned to normal. Before Argent left for Amexem seven years ago, he asked Mis to deliver a defaro crystal to him. But when he tried to contact Argent, it didn''t connect. He tried again the next night and it still didn''t. Then the night after that. It still didn''t connect. He tried several times. There was no night that he didn''t try. But still, nothing. Until it became a habit. Even now, he''s still doing that. Hoping that one night it would connect to Argent.


    "But hey, they''reing back soon. I, for one, am excited to see Aurum again."


    Winter looked up at Mis when he said that. "Do you know when they''lle back?"


    "Aurum said they''re going to leave for Albion tomorrow. With the travel time, they''ll probably arrive here next month."


    "Next month..." Winter silently muttered. He looked down at his right wrist where a familiar bracelet was tied. He hasn''t taken it off for the past seven years. [Maybe... maybe this time, the two of us could finally be friends.]


    ----------


    An Unknown Ind, Dreich Gallere Main Headquarters


    A woman was lying on the sand beach, basking under the sun. The only thing that''s covering her was a tiny slip of fabric. Showing off her delicate white skin and perfect curves. Her sun bathing was suddenly interrupted by an uing footsteps. She slightly lifted her body and looked at the direction where it''sing from.


    Vixen smiled when he saw a young boy running towards her. The young boy was not exactly a young boy. He was the same age as the rest of the members with coded names. But for some reason, after the age of thirteen, he suddenly stopped growing. So he''s stuck at the height of 155 cm, even his voice didn''t mature. He looked like a juvenile with fluffy blond hair and toffee colored eyes. That''s why most of the members loved to bully him.


    Lynx stopped in front of Vixen. He was about to say something but immediately stopped when he saw her state of undress. His face immediately turned red. "You-- why are you naked?!"


    Vixen smiled even wider, her charmpletely overflowing. "I''m not though. But if you want me to be, I could easily aodate you," she said seductively while slowly pulling down the silk fabric on her body.


    Lynx''s face turned even redder. "No!" He took a thick quilt from his space ring and unceremoniously threw it towards Vixen. He immediately felt better when she was covered by the quilt. "I have a question," he said.


    Vixen decided to no longer tease him. She put down the quilt thrown to her by Lynx. There was a temporary shimmer and in an instant she was now wearing a gorgeous red dress. "Say."


    Lynx took his sPhone from his space ring. He must say that he really liked this gadget. One of the requirements for registering an official ount in the [SilverCorp] app was one''s fingerprint, but being an assassin and all, he couldn''t just let anyone have his fingerprint. So he has to use another person''s - one who hasn''t registered yet. It was truly a hassle looking for one.


    Lynx opened the folder for pictures inside and clicked the one he wanted to show to Vixen. "Is this the boy Viper was so obsessed about? I heard you and Raven talking about himst night. I asked Raven earlier but he just ignored me," he said pouting. "So is this him?"


    Vixen stared at the silver haired teenager in the screen. She knew from seven years ago that the one Viper was obsessing about was a boy named Argent ckbourne, a young duke from Albion. She just never imagined that that young boy would turn out to be the founder of Silver Corporation. There has been many assassination contracts for this mysterious founder for the past seven years. All of which came from angry merchants whose influence was starting to decline because of the rise of Silver Corporation. But because they couldn''t find any information about the said founder, they declined it. Who would have thought that the said founder was now only 14 years old?


    "Yes, it''s him," she answered Lynx question honestly. There''s really no reason to lie to him about this.


    Lynx wrinkled his brows. "But why would he kill Gecko for this boy? Seven years ago, this boy would only be seven years old. I get that he''s brilliant but I still can''t understand why Viper would do all that for him. Wait--" He suddenly has a look as if a light bulb turned on inside his head. "Is he Viper''s child?"


    Vixenughed out loud. "Of course not, you silly thing. If Viper had sex with a girl, that girl would immediately die."


    Lynx blushed in embarrassment. He almost forgot about Viper''s Gift. "Then why? I don''t understand. Because of what he did, Master exiled him for ten years on Sin Ind. I couldn''t imagine suffering all that for someone who''s virtually a stranger."


    Vixen also didn''t understand at first. But when she asked him seven years ago and she heard his answer, she felt like she understood it a little. "Because ording to him, whenever he''s with that boy, he doesn''t feel like such a monster."


    Lynx was even more confused by that answer. "But Viper''s not a monster."


    "You only say that because we''re like him." Vixeny back down on the sand and looked at the blue sky. "We''re all monsters."


    ----------


    Xing Empire, Northern Border.


    General Zhang Lei Feng was wiping his sword at the pavillion of his small courtyard when a man wearing all ck suddenly appeared in front of him.


    The man immediately kneeled down and called, "Master."


    "Was it done?" Zhang Lei Feng asked, not even bothering to look up. He has a low maic voice that could make any woman blush. But to the man wearing ck, all he could hear was a silent threat.


    "Not yet, Master. An Si is still investigating."


    There was a sudden static in the air, indicating that his master was displeased.


    The man wearing all ck was called An Yi. All the dark guards under the general changed their surnames to ''An'' and their names into a number. An Yi was number ''one''. He has been with the general the longest. Ever since he was still the spoiled young master of the Zhang family.


    Seven years ago, he was still the typical spoiled son. Probably because he was the only child in the family that''s why he grew willful and stubborn. Anything he wanted, he should get. But one day, he fell off a horse during a race. His Mana became unstable and he fell into aa. Itsted for half a year. But when he woke up, it was like he became apletely different person. His attitude turned into aplete 180.


    The 13 year old boy suddenly became sensible. His unreasonable temper disappeared and became much more serious. Just like a small adult. But the biggest change was his Gift. From being an A level lightning Gift user, he became a SS level user. Not only that, but he also became a wind Gift user. General Zhang Lei Feng was probably the only one with double Gift. Only a few of them knew about that. If that information spread, An Yi couldn''t imagine themotion it would cause.


    After that, the general requested to join the army. He didn''t use his connection to his famous father and steadily climbed the ranks. Along the way, he gathered loyal followers and formed his own dark guards. Then three years ago, he finally became a general and was assigned in the Northern Bordends. Fighting off the barbarians. In just two years, the general managed to send the barbarians away and peace finally came to this ce.


    For all the years An Yi knew the general, he has always been decisive and strict. Not only to those who followed him but also to himself. He trained his soldiers personally. But they neverined because they knew that he trained even harder than them. He could be harsh but it''s always for their own good. He even gave away his sry to the people who needed it more. That''s why even with his scary momentum, people respect him and were still willing to follow him.


    But yesterday, something unexpected happened. One of the soldiers were watching a video in [VideoFlix]. The general happened to pass by and saw it. He took one look at the video then he suddenly grabbed the sPhone from the soldier. Then the general called him and told him to contact An Si and tell him to investigate everything about Argent ckbourne.


    It was easy since An Si was already in Amexem, the ce where Argent ckbourne was supposed to be in. When the distribution of sPhones reached Xing Empire five years ago, the general already gave An Si the mission of looking for the creator of the famous gadget. But there hasn''t been any breakthrough until yesterday.


    An Yi doesn''t understand his master''s fascination over this person. But since it was amand from him, they would do everything to fulfill it. "I will contact An Si immediately and tell him to make haste."


    He heard the general sigh. The static in the air disappeared and An Yi knew the general was trying to calm himself. "Go."


    An Yi bowed his head and disappeared.


    Zhang Lei Feng put down his sword and closed his eyes. "Xia Yin..."


    ----------


    Victoria City, independent city state and home of the Temple of Gaia.


    The Temple of Gaia was the biggest religion in this world. They worship the goddess Gaia - the goddess of creation, the one who created everything in this world. They have many priests stationed around the world. And the highest one among them was the pope.


    Right now, the young pope was sitting on the huge garden in the Temple of Gaia. He was wearing a white priest''s robe. His golden blond hair was shining under the sun. His sky blue eyes were filled with warmth. There was a gentle smile on his lips, making him look even more approachable. He was giving off a very kind and gentle aura. People couldn''t help but want to get close to him.


    He was holding thetest sPhone and browsing the different topics on [Jiffy]. Most of them about Argent ckbourne.


    "Your Holiness, you shouldn''t use such things," said the Archbishop he was having a tea with in the garden. "Have you forgotten what Pope Mellidor wrote in his annals? The war happened 500 years ago because of the Silver Witch and her demonic contraptions. This... sPhone is no different from those. And I heard they are also made by someone with silver hair. Surely, that''s already a bad omen."


    The young pope looked at the Archbishop and smiled. "But I find them interesting. This sPhone is not a weapon of mass destruction. At most, it''s just a form of entertainment for people. You should rx a little, Archbishop. And also, we shouldn''t think of people as sinners just because they have the same physical features as others. Don''t you think?"


    Being scolded by someone so much younger, the archbishop couldn''t help but feel embarassed. So to save face, he stood up and respectfully bid goodbye to the pope.


    The pope looked down at the sPhone again and clicked one of the pictures of Argent ckbourne. He touched the screen and smiled. "Finally."

 Chapter 35: black&white

    Chapter 35: ck&white


    TWO FIGURES were fighting on a deep valley. One of them was a tall teenager holding a sword with a very thin de. Her silver hair was swaying with the wind, her purple eyes never leaving her opponent. The other one looked like a ten year old boy with ck hair and ck eyes. He was grinning while spinning the two daggers he''s holding. Then suddenly, he rushed towards the taller teenager.


    Argent evaded the kid''s attack. But the kid seemed to have predicted that because he suddenly spinned around and thrust one of his daggers towards Argent. She used the ''Water Dance'' - one of the core techniques of the Sui-Ryu sword style to easily avoid the dagger. It was a special footwork that allowed the user to predict their opponent''s movements. Argent knew the kid would follow up his attack using the other dagger so she swung her sword and both his daggers flew. Then she held the kid''s neck and threw him down, pointing her sword at him.


    "Master, I give up! I give up!" said the kid, raising both his hands in surrender.


    Argent stood up. The surrounding valley slowly changed and turned into a white room. They were inside a simtion room that she made to serve as her training room. The sword she''s holding disintegrated and turned into a silver bracelet. It was a sword Argent made using nanotechnology. When she''s not using it, it was in the form of a silver bracelet.


    "That was great Master! You beat ck again," the kid said happily, standing up and encircling Argent.


    Argent stared at the kid and felt like she''s having a headache. This kid was one of the two AI robots she made five years ago. She named him ck for his ck hair and ck eyes. Actually, no, she''s just toozy to think of any other name. She really didn''t know where the design of his physical feature came from. It''s like it suddenly sprouted out of her subconcious mind.


    Argent designed ck as a fighting robot. His mainframe was filled with different martial arts data, like judo, taekwondo, and karate. He also has a lot of hidden weapons inside his body. She made him so he could serve as a bodyguard. Argent hesitated to make a kid''s body at first. But then she thought, people couldn''t help but underestimate kids. Many probably wouldn''t think how much killing capabality ck has. So at the end, she still chose a kid''s body.


    What Argent couldn''t understand until now was how ck''s emotion evolved and turned him into this perky, easily excitable boy. Everytime she saw him grin and move around like a kid with ADHD, she felt some kind of vition. Like this face should have a very serious expression, not the silly grin on ck''s face right now.


    She grabbed ck''s arm to stop him from moving. "Okay. Let''s go."


    She pulled him out of the simtion room and together they head towards the oval shapedb in the distance. Argent made the room separate from herb to make sure that any distruction caused during training wouldn''t affect theb. After all, the most important thing in this ind was in herb.


    Theb was built on a small ind located on the sea of the Western continent. Argent bought it six years ago when Silver Corporation''s business was slowly taking off. Buying this ind was the first thing she did after getting her firstrge pay-off. Having a private ce to build things was on the top list of her agenda. She couldn''t just build the things she wanted in a ce where anyone could go in and out. After all, each one of her creations was enough to shock the world.


    Silver Corporation started with the cooperation between her and the McAllister Chamber of Commerce - a group of businesses under the McAllister family. Argent knew that when she proposed the idea to Jaxon, he was a bit skeptical. After all, the idea of sPhones was something that has never been heard of in this world. But after a few convincing, Jaxon finally agreed to cooperate with her and give her the capital she needed.


    Argent didn''t want to cause a technological revolution in this world. In her opinion, this world was already fine as it was. Mass producing countless world changing devices such as flying cars and things like that could only ruin this world. Not to mention the pollution it would cause, it might also lead to the decrease of this world''s natural resources. It was exactly what happened to her original world when humans became more and more obsessed with technology.


    So Argent chose a device that wouldn''t result to that and would have enough influence in this world. She picked the smartphone technology in the early 21st century. It was not too advance that it would appear tooplicated to use. And it was not too retro that it could only have few functions. Argent was lucky enough that almost all the elements in her original world could also be found in this world. That''s why it wasn''t hard for her to make the sPhones.


    All Argent needed to do was make some adjustments. For example, every sPhones were not charged using electricity but using Mana. There was also a built inwork signal in every sPhones. That way, she didn''t need to build cell towers just to make it work.


    And now, seven yearster, she managed to built the richestpany in the world. Something she has been nning ever since she came to this world and found out about the original owner''s circumstances. Now she has the capital and the power to fight anyone who dares to go against her and her family. Even if people found out that she''s a girl and that the Duchess deceived Albion''s whole aristocracy, she has the confidence to protect her family.


    As they walked, Argent saw her master - Hattori Shingen - swinging his sword.


    "It''s Shingen!" ck excitedly eximed when he saw her master and then immediately ran towards him. "Are you training, Shingen?"


    Hattori stopped swinging his sword and looked down at the ck haired boy in front of him. "That''s Mr. Hattori to you," he said, flicking the boy''s forehead.


    ck touched his forehead and pouted. "That hurts."


    Of course, Hattori knew that it didn''t really hurt the kid. After all, he''s not human. But with the vivid expression on his face, nobody would think that. Hell, even now he still couldn''t believe that his apprentice was capable of doing something like this. Well, for the past seven years Argent just continued to build things that defy human understanding.


    Hattori looked at his apprentice. After seven years, Argent was no longer a small boy. He was now a tall teenager with a face that probably gets more beautiful every year. And he has done very well, not only in hispany but also in his sword training. While building his business empire, he diligently trained and perfected the Sui-Ryu style. Only seven years and Hattori no longer has anything more to teach him. It only proved how much of a genius Argent was. But without hard work, the kid woudln''t probably aplish half of the things he aplished.


    Five years ago, Argent asked him if he could live here in this ind. Because the whole travelling back and forth from here to Amexem was already taking a toll on Argent''s young body. There was no reason to refuse, so he agreed. The only reason he was staying at Starlight Academy was because of the friendship he has with the chairman. Besides, how could he properly teach his apprentice when the kid spent most of his time on a ce an ocean away?


    So, this ind has been his home for the past five years. And what a great home it was. It was quiet and isted from the world, so he could train all he wanted. Argent built an impregnable defense for the whole ind that it would be impossible for anyone to just enter it. So it would take a lot of effort before his enemies could find him here. Hattori was confident with his skills but even a great swordsman could be killed if his enemy happened to be a whole country. So living in this ind was just perfect for him.


    "Done with your training?" he asked Argent who nodded. "Who won?"


    "Of course it''s Master. ck could never beat Master," ck answered but there was no hint ofint in his voice.


    "Of course he would beat you, I''m his Master after all," Hattori said, clearly boasting.


    Argent just shook her head, watching their interactions.


    "Young Lord!" called a familiar voice from behind them.


    Argent turned around and saw a woman with long auburn hair and a pair of brown eyes. The freckles on her face appeared like golden stardust. Felicia was already 23 this year, but there''s still a bit of childishness in her features. It was probably because the humans in this world has longer life span so when they reached full maturation, they started to age rather slowly.


    "What is it?" she asked when Felicia approached them.


    "Young Master Finn has been calling you, there seems to be a problem in the distribution in one of the countries in the Southwestern continent."


    Ever since founding Silver Corporation, she chose Felicia as thepany''s secretary. Felicia refused profusely at the beginning, saying that she didn''t have the proper skill set to do the job. And she was right. But Argent would rather chose someone she trusted and trained them than chose a highly skilled professional who could betray her in any moment. She told that to Felicia and she no longer refused the job. Felicia studied everything she needed to be a qualified secretary. And seven yearster, she proved Argent that her decision was not wrong.


    "I''ll call him backter," Argent said. Then she noticed Felicia sneaking nces at her Master and then blushing real hard when their eyes met. Argent just raised her brow at that.


    Argent pulled ck and left the two there alone.


    "Master, why does Felicia''s face always turns red when Shingen is around?" ck asked while walking, truly confused.


    "I don''t know. Ask her."


    "I did but her face just turns even redder when I do."


    "Then ask her again."


    ck was still confused but since his Master said so, then he must follow. Because everything Master said was always right. "Hmm... okay."


    They entered theb and went straight to the very center. When Argent entered the room, the first thing she saw was a girl with long white hair. Both her eyes were closed. She was sitting on a crystal chair. There was a long tube that connected the back of her head to a prism like machine hanging above. The girl was named White - the other AI robot Argent made.


    Unlike ck, White was the main brain that control the traffic of all the sPhones in the world. Every sPhone in the world was connected to her. All the information of sPhone users in the world were restored in her. If she crashed, then all the sPhones would also crash. In a way, she''s like the mother of all sPhones. Not only that, but White also control the offense and defense mechanism of the whole ind. She also managed the machines that make the sPhones here in theb. Argent doesn''t really want to employ people for that job, so she just made machines to do it.


    "Master, can ck y with White?" ck asked looking at the white-haired girl.


    "Later. White is still doing her job right now." Argent sat in front of a desk with three huge monitors. "White, contact Finn."


    White opened her eyes, her irises appeared almost colorless. "Yes, Master," she said in a sweet voice with almost no ups and downs.


    In just a few seconds, the monitor in the middle opened and a handsome face appeared on the screen. The young man has honey blond hair and a pair of emerald green eyes. Finn was now eighteen years old. He already shed his delicate features. Now, no one could ever mistake him for a girl.


    After finishing his primary education, Finn started training under Jaxon. Then two years ago, he became Silver Corporation''s general manager. When Jaxon suggested that, Argent didn''t refuse. Because she knew Finn''s ability and she knew that he would do a great job if the position was given to him. And she was right. Now Finn managed thepany brilliantly. Besides, after that kidnapping incident, they sort of became friends. Finn was still arrogant of course but not as irritating as before.


    "Felicia told me that you mentioned a problem," she said.


    Finn looked at the beautiful face on the screen. When he entered puberty, he immediately recognized the reason why he always felt flustered whenever he looked too long at Argent''s face. His childish heart was simply expressing admiration towards Argent. The moment he realized that, Finn immediately chose to kill that emotion. Because he knew it wouldn''t go anywhere. Aside from the fact that they''re both guys, once Argent knew he had a different thought towards him, then that would be the end of it. Argent would surely avoid him like the gue. He''d rather be just normal friends with him than for that to happen.


    But whenever Finn saw this face, there was still a small part of his heart that beat uncontrobly.


    "The shipment of the new sPhones in Shandra was blocked by the Temple of Gaia," Finn said, pertaining to a small country in the Southwestern continent. "Apparently the new Bishop assigned there prohibited it."


    Argent sighed. Ever since the conception of Silver Corporation, the Temple of Gaia has been a huge pain in the ass. "I''ll go and personally fix it."


    Finn wrinkled his brows. "Are you sure?"


    "Yeah. I have to go back to Albion anyway, so I''ll just visit Shandra on my way there."


    "Well, if you''re sure, then be careful. You don''t know what those greedy priests might be nning."


    "I will." Then she she hung up the call.


    Argent looked at the ceiling and sighed again. Aurum would definitely hate this.

 Chapter 36: taking off

    Chapter 36: taking off


    ARGENT put on a ck trench coat. She stood in front of the full body mirror in her room and stared at her own reflection. What stared back at her was a tall teenage boy, with purple eyes covered by thick silver eyshes and lips that has natural pink tint. Shebed back her silver hair with her fingers. Even with this overly pretty face, no one would associate her with the word ''feminine''.


    The one thing Argent was most worried about was the change of her body while growing up. That she would be more effeminate as years passed by. But it seemed that there was really nothing to be worried about. At the age of 14, she was already 178 centimeters. It could probably be attributed to the fact that the original owner''s parents were both tall and that girls enter puberty much earlier than boys. At most, her height would probably stop at 180 centimeters.


    Her height was probably the only thing that showed a significant change. Argent''s body didn''t show signs of developing any womanly curves. Her chest waspletely t. Well, not that t but still couldn''t bepared to other girls her age. A bit of binding and it waspletely hidden. Also, because of her sword training, her muscles were firm and lean. Completely unlike the softness of other girls. So anyone who saw her would only see a tall teenage boy. Just as she wanted it.


    The door to her room suddenly opened and in came her twin sister.


    Aurum was wearing a pinkcy blouse and a floral knee-length skirt. Her golden hair was tied in two twin pigtails. She looked lovely as always. Unlike Argent, Aurum was the model of feminine grace. With statuesque figure and soft curves.


    "Are you done, Brother?" Aurum asked.


    "Yeah."


    "Then let''s go." She walked beside her brother and hooked her arm on Argent''s.


    Both of them walked out of Argent''s room and went straight out the vi they''re living in. The ind currently has three vis. One for Argent and Aurum, another one for Felicia, and thest one for her Master. The twins started walking towards theb.


    "Brother, do we really have to go to that Shandra ce?" Aurum suddenly asked. "I searched about it on [SkyNet]. There''s basically nothing there. Not to mention, they''re under the thumb of the Temple of Gaia."


    "Exactly. Maybe by going there we could finally know why the Temple is so against Silver Corporation."


    "Isn''t it because they''re just a bunch of prickly old men?"


    Argent knocked on Aurum''s head. "Nothing is ever that simple."


    Besides if it''s only because of the old beliefs of those priests, they wouldn''t go as far as preventing the distribution of sPhones to ces heavily connected to the Temple - like Shandra for example. Argent has long wanted to find out the reason why the Temple hated herpany but she didn''t have the free time to do it. Now, she could finally find the reason why.


    Aurum pouted. She''s been feeling dissatisfied since that interview she did with her brother came out. All thements she read just annoyed her immensely. Wanting to marry her brother, hah, as if any of them have that qualification. Aurum justpletely forgot that the brother she loved so much was a girl and that no matter what those people said, Argent would never marry someone of the same gender.


    Aurum was against doing the interview since the beginning. Because she knew what kind of effect it would have. With her brother''s outstanding looks and qualifications, everyone would definitely mor for his attention. And she was right. But she also knew that Argent did it because they''re going back to Albion. Her brother needed people to know that she''s the founder of Silver Corporation, especially the aristocrats from Albion. Because once they go back, Argent would need to enter parliament. Being young and a NoGift, she would surely receive nothing but discrimination. But having Silver Corporation behind her back, she could at least have the capital to fight against them.


    Aurum understood all that, but still. And now this Shandra thing. It just makes her more and more annoyed by the minute.


    Argent patted her sister''s head. "Don''t pout. Just think of it as an adventure. Besides, this is a chance for you to practice your Gift."


    "Hmm... fine."


    Aurum could now use her Gift at A level. It''s the result of her training and the guidance of the teachers in Starlight Academy. There was also the teacher that Uncle Jaxon hired to help her. But she seldom used it. Even now, she''s still wearing the limiter her brother made for her. She knew that if she didn''t try to practice more, then A level would be her limit. And she didn''t want that. She wanted to reach her full potential, so she could assist her brother more. But even after so many years, there''s still a part of her that fears the darkness she would read in the hearts of others.


    She looked up at Argent. Well, no matter. As long as her brother was with her, she could ovee everything.


    They reached theb and went to the open hangar. Inside was a flying shuttle the same size as a private jet. In front of it was Felicia. She immediately walked towards them when she noticed their arrival.


    "Young Lady, Young Lord, you''re here," Felicia said. "ck and White is inside the shuttle."


    "Felicia, are you really not going back with us?" Aurum asked instead.


    "No, Young Lady. I still have a lot to do here. And I already went back two months ago. I''m sure Mum and Dad will forgive me if I don''t go back with you this time."


    "Or you just want to spend more time with Hattori," Aurum teased which made Felicia blushed.


    "Aurum, don''t tease Felicia," Argent gently scolded her sister who only grinned back at her. She turned to Felicia whose face was still as red as a ripe tomato. "Felicia, if you need any help, just ask White. She''ll give you anything you need. And be sure tomunicate with Finn."


    "I know, Young Lord," Felicia answered, still trying to return her reddened face to normal. "And please, do be careful."


    "You don''t have to worry Felicia, I''ll make sure to protect my brother."


    Argent just shook her head and walked towards the shuttle. It''s one of the vehicles she made. It could travel in long distance and was being powered by energy spars. She went inside, Aurum following behind her. Argent found White in the cockpit while ck was looking on behind her.


    "Master!" ck called excitedly when she came in, throwing himself at her.


    Aurum immediately pulled ck away from Argent. "Hey, you brat, how many times do I have to tell you not to hug my brother?"


    "Master doesn''t mind."


    "But I do," Aurum countered.


    "Aurum is such a spoilsport."


    Argent ignored the two bickering children and went straight to White who stood up.


    "Master, I already calibrated the engine''s system. And I also finished updating your light brain," she said, handing her a small box.


    Argent took the box and opened it, inside was a silver diamond stud. "Good job." She took the stud and put it on her right earlobe. "I leave everything here to you. Make sure to assist Felicia. And if there''s a problem, contact me immediately."


    "Yes, Master."


    Argent turned to the other two. "ck, say goodbye to White."


    "Master, can we really not bring White with us?" ck asked, blinking hisrge ck eyes at her.


    "No, I''m needed here more," White said, answering ck''s question.


    ck seemed to be saddened by that. But he immediately gained back his enthusiasm. "Okay. Then ck will make sure to record everything. ck will show it to you when wee back."


    "Okay."


    White got off the shuttle after that.


    Argent sat down at the cockpit seat. "Sit, you two. We''re taking off."


    And Argent started the shuttle''s engine.

 Chapter 37: to shandra

    Chapter 37: to shandra


    ARGENT carefullynded the flying shuttle on a clearing located in a forest. She first checked the surrounding area for any signs of human activities. When she made sure that there was no one around, she finally turned off the stealth mode of the shuttle. They flew all the way there using stealth mode. Because Argent didn''t want people to record an unidentified flying object using their sPhones and post it on their [Jiffy] ount. Sooner orter, someone would definitely link that flying object to Silver Corporation. Thest thing she needed was for people to mor for her to mass produce it and sell it to them.


    "You can get off now," Argent said to Aurum and ck while turning off the engine.


    ck ran off first, almost jumping around like an overly energized kid. Aurum followed. After making sure that the shuttle''s engine was really off, Argent too went out. She walked in front of the shuttle and took out a small remote from the space ring she was wearing. Argent pressed the button and the shuttle immediately turned into a capsule the size of an adult forefinger.


    She bent down and picked up the capsule. Argent made this technology after studying and understanding how the space ring in this world worked. This capsule has the same function as a space ring. She built this technology in some of the inventions she made. By pressing the remote, it would trigger the capsule technology built inside the shuttle. By pressing the remote again, it would release the shuttle. She put both the remote and the capsule in her space ring.


    "So which direction shall we go?" asked Aurum.


    "Based on our current location, the capital''s direction is towards the east," Argent answered.


    Shandra was a small country not even a little bit bigger than Warrshaw - the capital of Amexem. It''s located at the easternmost part of the Southwestern continent, surrounded by natural rainforests and mountains. Because of its terrain, it was mostly isted from other neighboring countries. One would need to travel for a month in a carriage to go to the nearest country. That''s probably the main reason why the Temple of Gaia has aplete control over it.


    Shandra was a theocratic government. It meant that the people believed that their supreme ruler was the god or goddess their religion was worshipping. In this case, the goddess Gaia. Which in turn meant that the Temple was the one ruling this country. In this case, the newly appointed Bishop - Charles Dupont.


    All these, White found for Argent. After all, she couldn''t just go here blindfolded. If she wanted to get the sPhones distributed here and to find out the reason why the Temple hated herpany, then she needed all the information she could use.


    "Why are we going to the capital?" asked Aurum again.


    "Because that''s where the merchant who wanted to work with Silver Corporation lives." That merchant contacted someone in thepany and proposed a n to distribute sPhones here in Shandra. Finn approved it since another area of distribution meant more money. "And the church of the Temple is also there."


    "Do you really think that there''s a deeper reason why those old priests hates ourpany?"


    "Yes. Organizations like the Temple of Gaia only meddle with things that they think will bring a disadvantage to their influence. Maybe to them the existence of Silver Corporation threaten their position. But we really won''t know the real reason if we don''t investigate."


    Aurum sighed. "Okay. I get it. I won''tin anymore."


    "Master, where are we going next?" ck suddenly asked.


    "There''s a vige nearby. We can hire a carriage there so we can travel to the capital." That''s the reason why Argentnded here, because it was the only vige near a not so dense forest area. "But before that..."


    She walked in front of her sister and took a ck choker from her space ring. She put the choker on Aurum''s neck and pressed it. Her sister''s lovely face turned into a in one. The type that no one would take notice of. Argent took another choker from her space ring and put it on. She pressed the button on her choker. She was sure that just like Aurum''s, her face became in. The choker was basically a holographic device. Although people here might not recognized her and Aurum, but both their faces were simply too attention grabbing. They should at least be low-key while being here.


    ck scrunched up his face. "Master, ck doesn''t like your face right now."


    "I don''t think I do as well," Aurum seconded.


    Aurum already had experience using this choker. Because of her fame, it was important that she could disguise herself or else she would always be mobbed by people whenever she went out in public. That was why her brother made this. It was fine when she was using it. But seeing the in face her brother was using right now, she somehow disliked it. Because it''s such a waste, covering her brother''s pretty face.


    Argent just shook her head. "Let''s go, you two."


    She started walking eastward and the two followed, walking side by side with her.


    ording to the map Argent studied, they would reach the nearby vige after walking for at least an hour. But after 20 minutes of walking, Argent noticed movements from a couple of trees. She reached for Aurum''s hand.


    "Aurum, can you sense the number of people surrounding us?" she asked in a low voice.


    Aurum could now read people''s mind within a five meter radius. After years of training, she could turn it off and on now. Aurum chose to always turn it off because having the thoughts of the people around you bombard you constantly could make anyone insane. And she has no ns yet to go crazy.


    "Wait, I''ll check it." Aurum let go of her Mana and released it to the surrounding area. A couple of voices flitted into her mind.


    [Who are these people?]


    [Were they sent by the Temple?]


    [They look rich. How much can we take from them?]


    [When will the leader send the signal to attack?]


    Aurum took back her Mana and immediately turned it off. "There''s five men up on those trees. Two on our left, another two on our right, and the remaining one is a little bit ahead of us," she whispered.


    [Five, huh?] "Are they malicious?"


    Aurum shook her head. "No. I don''t think so. I think they''re just trying to rob us."


    "Can you attack them? Not a serious attack, just enough to make them unconcious," Argent said. She knew how deadly her sister''s telepathic attack was. If these guys were not malicious, then there''s really no reason for them to die here.


    "I could. But the other one, the one ahead of us, he''s barely in my range. My attack won''t reach him."


    "That''s fine. Just attack the other four."


    Aurum nodded and once again released her Mana. But this time, it was not to read their thoughts but to attack their brains. Just a few secondster, four men suddenly fell from the trees they were standing on. All of them, unconcious. After that, a young man immediately came down from a tree located in front of them. He has short reddish-brown hair and sun-kissed skin.


    "Are they dead?" he asked calmly, but anyone could see the anger in his dark brown eyes.


    Argent raised her brow, she didn''t expect this kind of reaction. "They''re not." She saw him gave out a sigh of relief when he heard her answer. "And I suggest you don''t try to make a sneak attack because you''ll just end up unconcious if you do."


    The man raised his hands in surrender. "I won''t move from this spot and you three can go on your way."


    "I don''t think we could let go of the five of you that easily. After all, you were indeed nning to ambush us," Argent said.


    The man furrowed his brows in vignce. "What do you want then?"


    The corner of Argent''s lips tilted upwards. "Information."

 Chapter 38: a sudden cooperation

    Chapter 38: a sudden cooperation


    ARGENT looked down at the young man with reddish-brown hair. He looked to be about 18 or 19. But one could not really judge one''s age in this world just by looking at their face because of their long life span. A person could be in his 40s but still looked like he''s in in his 20s. The guy doesn''t pay attention to them and just stared at his unconciouspanions.


    "Can you read his thoughts?" she whispered to her sister.


    Aurum furrowed her brows and shook her head. "No, notpletely. His Gift is probably at least at S level," she whispered back. Because Aurum could only used her Gift at A level, she could only read the minds of people with Gifts lower than A level.


    Argent didn''t expect this guy to have a high level Gift. What was he doing, waiting on trees and ambushing people? "Are you people from the nearby vige?"


    The guy finally looked back at her. "Why do you want to know?" he asked back, full of vignce.


    "Because we''re nning to murder everyone in that vige. Do you expect me to say that?" Argent said sarcastically. "Answer my first question."


    The guy avoided her gaze. "We''re from the vige."


    "But you''re currently not living there now."


    The guy sharply raised his head and looked at Argent. "How--?"


    "I was just guessing. And based on your reaction, I''m right." Argent crouched down. "Now, tell me why five men who used to live in the nearby vige were squatting on trees and ambushing people? And don''t tell me you''re mountain bandits, cause I''ll know you''re lying."


    Before she could hear his answer, she saw him putting his hand on the ground. Argent immediately felt the ground move slightly. A cage made of soil suddenly surrounded her. When she turned around, she saw the same thing happened to Aurum and ck. The guy immediately ran past them and went towards his four unconciouspanions. He put his hand on the ground again and two human shaped mud dolls arose from the ground, each lifting two of the guy''spanions.


    Argent raised her brow. So that''s his Gift, controling soil? They started to run and Argent has no time to ponder about anything. She touched the soil cage and it immediately disintegrated. She turned to ck who already cut the cage.


    "Stop them," she ordered.


    "Yes, Master!" ck moved like a whirlwind and ran after the five people.


    Argent walked in front of Aurum''s cage and touched it making it disintegrate.


    "That ability of yours is really awesome," Aurummented. She knew long ago that any type of Gift doesn''t work on her brother. She told Argent that maybe that was her Gift, but her brother just denied it. Saying that it was only due to her ''special constitution''. Which Aurum didn''t really understand until now.


    They heard the fighting ahead and Argent turned to her sister. "Stay here."


    Argent ran towards the direction where people ran. She saw ck fighting against another two mud dolls. She ran past, avoiding the fighting. There was already a bit of distance between her and the five people. But Argent didn''t worry. She increased her speed. After seven years of vigorous training, it was easy for her to shorten this distance. When she was near the guy with reddish-brown hair, she jumped and kicked his back, making him crashed face-first on the ground.


    Despite that, the two mud dolls carrying hispanions continued to run. Argent didn''t care. After all, she only needed one person to tell her the information she wanted. The guy touched the ground again and several soil spike suddenly appeared from the ground, flying upwards toward her. She ignored those and touched the silver bracelet on her right wrist. It turned into a sword with a thin de. The soil spike touched her but it immediately disintegrated.


    The guy saw it from where he was lying and his eyes widened in disbelief. "What--?"


    Argent pointed her sword at the guy''s throat. "No more tricks. Try one again and I''ll slit your throat. If that''s not enough incentive, I''ll run after your friends and slit theirs too. So, are you now willing to talk properly?"


    The guy''s dark brown eyes were filled with anger. Then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as if calming down his emotions. When he opened his eyes, no emotion could be seen in his eyes. "I will."


    At that moment, ck came to their side. "Master, you caught the bad guy!"


    The guy scoffed. "Your master is more a bad guy than I am."


    ck frowned. "Hey, don''t badmouth Master!"


    Argent pulled the guy up. "Now, let''s have a proper conversation, shall we?"


    "Sure, why not, after all you just threatened to kill my friends," the guy said, full of sarcasm.


    "I''m not running after them, aren''t I? So stop whining."


    After she said that, Aurum walked beside her. She looked at the young man, even with the holographic in face she has, the displeasure on her face couldn''t be hidden. "Brother, do we really have to deal with this guy? Maybe we should just go to the vige and get that carriage ride."


    "That would be impossible, blondie," the guy said,ughing mockingly.


    "Pray tell us why," Argent said. There was a look on his face as if he''s hesitating if he should answer truthfully or not. "Remember, no more games."


    The guy snorted, but still answered Argent. "There''s a barrier surrounding the whole vige. No outsider cane in, unless they have permission from the Temple."


    A barrier? Argent furrowed his brows. Setting up a barrier around a vige of a small almost unknown country, that was definitely not normal. She knew there was something about that vige when this guy and his friends appeared. She just had that feeling that there was something wrong happening.That''s why she was so keen on not letting this guy go and talking to him. Based on what he said, her hunch was right. And it still has something to do with the Temple of Gaia.


    Argent looked again at the guy. "My name is Silver, this is my sister, Gold, and this kid is ck."


    The guy suddenly looked like he wanted tough. "Your parents surely have unique naming sense."


    Aurum didn''t hesitate to kick him in the shin. "Shut it."


    The guy jumped and red at Aurum before turning to Argent. "Manage your sister, will you?"


    "My sister doesn''t need managing," Argent returned. "Back to the more important issue, why is there a barrier surrounding the vige?"


    "So people can''t go in or out."


    The mystery just grew bigger. And Argent has no doubt that this guy knew something about that. "Do you want to cooperate with us?"


    "Why would I do that?" the guy asked, incredulously.


    "Because we have amon enemy - the Temple. You don''t need to deny it. I could literally feel the contempt in your voice when you mentioned them."


    "Fine. So I hate them. But how can I be sure that you people are not the Temple''s henchmen, tricking me into this cooperation?"


    "Are you an idiot? Why would we go to this length just to trick a nobody like you?" Aurum mocked.


    "Yeah, you''re a nobody!" ck seconded.


    The guy''s face ckened but just chose to ignore the two. "Why are you going after the Temple?" he asked instead, which was like indirectly epting that they were not the Temple''s people.


    "I''m a merchant and the Temple has been constantly going after my business. Thetest one they did is blocking a trade that''s supposed to happen here. That''s why we came to this ce. We''re going to the capital to find something that could possibly ruin the Temple here." That was not really Argent''s n. But if the Temple was doing something shady here, then it would be easier for Silver Coporation to gain ess in this ce. Because once she found out the shady thing the Temple was doing here, ruining them was just like a walk in the park. "If you have the same goal, then you''re free to cooperate with us."


    The guy looked down as if in deep thought. It took probably almost a minute before he raised his head again. "I will cooperate," he finally answered, his dark brown eyes full of determination. "My name is y, by the way. You might as well know it if we''re going to cooperate."


    "Happy cooperation then," Argent said. "So mind telling us what the heck is happening in your old vige?"

 Chapter 39: the village of abandoned children

    Chapter 39: the vige of abandoned children


    CLAY STARED at the three people in front of him. The brother and sister pair looked in, like someone you could passed by anywhere and would never remember. The only thing that could probably attract people''s attention was their hair color - one silver and one gold, just like their names. The little boy lookedpletely harmless. But he saw the way he fought the mud dolls he created. This kid was definitely far from harmless. Just like this guy, Silver. The way those spikes disintegrated, he has never seen anything like it. Not to mention, the sword that turned into a bracelet.


    These three were definitely far from ordinary. He could even say that they''re dangerous. They might even be lying about their identities. No, there''s a high possibility that they really do. So why the heck did he just agree to cooperate with them? He must be going crazy. But then again, what could he lose anyway by agreeing? At least them saying they wanted to go against the Temple was pretty genuine.


    So y chose to gamble. Something he would never do under normal circumstances. But desperate times required desperate measures.


    He took a deep breath and started answering Silver''s question. "The vige is a ce where the Temple drop off children they found. Children with no parents, children who ran away from home, children whoitted petty crimes, children who were abandoned."


    "Like an orphanage? So, they sort of helping kids?" Aurum asked, frowning.


    "No, I don''t think the Temple is charitable enough to set up that kind of ce, at least not without a hidden agenda." Argent was not being judgemental. But with a huge religious organization like the Temple of Gaia, corruption was inevitable. Yes, there must be some who''s really in it because of the goodness of their hearts. But she would bet those priests were few and far between. So setting up a ce like this vige just reeked of all kinds of red gs.


    "You''re right," y agreed. "They took in children who have no one else to turn to. They promised to give them a new home, give them food and new clothes. The whole works. But it''s all bullshit. A fake propaganda."


    "What do you mean?" Argent asked.


    "Children who first enter the vige are put in a prison cage. They are not allowed to eat. They starve them for three weeks. They only give them three sses of water a day which was barely enough for a person, not to mention a young child, to live. At the end of the third week, the Temple will give the children a copy of their scripture. The amount of page a child manages to memorize a day will be the amount of food that will be given to them. And if they don''t manage to memorize at least a page, then no food for them. That situation will continue until the child manages to memorize the whole scripture. Anyone who can sessfully do that will be given a soft bed to sleep in and delicious food to eat." y exined with a self-deprecating smile on his lips. "After you experience hell, you can finally experience heaven. As long as you continue to follow everything they say, you''d never want for anything. Amazing, right?" he continued, his voice dripping of sarcasm.


    y could still feel the hunger and hopelessness he felt back then. The kids who died one by one. But what he remembered most was the rage. The kind where he just wanted to kill everyone around him. He probably wouldn''t feel that if he was the only one suffering. But he wasn''t. Flora - his younger sister, was with him. Seeing her getting thinner and thinner by the day, asking him in her small voice when would they be able to eat, it was just heartbreaking. Just for that, he would never ever forgive the Temple of Gaia.


    "That''s awful," Aurummented. Now she''s thankful that she and her brother were not exposed to the teachings of the Temple growing up. One, their mother was not really the religious type and two, the Temple has no huge influence on Amexem - the country they lived in for the past seven years.


    "In short, the Temple takes in homeless kids, mentally torture them so they could be more pliable and then sugar them up so they could grow up as loyal servants of the church?" Argent shook her head, that was quite insiduous. What they were doing was a typical reward and punishment scenario. And because they''re target were children, breaking them down was easier.


    "They''re brainwashing the kids they take in, making them believe that everything they do is for the greater good. And why wouldn''t they believe? After that torturous process, the name of the Temple simply became synonymous to the word ''savior''. A ce that could give them shelter and food. What a joke," y scoffed in anger.


    "But you were not brainwashed, weren''t you?" Argent said.


    "There''s no way they could instill their beliefs in me." Not after what they did to y''s parents. But there''s no reason to borate that to these three so he just continued on the topic about the Temple. "When a kid reached the age of 16, they could either be sent to the capital to continue serving the Temple or they could be thrown out of the vige. Those who are sent to the capital are basically people who werepletely brainwashed. And the people thrown out are those who the Temple couldn''t control even after years of brainwashing."


    "I take it, you belong to thetter group?" Argent said.


    "Yes. I was thrown out of the vige two years ago along with three others."


    So only four were thrown out. Which meant the brainwashing method of the Temple was quite effective. "If you managed to get out, why did youe back?"


    "When we were thrown out three years ago, they gave us a map that could lead us to the nearest country. We traveled ording to the map but just after a day of travelling, we were ambushed. Not just by anyone, but by people from the Temple. They never intended to let us go. They''re probably afraid we would tell someone about the things they did to us." y lowered his gaze and clenched his fists. "Only I survived that day."


    He knew long ago how bad the Temple was. But he never realized how bad until that day. The smell of blood, the mutted bodies, the cry for help. If his Gift was not S level, he probably would also die that day.


    "How do you know they''re from the Temple?" Aurum asked curiously.


    "Because they bear the emblem of the Temple Knights. I say knights, but really they''re just glorified assassins of the Temple," y said sarcastically. "I knew they''lle after me so I hid in the mountains after that. When the heat of the attack subsided, I traveled to the nearest country. Hiding in in sight. Thenst year, I came back here to save those who would certainly be killed by the Temple. It was those four guys you saw earlier."


    "Is today the day the vige are sending out people?" Argent asked, that''s the only reason she could think of why they were waiting up on those trees. y nodded. "So you''re here to save another batch of not so brainwashed teenagers?"


    "That and some. My younger sister, she''s 16 this year. I''m pretty sure she''ll be sent out of the vige today."


    Argent raised her brow. A sister, huh. "You''re certain that she''ll be sent out?"


    "Yes," y said full of certainty. His sister would never sumb to the Temple. Not after everything they''ve been through.


    "Then let''s go and wait for them," Argent said.


    y looked a bit surprised. "You''re going to help?"


    "There''s really nothing much to help. I mean, you probably have some kind of base in the mountains, right? That''s where you probably ordered your mud dolls to take your friends." y looked surprised again after what Argent said. "We''ll help you escort them to that base. But after that, you''ll lead us to the capital. And we''ll each do our end of the bargain."


    y nodded.


    Fifteen minutester, the four of them were standing on different tree branches. It only took another ten minutes before they saw three teenagers walking slowly from the direction of the vige.


    y furrowed his brows when he saw them. All three were boys. He looked further and did not see anyone else. He suddenly had a very bad feeling. His whole body was just filled with extreme fear. [No, please no.]


    He jumped from the tree he was on andnded in front of the three teenage boys. All three widened their eyes when they saw him.


    "Brother y, what are you--?"


    "Where''s Flora?" he immediately asked, his heart beating faster and faster.


    All three hesitated but one still spoke, "She was chosen to be sent to the capital."


    y suddenly felt like the ground he was standing on just cracked and swallowed him. "Impossible..."


    *****


    Mini-theater:


    Author: Good day awesome readers! Have you noticed the new button on the info section? Yes! You could now send gifts. (looked around and saw Argent) Come, Argent. Tell our readers to send you gifts.


    Argent: (looked indifferently) Yes, send us gifts. (-)


    Author: Hey, be more enthusiastic, will you?


    Argent: (sighed, shook her head helplessly and then looked ahead and smiled) Hi! Even though I''m a NoGift, I''d really appreciate it if you could send me a Gift. Love you, guys! (said in a perky voice) (*)))


    Author: (wrinkled her brows) Somehow, that doesn''t seem right.


    Argent: (frowned then walked away without looking back, leaving the silly author alone)


    Author: Don''t mind her. She''s just a little bit of a tsundere. Anyways, please do send Argent a gift! Thank you! ( '''')*

 Chapter 40: ambush plan

    Chapter 40: ambush n


    ARGENT put the flying car on auto-pilot mode then turned to the other three people. Aurum was sitting on the passenger''s seat, fiddling with her sPhone. ck and y were sitting on the back seat. ck was ying with the game console she especially made for him while y looked as white as a paper. She''s not sure if it''s because he has motion sickness or because of the news he got about his sister.


    "The carriage we''re after is directly below us," she started.


    y''s face finally regained some color after he heard that. He''s been feeling nauseous since he got inside this sted contraption. The only thing preventing him from vomitting was the thought of his sister. The fear he felt when he heard of the news about his sister was still fresh inside his mind.


    [Three hours earlier...]


    "H-how...?" y muttered in disbelief. "There''s no way Flora will be chosen."


    The two of them talked about this long ago. Since they knew that the people thrown out of the vige were those that always caused trouble and didn''t adhere to the Temple''s teachings, they made it their mission to do just that. And they seeded. At the very least, he did.


    "She was supposed to be expelled along with us. But when the new Bishop visitedst week, he took a liking to Flora. And he added her to the list of people that will be sent to the capital," one of the three said.


    "She was pretty upset about it. Can''t say that I me her though," another one said.


    "She went ballistic when she heard that she''s being sent to the capital. She needed to be put in istion just so she wouldn''t hurt herself or others. In fact, she needed to be tied up so they could put her in the carriage," thest one added.


    y''s head was in a mess. He couldn''t even digest the things he heard.


    "You know, if you just keep on standing there in a daze, your sister will arrive at the capital before you could even do anything."


    Argent''s indifferent voice woke y from his reverie. It''s like a bucket of cold water was pour down onto his head. "You''re right. You''re absolutely right." He needed to do something, not be shocked here senseless. He crouched down and touched the ground, a mud doll appeared. He stood up and looked at the three. "Follow this mud doll. It will lead you to the others. They will exin to you everything. Remember, follow this mud doll, don''t deviate from the path, and don''t follow the map the Temple gave you."


    The three looked absolutely confused. But they still nodded and followed the mud doll that started walking.


    y turned to Argent. "We need to ambush that carriage before it enters the capital. Please, if you help me with this, I''ll do anything."


    Argent stared at y. She weighed the pros and cons of helping him. And then she remembered, she was the one who first asked him if the two of them could cooperate. Denying his request for help now would only make her look like a hypocrite. Which she wasn''t, obviously. She sighed. "Don''t forget what you just said." She turned around. "Follow me."


    She walked back towards the clearing where shended the flying shuttle. Aurum walked beside her, as well as ck. y immediately followed them.


    When they reached the clearing, Argent took a capsule from her space ring and threw it. She took the remote and pressed the button. In a second, a car appeared.


    "What the--!" y eximed, clearly surprised at seeing this weird contraption.


    Argent walked towards the car and opened the driver''s seat. She went inside and looked at the three. "Get in."


    The three went inside and Argent pressed the stealth button before driving the car up.


    [Present time...]


    "I''ll jump down and save my sister," y said.


    Argent looked at y as if she''s looking at an idiot. "You looked like you''re going to puke your guts out and you''re still confident you can save your sister? Nevermind, I''ll do it."


    Aurum nced at her sharply. "Brother, why? Just let him deal with his own problems. You''re already kind enough to bring him here."


    Argent also had the same opinion. But what else could she do? She already promised that she would help y. She might not be a truly good person, but she never went back on her words. She just never thought that things would be more troublesome than she expected. If she knew beforehand that the situation would turn this way, she probably would not ask to cooperate with y.


    If she could, she would ride this flying car straight to the capital and be done with it. But Argent couldn''t. She studied the terrain of Shandra before travelling here. Thend areas in Shandra were either covered by forests or viges. Of course, there was the capital. That clearing was the only ce she couldnd any flying vehicles and get off from it without being noticed by anyone.


    Yes, they could probably travel during the night and go to the capital. No one would probably see them getting off an invisible flying vehicle. But there was still a chance that somebody would. People appearing out of nowhere would definitely be a big news. And since she''s the only one in this world who could possibly develop that kind of technology, sooner orter that news would be linked to Silver Corporation. Something she doesn''t want to happen. That''s why they travelled here to Shandra in a low-key manner. Because whatever they have to do here, it should not be linked to herpany. At least not yet.


    The Temple of Gaia has every reach around the world. A big religious organization like that should never be underestimated. Fighting them toe to toe right now would only be disadvantageous to Silver Corporation. So Argent couldn''t take any chance.


    But maybe they couldnd here right now. The reason why she didn''t take the chance tond anywhere aside from that clearing was because she thought that the forests were all closely attached to the viges. At least that was what the map she found showed. But looking at it now, there were still a few kilometers before the next vige. That map was probably outdated. Something she never thought about.


    But now, knowing how much control the Temple has over this country, it was possible that the map they released to the world was actually not so urate. And because she couldn''t possibly get a satellite image of the country and it being isted from almost everyone, the only source of information she had was that map. Clearly, there were times when she could still be stupid.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll handle this properly," Argent said to her sister. "Can you check if there''s anyone near the area, aside from the people in the carriage?"


    Aurum closed her eyes, after a few seconds she opened it. "No one."


    Argent hovered the car just on top of a number of trees. Before she opened the door, y stopped her.


    "Please..."


    "I''ll save her," Argent said, cutting whatever else he wanted to say.


    Then she jumped off.

 Chapter 41: the handsome bandit

    Chapter 41: the handsome bandit


    ARGENTnded perfectly on the branch of a tree. She took a ck scarf from his space ring and covered her hair with it. Then she pressed the choker she''s wearing and changed the face she was currently using. This time she chose a rather handsome face. A face that could not easily be forgotten. So if the Temple searched for the culprit who took one of their would-be followers, they''d look for a handsome young man. No one would link it to the in face she was using or even to her original face.


    The carriage ahead was moving in a moderate pace. Beside it was a man riding on a ck horse. He was wearing a white trench coat with an emblem of three swords intertwining on its left sleeve. Argent immediately recognized the emblem. It''s the emblem of the Temple Knights. So one of the Temple''s glorified assassin - as y called them - was escorting the carriage and its upants to the capital.


    Argent looked at the man more closely. He has dirty blond hair that was cut haphazardly. His dark blue eyes were filled with impatience. Even if he was sitting on a horse, Argent could tell that he was quite tall. Even at this distance, she could still see the disatisfaction on his face. As if he''d rather be in any ce than here.


    But Argent didn''t care about any of that. If she wanted to save y''s sister, then the biggest obstacle would be that knight. Which meant she needed to take care of that guy first. She turned her bracelet into a sword and took a deep breath. She tried to lower her presence as much as possible and then she followed the moving carriage by jumping from one tree branch to another.


    Once she was closed enough, she jumped towards the back of the knight, raising her sword for an attack. At the same time, she threw a dagger towards one of the wheels of the carriage to stop it from moving. Two things happened simultaneously. One; the carriage swayed, the coachman had to force the horses to stop before they crashed into something. And two; the knight turned and caught Argent''s sword the moment she shed it on his back.


    "So you''re the mouse who''s been following us. You showed your face much sooner than I expected. I thought I have to pry you out from your hiding ce myself," he said mockingly. Then the exposed skin on his hand started being covered by magma like stones. Steaming out from it, showing just how high its temperature was. He gripped her sword tighter and tighter until he melt the part he was holding and broke the sword.


    Argent caught the other broken part of the sword before it fell on the ground and immediately jumped back. She looked at her sword, some part of itpletely melted. But that didn''t scared her. She attached the two broken parts of the sword and the nano-particles that made up the sword started attaching the two parts. In no time, her sword became whole again without any signs of damage.


    The knight whistled. "That''s an unusual sword. Give it to me," he said as if he''s expecting that Argent would really give him the sword. Argent didn''t answer and dashed forward instead. "Oh, so we''re going to fight. Then I hope you won''t die after five seconds." He jumped off his horse and took a fighting stance. Both his arms were now covered by that magma-like substance. Then he ran towards Argent.


    The two shed in the middle. Argent''s swordnded on the knight''s arm. The part of the sword that came in contact with the magma-like substance on his arm started to melt. Before Argent could move, the knight immediately punched towards her face. His movement was fast. If Argent was not using [Mizukodo], she probably wouldn''t be able to dodge it. Although she wouldn''t melt if she was touched by that magma-like fist because of her special constitution, it would still cause damage. She could tell that punch packed a lot of power. If that punch sessfullynded on her face, there''s a high probability that her jaw would be broken.


    Argent shed the sword on the knight''s body. He didn''t even bother to dodge and just weed her attack. The only thing she managed to sh was his clothes. The part of his body she attacked turned into that magma-like substance again. So he could cover any parts of his body with that thing. It''s a powerful Gift. If not for her special constitution, she might think twice before fighting this guy.


    The knight continuously punched her and Argent continuously dodged. But she knew it was only a matter of time before one of his punchnded. Because his speed was constantly increasing by every punch. After thatst dodge, Argent vanished and reappeared a few distance behind the knight. Then she used one of the core techniques of Sui-Ryu style - [Habu].


    A strong shing force appeared and attacked the knight. The knight just sneered and easily dodged it. But then that shing force curved like a snake and went toward the ce where the knight was. It caught the knight off-guard. Before he could move, it already shed his left shoulder. [Habu] was a sword sh that curved a few times before itnded on the target. It often took the target by surprise so they don''t have time to dodge it.


    The knight looked at his wounded shoulder. That attack, it surprised him so much he didn''t even think of protecting any parts of his body. Heughed with glee. Heath Magnus was one of the youngest knight in the Temple Knights order. But because of his powerful Gift and outstanding fighting ability, he quickly rose in ranks despite his age. The only thing hindering him topletely dominate the Temple Knights'' ranks was his uncontroble bloodlust.


    He just couldn''t help but look for strong opponents to fight. Truthfully, if he could, he''d rather be a mercenary than a knight. But he couldn''t leave the Temple because they basically owned him. Being a knight just restrained him of the things he wanted to do. Mainly, fighting. Those Archbishops always reprimanded him because of that. Thest time he did fight someone, they punished him by being the personal bodyguard of that guy.


    Heath escorted that guy to this backward country. He thought there could be nothing worse than that. But then that guy suddenly ordered him to escort some orphan teenagers to the capital of this backward country. That was so below his paygrade. But then who would have thought he would meet a strong opponent here? He almost wanted to thank that annoying guy for sending him here.


    "You''re good. Now let''s get serious, shall we?" Heath showed an almost maniacal smile,pletely letting go of his bloodlust.


    Argent felt a chill. She could literally feel his blood curling need to fight her. If she prolonged this fight, she might end up getting seriously injured.


    Heath covered both his arms and entire upper body with magma rocks - it was his Gift. It contained the same intense heat as that of a real magma. Anything that came in contact with it instantly melt. That''s why fighting melee with him waspletely disadvantageous to his opponents. But it looked like this guy didn''t care about that at all. Which just made Heath totally happy.


    Heath rushed towards the guy. When he did, the guy executed that weird sword technique one after another. This time he was ready. So he managed to dodge but one stillnded on his stomach. If not for his Gift, he might be spilling his guts out now. He couldn''t help butugh. It''s been so long since he had a fight like this. When he looked towards the direction of the guy, he was no longer there. But he didn''t worry. He suddenly turned around and reached out his hand, grabbing on to the crook of the guy''s neck.


    "That was sloppy," he said. When the guy vanished, Heath immediately felt his presence behind him.


    Then Heath suddenly noticed that something was wrong. Because the guy''s expression didn''t even change. His hand was now covered by his Gift. The skin on the crook of this guy''s neck should be melting by now. But before he could think why, the guy suddenly reached out his hand and touched his chest. Then he shed his sword upwards. He sneered. What could his sword sh do?


    But then Heath suddenly felt pain. He looked down and saw the deep wound on his chest. His eyes widened in extreme disbelief. He let go of the crook of the guy''s neck and staggered backward then fell down. "H-how...?"


    Argent didn''t care for him. She immediately ran towards the carriage. She saw the coachman running away, probably afraid that she would attack him next. She opened the door of the big carriage and saw six people inside. All of them were shivering in fear, they probably saw what she did to the knight. Well, except for one. The girl who has her hands and feet tied and has a gag on her mouth. She has long light brown hair with greenish tint at the tip and eyes the same dark brown as her brother''s.


    "Flora?" The girl''s eyes immediately filled with vignce after she named her. Argent pulled Flora out of the carriage and removed her gag and cut the rope tying her hands and feet.


    The moment she did, Flora immediately struggled. "Let go of me!"


    Annoyed, Argent gripped the girl''s neck. "Stop. You''re brother sent me. Now if you''d rather stubbornly fight me, then I''ll be more than happy to leave you here. Nod if you''ll obedientlye with me." Flora remained silent, stubborness etched on her lovely features. "I''m not that patient, so quickly answer."


    At the end, Flora still nodded. So Argent let go of her neck and pulled her away.


    "W-who are you...?"


    Argent stopped when she heard the voice of the knight. She nced back. The knight remained down on his back, lying on his own pool of blood. "I''m a bandit."


    Then Argent carried Flora and jumped to a nearby tree''s branch.


    *****


    NOTE: [Water Dance] is now renamed as [Mizukodo] so as to be consistent with the names of the other core techniques of the Sui-Ryu style. ()/

 Chapter 42: entering the capital

    Chapter 42: entering the capital


    ONCE up on a tree, Argent pressed the diamond shaped stud on her earlobe to turn on her light brain. This light brain almost has the same functions as the light brainmonly used in her original world. The one she made here can act as amunication device. She can also ess [SkyNet] through it. But the most important function it has was that it can directly connect her to ck and White.


    A pair of holographic sses appeared on her face. She connected to ck. "ck, open the door of the car. I''ming back."


    "Yes, Master!" ck''s excited voice replied back to her.


    Argent turned off the light brain after that, holographic sses vanishing at the same time.


    In Argent''s arms, Flora witnessed everything. That was the first time she saw something like that. And then there was that sword that suddenly turned into a bracelet. She wondered if those were made by some famous alchemist. She wanted to ask, but then she''s afraid that this man might just throw her if she so much as speak. He certainly looked like he would. Flora couldn''t evenin that he was holding her too close. Because it would feel like she was suggesting that he has perverted thoughts towards her. Then he would probably not only throw her but he might also hack her into pieces. So she just wisely shut her mouth and wait until this guy brought her to her brother.


    Argent finally saw the flying car - well, technically she just saw ck seemingly dangling on top of a tree since the car was still in stealth mode. ck was probably too excited when he learned that she wasing back. The kid probably couldn''t wait to wee her back. Argent increased her speed. When she reached the tree where the car was hovering, she immediately pushed the girl she was holding in the opened door of the back seat. Then she pushed ck - who was still trying to hug her - next. She closed the door and opened the door of the driver''s seat. She went in, sat down, and closed the door.


    Flora wanted to scream when she was suddenly pushed. She thought the guy was trying to throw her. Then she entered some kind of contraption and the first thing she saw was her brother''s face. All herints were suddenly lodged in her throat and all she could do was hug the brother she hadn''t seen for the past two years. "Brother..."


    Truthfully, she was still skeptical that that guy was really sent by her brother to save her. Until now, she was still thinking of ways to escape. Good thing she didn''t. If not then she wouldn''t be able to see her brother now.


    y hugged his sister tightly. The fear and worry he felt finally subsided. He really didn''t know what he would do if Flora was sent to the capital. He knew what the Temple was capable of. Once Flora was under their control, he might never be able to see her again. Having his sister here, safe and unharm, was all thanks to Silver.


    He turned to the young man and was nning to thank him, but then immediately stopped when he saw a stranger''s face. From the way Gold and ck was acting, it was clear that they didn''t find anything weird. Which meant this guy was Silver - only with a different face. He quickly adjusted his mentality and epted the situation. Silver was probably just using a magic tool or a human skin, whatever it was, it wouldn''t change the fact that he saved Flora.


    "Thank you," y said, full of sincerity.


    Flora also turned to Argent. "Thank you and sorry for the way I acted earlier," she sincerely said.


    Argent only nodded and started the car.


    Aurum then noticed the ruined trench coat and shirt that her brother was wearing, exposing the delicate white skin of the crook of her neck. "Brother, your clothes..."


    "Don''t mind it. I''ll changeter," Argent just said and started driving towards the direction where y and his gang of friends were keeping base.


    They already discussed earlier that after saving y''s sister, they would go to the ce in the mountain where he and his friends were staying. y would temporarily leave his sister there and then he would go with Argent and the others to the capital. Because they couldn''t possibly bring the girl with them. That would onlyplicate things, considering how the new Bishop personally chose her to be brought to the capital.


    Flora nced at the other three people inside this weird flying contraption, the guy who saved her, the golden haired girl beside him, and the kid on her right. She whispered to y, "Brother, who are these people?"


    "The guy is Silver, the girl is his sister Gold, and the kid sitting beside you is their servant, ck," her brother introduced the three, whispering back to her. "I met them earlier and made a deal with them so Silver could save you."


    Flora was shocked by thest thing y said. She thought the three werepanions her brother met during thest two years he was away from the vige. "What kind of deal did you make with them?" she asked worriedly.


    "I''ll tell youter," y said, he started to feel squemish again. And because he''s not worrying about his sister anymore, the feeling of wanting to puke had be more intense. "Let me close my eyes for a second."


    But that secondsted hours until they finally reached their destination.


    Argent stopped the car on top of a big tree. She couldn''t park it down because the forest was just too lush. She knew that not far from here was a hidden cave where y''s friends and the other three who were sent out of the vige today were currently staying.


    She turned to y who was still as white as paper. "Come back quickly. We need to get to the capital before the sun set down."


    "I know," y said before opening the door of the back seat. He hugged his sister and jumped off the car. He was d that he could finally get off that sted contraption even if it''s just for a few minutes.


    ynded swiftly on the ground. Then he put down his sister and steered her towards the direction of the cave.


    "Brother, where are we going?" Flora asked while walking.


    "There''s a cave near here. The others are there."


    "The others? You mean those who were supposed to be sent out of our vige today?" Flora''s voice got a bit excited. She was closed to those people. Maybe because they were all troublemakers and had the same age. She was supposed to be with them. But because of that... that foul pig, she was forcefully dragged to the capital.


    "Not only them."


    "What do you mean?" she asked, confused.


    "You''ll know once we get there. The people there will exin everything to you."


    "Why can''t you just exin it to me now?"


    "Because there''s no time. I have to leave immediately after I send you safely to the cave."


    "Because you need to go back to those three," Flora said, quite sure that that was the reason. "Brother, what exactly did you promise Silver?"


    "We made a deal that if he save you, then I''ll do anything he asked of me."


    Flora was shocked again. She looked at her brother incredulously. "Brother, how could you promise that to someone you just met? What if he asked you to do something bad?"


    "Because that''s the only way I could think of to save you. And he did save you. So I have to honor my words. Besides, even if he asked me to do something bad, if I could bring any kind of harm to the Temple, then I''m willing to do even worse."


    "So they''re enemies with the Temple?" She remembered the way that Silver fought with that knight. He certainly didn''t show any kind of fear. As if injuring a knight of the Temple was not such a big deal.


    "It seems that way."


    "Brother, if you''re doing this just because he saved me then--"


    "No, Flora. I must do this."


    Flora stared at her brother. When she saw the determination in the eyes so simr to her own, she just sighed. "I understand. But please, please be careful, Brother. We just reunited and then you have to go off to do this thing. I don''t know what I will do if something happens to you."


    y smiled. "I will be careful," he said while stroking his sister''s head. "Now, tell me exactly how you suddenly attracted the attention of the new Bishop?"


    ----------


    Argent changed her upper clothes right after the two siblings left. She also changed her face back to the in one she originally used. She checked the map of Shandra again. Even though the topography might not be that urate, but she could at least rely on thend area. She calcted the distance between the ce where they were now up to the capital and the speed needed to reach it before sunset.


    "Brother, are you really alright? You really didn''t suffer any injury?" Aurum asked again, probably for the tenth time.


    "I''m fine, Aurum. I made sure to finish the fight before I could suffer one."


    "Aurum, why don''t you believe Master? She''s been telling you she''s alright for quite a number of times now. Or are you just annoying her?" ck said.


    "Oh shut up, you brat," Aurum said flicking ck''s forehead before turning back to Argent. "Brother, are we really going to bring that y with us?"


    "Yes. I think he might prove himself useful," Argent simply said.


    They didn''t wait long before y came back. The moment he sat back on the back seat of the car, Argent immediately drove the car up.


    "Wait- can you perhaps make me unconcious? I don''t think I my stomach canst until we reach the capital without puking in here," y suddenly said.


    Aurum looked at him in disgust.


    Argent didn''t have much of a reaction. "ck, do what he said."


    "Yes, Master!"


    ck turned to y then hit the back of his head without any warning. y''s bodynguidly fell sideways - a clear sign that he already fainted.


    Without the possibility of a certain someone puking inside the car, Argent no longer hesitated to increase the speed of the car to the maximum. Which made their travelling time much faster. At four in the afternoon, they reached the forest nearest to the capital. Argent chose tond on the very edge of the forest where people rarely passed by. After Aurum made sure that there was no one around, they immediately went down one by one.


    y regained conciousness at this point and was the first one to go down. Followed by ck, then Aurum. Argent was thest one because she still needed to turn the flying car to its capsule mode. Which she did immediatelty once she came down the car.


    "I think you hit me too hard," yined to ck while touching the back of his head, feeling the unmistakable huge bump there.


    "Hey, don''t me ck. You''re the one who wanted to lose conciousness. How can you faint if ck didn''t hit you hard?" ck said, pouting.


    Aurum sneered. "Don''t tell me you can''t even take a single hit from a kid?"


    y frowned and just chose to shut his mouth. Nothing good woulde out if he started a verbal argument with these two.


    Argent jumped down from the tree. "Let''s go."


    And the four started walking towards the capital - Kaurr.

 Chapter 43: the town of kaurr

    Chapter 43: the town of kaurr


    THE GROUP of four reached the entrance to the town of Kaurr after almost two hours of walking through the forest. Argent was slightly surprised that they easily entered the town without any sort of hindrance. She thought, considering how the Temple was holding this country under the palm of their hands, they''d have a much tighter security around the capital. But then again, maybe they''re just that confident that no one would dare to do something so unscrupulous in one of their turfs.


    The first thing they did once inside the vicinity of the town was to look for an inn. Which wasn''t that hard, since ording to the person they asked on the street there was only one. It was located near the entrance of the town so they easily found it. It was a three-storey establishment. The first floor was a restaurant and the second and third floors were the rooms.


    They went inside and Argent noticed that there were quite a lot of people in the restaurant. Probably because it was close to dinner time. Argent walked towards the front desk followed closely by her other threepanions.


    "How may I help you?" the staff on the front desk asked with a polite smile.


    "A twin room and a single room, please," she answered.


    "And how many days will you be staying?"


    "A week." Argent was not sure how many days it would take before they finished whatever it was they needed to do here.


    The staff gave them a faint look. He''s wondering if they were perhaps merchants from another vige? Or maybe this young gentleman was even the son of some vige head. His clothes were certainly made of good materials. "That would be 1,200 gold coins. You can pay 600 gold coins as deposit and pay the rest once you check out."


    "No need." Argent didn''t really care for the amount she had to pay. In this life, money would probably never be a problem for her. She took 1,200 gold coins from her space ring and gave it to the staff.


    The staff''s eyes shone when he saw the gold coins. He decided to be more polite to this new guests. He took two keys and handed it to the young gentleman. "Please, wait awhile. I will call someone to lead you to your rooms."


    After saying that, the staff rang the bell on the front desk.


    Aurum took one of the keys and gave it to ck. "Here. You''ll be rooming with that guy."


    "Why should ck stay with y?" ck asked, furrowing his brows. "I want to sleep with Master!"


    "What, do you expect me to sleep with that guy? I''m a girl. Society doesn''t allow me to sleep in the same room with the opposite gender who has no close blood rtion to me. You''re a boy. So society allows you to sleep with him in the same room."


    "Well, if anyone would care to ask for my opinion, I''d rather sleep alone, thank you," y muttered.


    ck ignored him and just frowned at Aurum. "ck doesn''t care for society. I just want to sleep with Master!"


    "But Brother prefers to be with me," Aurum said, smiling proudly at ck while hugging Argent''s arm.


    "Gold, stop teasing ck," Argent gently scolded her sister. They both knew that ck doesn''t really need to sleep so he couldn''t stay the night with anyone other than the people who knew what he really was. They couldn''t have y suspecting that ck was something other than human. She turned to ck. "She''s only teasing you. You''ll stay in the room with us."


    ck''s expression brightened. "Really, Master?"


    "Yes." Argent took the key from ck and gave it to y.


    y took the key. "Is it really fine for the three of you to stay in one room? I don''t really mind sharing a room with the kid."


    "It''s fine. That''s why I asked for a twin room," Argent simply said.


    A few secondster, a waiter came and lead them to their rooms in the second floor.


    Once they entered the room, Aurum immediately took off the choker she was wearing, revealing her beautiful face. Then shey on one of the bed. "Finally, we can rest."


    "Master, do you want ck to massage you?"


    "No, thank you." Argent removed her coat then sat beside her sister. "Aurum, tomorrow, I want you to go with ck and y to meet the merchant who nned to distribute sPhones here in Shandra."


    Aurum sat up. "You won''t go with us?"


    Argent shook her head. "I''ll walk around town and gather information."


    Aurum wanted to object. But this was what her brother asked of her. She couldn''t be so selfish and forced her to change her mind. "Okay."


    "Be sure to read his mind and find out if he has any bad intention towards ourpany. You can even reveal your real face if you have to."


    "I understand, Brother."


    Argent then looked at ck. "Protect her, okay, ck?"


    "If that''s what you want, then I shall protect Aurum. Though I''d rather protect you, Master."


    Aurum threw a pillow at ck. "Shut it, kid."


    Argent just shook her head and watched the two bicker.


    ----------


    The next morning, after breakfast, the four separated to do their tasks. Aurum, y, and ck set off to talk to the merchant - Mr. Wicks. While Argent started walking around town.


    The town of Kaurr was like any medieval town. There were merchant shops, housing building, and some small restaurants. There were people on the streets, selling their wares and people buying them. But there was one thing that could probably not be found in just any other town. It was the towering church of the Temple of Gaia.


    Argent looked at the almost ivory white building with beautiful turrets. Now how should she look for evidence of the Temple''s dark dealings? She was certain she could find one. More so after she learned about that vige where they kept children.


    "Have you heard? Someone attacked a knight!"


    Argent stopped walking when she heard that. Not far from where she was, two middle-aged men were talking in front of a food stall. The man who just spoke was bald while the other was stout and short.


    "That was brazen of them. Tell me exactly what happened," said the short man.


    "A knight was escorting a group of Temple servants when some bandit attacked them. Severely injuring the knight and then kidnapping one of the female servants."


    So the news already spread this far, Argent thought when she heard their conversation. That was quick.


    "A bandit? When did Shandra started having bandits?" said the short man incredulously.


    "I think they''re probably not from our country," answered the bald man.


    "Of course they aren''t. Only heretics would hurt a Temple Knight. And there''s no heretics in Shandra," said the short man again, indignantly.


    Just from that conversation, Argent could tell just how devout the people of Shandra were. It would definitely not be easy to sway their beliefs.


    "But what happened to the knight? Did he survive?" asked the short man.


    "Oh, yes. Thank the goddess. He was rescued just in time."


    Argent raised her brow when she heard that. So, that knight survived. She no longer evesdropped to the conversation of the two men and started walking again. She hasn''t gotten that far when she saw a man walking in her direction. No, it''s probably more proper to say that he was swaying on his feet. It was either he''s drunk or he''s about to faint. Argent ignored the man and just continued walking.


    But when the man was about to bypass her, he suddenly copsed and fell in front of her. Argent wrinkled her brows and was about to walk around the guy but he suddenly grabbed her ankle. She tried to take back her ankle but his grip was just too tight. Argent frowned. She was tempted to just kick the guy in the face, but she held on and kept calm.


    "Let go," she said, coldly.


    "F-Foo...d... g-give..." the man started muttering.


    "What?"


    The man raised his head, the huge sses on his face was askew, his golden blond hair almost glinting under the morning sun. "Food... hungry..."


    Then his stomach made a very, very loud sound.

 Chapter 44: the clumsy stranger

    Chapter 44: the ''clumsy'' stranger


    AURUM stared at the shop in front of them. Some of the windows have broken sses. There were even signs of vandalism. It was obvious that someone cleaned it but they still didn''t manage to erase some of the words. Like the words ''get out'' and ''heretic''. She couldn''t help but furrow her brows. What the heck was this?


    "Is this really the ce?" she asked.


    "Yes. This is the address Master gave. ck is sure," ck affirmed.


    Aurum''s brows furrowed even more. If the owner of this shop was the merchant who tried to make a deal with Silver Corporation for the sPhones to be distributed here, then shouldn''t his shop be a bit more grander or at least sessful. But this shop was obviously neither of those. There was not even a customer passing by. Did that stupid Finn not even check if the merchant was credible or not?


    Looking at the shop, y already had an idea on what exactly might have happened here. Especially after seeing those vandalized words. He turned to Gold, who for some reason was wearing a hooded cloak that covered most of her face. "Exactly what kind of product does this merchant want to distribute here?"


    Based on what he learned from Silver, theirpany approved of this merchant distributing their product here in Shandra. And somehow, the Temple opposed that. That''s the reason the three went here, to find a way for that product to be sessfully distributed here. Or at least that''s what they told him.


    Aurum looked at y. It probably wouldn''t hurt to tell him the truth. Her brother told her to make use of y. But he wouldn''t be of any use if he actually knew nothing about their business. And even though she still thought of him as nothing but annoying, she could easily tell that he''s a good man. As shown as how he saved those other kids from the same vige even though he didn''t have the obligation to do so. Maybe that was the reason why her brother decided to work with him despite the trouble he brought.


    "It''s the sPhones," she answered.


    y widened his eyes in surprise. He has only been out of the vige for two years but he knew about how famous those sPhones were. He wanted to buy one himself but he chose to save his money for the time when he and his sister were reunited again. No wonder this shop became like this. It was no secret how the Temple opposed those sPhones. nning to distribute it in a ce strictly controled by the Temple, this merchant sure has some guts.


    "You work for Silver Corporation?" he asked Gold.


    "In a way." Aurum looked back at the shop again and sighed. "Let''s just go inside and meet with this Mr. Wicks."


    She was about to walk but y stopped her.


    "Let me go in first. Just in case." He was task to protect her and he would make sure to do a good job of it.


    y entered the shop. As expected, it was mostly empty. Whatever products that were supposed to be on the shelves were not there. There were even some broken sses on the floor.


    "Hello? Is there anybody here?" he called.


    Some secondster, they heard footsteps, like someoneing down the stairs. Then a door inside the shop opened. A thin man with shaggy brown hair came out. He looked totally unkempt like he hasn''t changed clothes for days now. And judging by the dark circles under his eyes, he''s obviously tired andcked sleep.


    "I''m sorry, the store is close," he said apologetically.


    Aurum stared at the man and tried to read his thoughts. It was easy since he has a lower Gift level and his mental defense was totally non-existent.


    [I hope they''re not here to cause trouble.]


    [Actually, they look like they''re not from here.]


    [It would be nice to talk to someone who wouldn''t yell at me for once.]


    She stopped reading his mind. He didn''t have any nasty thoughts. All she could read was his fear that they would cause trouble. With just those, Aurum could tell that this person was not a scheming man. He was obviously having problems with the shop and she would bet it had something to do with his n to distribute sPhones here.


    Discovering how hardcore the Temple of Gaia was, Aurum has no doubt that they''re capable of harrassing someone to this point just because they don''t like what he''s doing. But despite that, she couldn''t read any hateful thoughts in his mind. If she was in his ce, she''d be cursing the Temple every second she got. Mr. Wicks was obviously a kind man but clearly, he''s full of distrust right now. He probably wouldn''t easily tell his problems to a bunch of strangers. Even if Aurum told him they''re from Silver Corporation, he might not believed them.


    So she decided to talk to him using her real face. Considering her fame, there would be no doubt about her identity. Aurum turned off the effect of the choker, then took off the hood of her cloak. She gave him her signature smile and said, "Mr. Wicks, my name is Aurum ckbourne. Silver Corporation sent me here. Could we perhaps talk?"


    ----------


    The man in front of Argent was gorging on food after food after food. He stumbled in front of her earlier. She wanted to leave him there but his grip on her ankle was so tight she couldn''t even move a step. She was really tempted to hack his hand and just walk off. But doing that would totally not be low-key. So at the end, she finally told him that she would buy him food. Miraculously enough, he was suddenly energized and stood up. Then he dragged her on the nearest restaurant.


    Now, they''re here. Argent, being bored and a bit annoyed. And this guy, eating like there''s no tomorrow. She would have left earlier but this guy identally sshed the water he''s drinking on her trench coat. Before she could react, he already took her trench coat and gave it to a waiter and asked him to dry it. Now she couldn''t leave. Because that coat was something Aurum gave to her. If she left without it, she would never hear the end of it from her sister. So she had no choice but to stay here and endure.


    The guy put down the bowl of food he''s eating then drank a whole ss of water. "That was delicious," he said while rubbing his stomach.


    "Good for you," Argent said sarcastically.


    "Thank you for buying me food. I might have died of starvation if you didn''te," he said with a silly smile on his face.


    The guy has messy golden blond hair and half of his face was covered by the thick sses he''s wearing. Argent didn''t know it was possible in real life, but he was like one of those nerdy anime characters that could hide his face just by wearing sses.


    Argent ignored him and called the waiter to pay for the food.


    "Excuse me, may I ask if my coat is done drying?" she asked after paying.


    "I''ll check it and get back to you, sir," the waiter answered and walked away.


    After that, Argent noticed the burning gaze directed at her. She looked at the guy ross from her at the table. "Stop staring."


    "Sorry. It''s just that your hair reminds me of someone." He bowed his head. "Someone very important." He looked up again, that silly smile was back on his face. "I want to thank you for buying me food. If I could help you with anything, please just tell me."


    "No need." Argent didn''t want to get entangled with this guy any more than this.


    After a while, the same waiter came back with Argent''s coat. She wore it and walked out of the restaurant. She didn''t get far when she heard the guy''s voice behind her. Argent didn''t stop but then she heard a crash. She turned around and saw the guy stumbling down and almost crashing on one of the stalls on the side street.


    He got up and when he saw that she stopped walking, he literally dashed towards her. No, it''s probably more proper to say that he limped really fast. "You stop," he said,ughing goofily.


    "What is it you want?" she asked.


    "I just want to return your kindness."


    And this guy wouldn''t probably stop following her unless she agreed. Argent sighed. She didn''t need a walking disaster following her around. She probably should just ask him to do something random just to make him stop. She looked at his limping foot. "Get your foot healed, we''ll be square after that."


    "No, how could that be enough? I currently live in the Temple of Gaia. If you could go with me, I could have my foot healed there. Then I could do anything you ask of me after that."


    Argent was slightly surprised by what she heard. "Wait- you live at the Temple?"


    He nodded. "I''m a guest there."


    "A guest?"


    "Yes. I''m a priest from Victoria City. I''m sorry I couldn''t really tell you anything else other than that. Temple business, you see."


    Argent stared at the guy, a lot of thought inside her mind. "Okay, I''ll take you back to the Temple."


    The guy smiled happily. "Then... could I lean onto you? It''s kind of hard walking," he said, scratching the back of his head. Argent didn''t answer and just held his waist. The guy then held her shoulders. "My name is Luc," he said, almost whispering it on her ear.


    Argent wanted to put a distance between them but she endured and just said, "I''m Silver."

 Chapter 45: a shady character

    Chapter 45: a shady character


    AURUM listened attentively to Mr. Wicks'' narration of events that lead to the current state of his shop. Just as she thought, it was all due to the Temple. After finding out that he''s trying to distribute sPhones here in Shandra, the Temple spread the news that he was colluding with heretics and trying to get a sphemous item inside the country. And because the poeple of Shandra was so under the thumb of the Temple, they would believe anything they said. Thus, the shop''s current situation.


    "Mr. Wicks, may I asked why you still continue to stay here despite everything that happened?" Aurum asked because if she was in his shoes she would just leave this awful ce.


    "There were only two promises I made to my father''s deathbed. One is to take care of my mother. The other is to make sure that I could get this shop going even after he''s gone. So leaving here and just abandoning everything is never an option," Mr. Wicks said, a sad smile on his lips.


    "ck doesn''t understand. Why did you want to cooperate with Master''spany then? Master said that those old priests hates sPhones. Having this kind of oue is expected, right?" ck said in an innocent voice, totally confused.


    "ck!" Aurum scolded then she turned to Mr. Wicks. "I''m sorry, please don''t mind him," she said apologetically.


    "It''s okay. I''ve started trading outside the country four years ago. That''s when I discovered the sPhones. It fascinated me. I knew that it would bring a good change to the people in Shandra. To let them be expose to the information outside. But I also knew with the former Bishop''s attitude, he wouldn''t allow it," Mr. Wicks exined. "I''m aware on how things could turn out when I decided to cooperate with Silver Corporation. I grew up here. I know how inclusive this ce could be. In here, something the Temple doesn''t like could get hated forever. But when the new Bishop was assigned here, I had hoped that he would permit the change I''m going to bring. So I brought up the idea to them. You see, every new product that enters the country should get the approval of the Temple. But I didn''t get that approval. Turns out, the new Bishop is exactly like his predecessor. And this was the result," he added in length.


    Aurum understood one thing from what Mr. Wicks said, that he was not the same as the other brainwashed citizen of this ce. He knew exactly what was wrong with this country and he wanted to do something about it. That was good. At least they could be sure that they''re working with someone who''s not controlled by the Temple.


    "I apologized Miss ckbourne. I know how busy you must be. But you still made time to go here and yet this is what weed you. I''m truly sorry," Mr. Wicks added, full of apology.


    "No. There''s no need for apology. None of this is your fault, Mr. Wicks," Aurum immediately said.


    y was looking at Gold - or he should probably call her ''Aurum ckbourne'' - as if he was looking at a strange being. It''s like she was possessed or something. Gone was the girl with poisonous tongue. All he could see was a girl full of kind words and sweet smiles. That was even more shocking to him than seeing her real appearance and knowing who she really was.


    "Just keep this shop close for now, Mr. Wicks. So that the damage to the shop could be contained. We will do everything to make sure that you could distribute the sPhones here," Aurum assured.


    "Oh no, please, Miss ckbourne, you don''t have to do that. I don''t want you to get in trouble with the Temple because you wanted to help me."


    Aurum smiled. "It''s okay, Mr. Wicks. Helping you is one of the reason we''re here."


    After talking a bit more, Aurum bid farewell to Mr. Wicks. Telling him that they would soon contact him again.


    When they got out of the shop, Aurum couldn''t take it anymore and red at y. "Stop staring at me, will you?"


    Instead of answering, y reached for her face and pinched her cheek. "So this is really your face?"


    Aurum pushed away his hand. "You think?"


    Then the face she was using since they met was probably a product of a magic tool or even a human skin mask. "So you''re really the Aurum ckbourne?" y asked. Even if he doesn''t have an sPhone, he knew about her. As long as you lived in a ce full of people with sPhones, there was just no way you wouldn''t know about her. If she was that, then who was Silver?


    Aurum just gave him a side nce before putting on the hood of her cloak.


    y suddenly remembered what ck said earlier. That his master was the owner of thepany. He didn''t have time to ponder about that because he was too busy staring at Aurum. But now, could it be possible that Silver was the one who owned Silver Corporation? "Your brother, who is he?"


    "Ask him yourself," Aurum said then she walked away. ck instantly followed her.


    y shook his head. So the poison-tongued girl was back. He decided to just follow the two and asked Silver - if that was even his name - his questionter.


    ----------


    At this moment, Argent was entering the residential area of the Temple where the Bishop and other priests lived. As well as their servants. It was through a hidden passage that most people would never notice. The passage was in the church''s park. People could freelye and go there as it was opened to the public. The hidden passage was behind the statue of Gaia, surrounded by tall trees and bushes. One wouldn''t be able to see it if they''re not looking for it personally.


    They entered the hidden passage and got out in an almost remote ce of the residential area.


    "The apartment I was staying is close here," Luc said.


    Argent just nodded. Luc pointed the direction of the ce and oddly enough they didn''t meet anyone on their way there. They reached a three-storey building and entered the first room on the first floor. It was small with only a bed, a table, and a closet. Argent almost pushed Luc on the bed so he could no longer lean on her.


    "Thank you for bringing me here," Luc said sitting on the bed, his voice full of gratitude. "I''ll ask a church healer to heal this sprained ankleter."


    Argent stared at Luc. She almost wanted tough. What was this guy ying at? From the moment they met, all his actions were calcted. Did he really think that she wouldn''t notice? That she would just follow a shady character like him without question? The only reason she did was because she wanted to observe him more. To know exactly what his motives were.


    Falling in front of her, sshing water on her coat, acting like he twisted his ankle, all so he could bring her here. But why? If he knew who she was and the reason why she''s here in Shandra, then she might think of a reason why he''s doing this. But how could he possibly know who she was? It almost seemed impossible that he would. But truly, the real question here was, who was this guy and what''s his intention?


    Whatever the answers to those questions were, Argent would dly y along with his game. For now. Because obviously, he, for some reason, wanted to show her a way so she could enter here unnoticed. If heter turned out to be a problem, then she would solve it herself.


    "Is there really no way that I could repay you?" Luc asked, looking at her like some puppy.


    "Then why don''t you tell me about the new Bishop? Once you do, we''re square."


    "That''s all? Will that be enough?"


    "Sure," she said, shrugging.


    "Well, if you say so. Bishop Dupont is a distinguished priest of the Temple. He was personally chosen by the Pope to lead the church here."


    "What else? Does he have any habits?"


    "Hmm... now that you asked, ever since I came here I noticed the Bishop sending servants to his room every night. But that''s all. He probably was just teaching them the scriptures."


    Telling her all these without even asking her motives for asking, this guy was definitely shady. And what''s with ''teaching them the scriptures''? Obviously, that Bishop was doing something unsavory to those servants. Only a super dumb person would think otherwise. And this guy was far from dumb. Even though he''s trying really hard to look like one.


    "Thank you. That was really helpful. Now that we''re done, I''ll leave so you can rest."


    "You''re leaving already?" he asked, he didn''t even bother to hide his disappointment.


    "Yes. I have other things to do."


    "Will we see each other again?"


    She sneered inside. Man, this guy can really act. "Maybe."


    Argent didn''t say more and just went out of the room, lest this guy do something again to prevent her from moving. On her way out of the residential area, she couldn''t help but think; just who was this ''Luc'' guy? He''s definitely not someone simple.


    Because at the end, she still couldn''t figure out what his real motives were. And her being unable to figure out a problem was definitely not something that happened often.

 Chapter 46: one afternoon

    Chapter 46: one afternoon


    BY NOON, Argent met up with Aurum, y, and ck at the inn''s restaurant. They chose an inconspicuous corner to have lunch so the people around wouldn''t easily hear whatever they had to discuss.


    "So how was your talk with Mr. Wicks?" Argent asked once all the food they ordered were delivered.


    "It went well. He''s kind of pitiful though. His shop was in shambles. The Temple told the people here that Mr. Wicks was a heretic and was trying to bring in a sphemous item inside the country. Of course, those brainwashed citizens believed them. They went and harrassed Mr. Wicks," Aurum answered while slicing the steak she ordered. Her face was now back to the in one she had been using.


    Argent was not surprised hearing that, it was already in her expectation. "What''s your opinion of him?"


    "Good. Kind of timid but still has courage in him. Honorable too. And most importantly, even though he grew up in this ce, he still has his own mind. He didn''t turn into a mindless idiot who doesn''t question the Temple;s orders."


    "I see." That''s a good sign. When Argent found out about the situation of the people here in Shandra, she already guessed that Mr. Wicks was different from most people here. After all, he dared to cooperate with Silver Corporation despite knowing the Temple''s dislike towards herpany. Argent turned to ck who was eating enthusiastically. "ck, don''t eat too much."


    Argent designed ck and White in a way that they could take in food. The food they ate could be converted into energy source. But eating too much could cause temporary damage to their system. Like how an overcharged device would act if you gave it too much electricity. And ck was prone to that ''overeating'' problem. Argent doesn''t want to have to fix him while they''re here.


    ck pouted for a bit but still agreed. "Yes, Master."


    Then Argent looked at y who has been staring at her since earlier, like he was looking at a problem he couldn''t solve. "Stop staring. You''re going to bore holes on me."


    "He also did that to me earlier," Aurum said.


    y shrugged. "I''m just thinking what your real face looks like."


    "Continue to stare at me like that and I''ll gouge your eyes out. Then you''ll have no chance of seeing my real face," Argent said while biting on her steak.


    "I suggest you do it anyway," Aurum added while smirking at y.


    "Fine," y just said, lifting both hands as if in surrender. "I do have one question, no, make that two."


    "What?"


    "What''s your real name and do you own Silver Corporation?" y asked.


    Argent could only assume the reason he''s asking this question was because he saw Aurum''s real face. If he already knew Aurum''s real identity, then she saw no harm telling him hers as well. "Name is Argent and yes to your second question."


    y already expected the answer to his second question, but it still surprised him. He knew how big Silver Corporation was. The two years he was away from the vige, almost all the people he met owned an sPhone. If almost everyone in the world owned that gadget, then he couldn''t imagine just how rich thepany that made it was. And right now, he was sitting with its owner.


    "What are you doing here then? Don''t you have people you could order to fix the distribution of the sPhones here?" y asked again, a bit confused as to why Silver - no, Argent went here himself.


    "Let''s just say we''re bored and leave it at that," Argent said, exining to him the reason why they''re here was too troublesome.


    "How about you, Brother, what did you find out?" Aurum said, changing the topic.


    Argent told them about how the news of her fight with the knight already reached here. And she also told them about Luc and all the things he did.


    Aurum wrinkled her brows after hearing what her brother said. "That Luc person is definitely suspicious."


    "That''s without question," y agreed. "Maybe he''s setting up a trap that''s why he showed you that hidden passage."


    "Yes, he''s suspicious. No doubt about that. But I don''t think he grabbed my attention just so he could set me up for a trap."


    "Why do you think that?" y asked, a bit confused.


    "All his actions could be exined if we go with the assumption that, for some reason, he knew exactly what I''m doing here." Argent kept thinking since earlier and that''s the only answer she came up with.


    "But how could he possibly know?" this time it was Aurum who voiced her confusion.


    "Maybe he''s a telepath. He saw us in this inn and read our minds." Argent said ''our'' but in this case it was only Aurum and y. Since Gift doesn''t work on her and ck was not human and therefore someone with a telepathic Gift couldn''t possibly read his mind. However, the informations that could be read from Aurum and y were enough.


    "When we separated, he chose to follow me because I was alone and thought that he could fool me more easily. Then he did that foolish act so he could tell me the information I wanted about the Bishop. Even showing me that hidden passage." Really, that''s the only exnation Argent could think of right now.


    Aurum understood what her brother was saying but she still couldn''t help but feel confused. "If that was the case, then why would he do any of that?"


    "Maybe because he wanted to get rid of the Bishop and he ns to use us to do that," Argent answered, a bit annoyed thinking that someone might actually dare to think of using them.


    "Won''t he be a problem?" y said after listening to Argent.


    "I don''t think so. At least, for now. Because we share amon goal. But if heter on do be a problem, I''ll take care of it." Argent would just probably stab him if that time came. She turned to y. "Your sister, she was chosen to go to the capital because the Bishop took a liking to her, correct? Did you ask her for further details about that?"


    The sudden changed of topic was a bit surprising for y but he still managed to answer Argent immediately. "Yes. ording to Flora, when the Bishop came to visit the vige, he took one look at her and told the vige priest to send her with the others that would be sent to the capital. And also, the whole time the Bishop was there, he kept giving Flora, well, let''s just say, perverted nces."


    Thatst bit really pissed the hell out of y. If Argent didn''t manage to save Flora, he couldn''t even begin to imagine what could have happened to his sister.


    What y said only further proved what Argent already thought about the new Bishop of Shandra. That just made it easier for them to find dirty materials that could destroy the Bishop''s reputation. Which in turn could affect the reign of the Temple in this country. "Well then, I think it''s time for us to make a proper n."


    ----------


    The new Bishop of Shandra - Charles Dupont - was sitting on an ornamental chair inside his heavily decorated room. He appeared to be a man in his 40s, with thinning blond hair and a hook nose that looked like the beak of an eagle. He was holding a goblet of wine in his hand. A beautiful servant girl was beside him, pouring wine on his cup. The afternoon sunlight was passing through the floor to ceiling window. It should have been a perfect day. But no. Because of that damn bandit, his day waspletely ruined.


    Yesterday, a new batch of teenagers from the vige of orphans should havee here. Most of those managed to be brought back here at the middle of the night. But the one Charles was most excited to see was not there. ording to the coachman who was travelling with them, a bandit came and snatched the girl. If that was not enough, that same bandit seriously injured the knight who apanied the teenagers.


    It was fine if it was an ordinary knight. But s, no, it was Heath Magnus - the knight who was being reared as the Pope''s personal knight. And ording to the message the priest in front of him just delivered, if the healer didn''t manage toe on time, Heath might have been in a critical condition now.


    "Are there still no news of that bandit?" Charles asked the priest.


    "No, Your Excellency. But we already sent out flyers of his portrait ording to the coachman''s description. I''m sure it won''t be long before we receive news," the priest answered respectfully.


    "Go out. You''re just ruining further my already ruined mood."


    The priest bowed and went out of the room.


    Charles drank the remainder of the wine then put down his goblet. He looked at the servant girl beside him. He remembered the girl he personally chose from the vige. That girl was much more beautiful than this servant girl. But now he might not have the chance to touch her. All because of that bandit! If he knew, he should have just done whatever he wanted to the girl when he was still in that vige.


    Thinking of that just made him angrier. Charles pulled the servant girl and made her sit on hisp. He could feel her whole body trembling. That somehow appeased him. He liked it when they''re afraid. Seeing the look of fear in their eyes just brought unprecedented pleasure to him.


    He held the girl''s chin and raised her face. "Why don''t you entertain me, my sweet?"


    The girl''s eyes were instantly filled with abject terror. Just the way he liked it.

 Chapter 47: death befitting a pig

    Chapter 47: death befitting a pig


    CHARLES Dupont raised the whip he was holding and whipped the naked girl tied on the bedpost. The girl writhed in pain, tears continued to flow down her cheeks. Her white skin was now marred with dozens of red welts, some were even bleeding. Just the sight of the girl, bleeding and in pain, was enough to make Charles climax.


    "P-please..." the girl begged.


    "Don''t worry, my sweet, it will be over soon." Charles threw away the whip and loomed over the girl.


    He was about to touch the girl''s thigh when someone suddenly knocked on the door. "Your Excellency! Your Excellency!" called the person outside.


    Charles immediately became irritated. He picked up his robe and got dressed. He went to open the door because he knew if he didn''t then the knocking would just continue. "What?" he snarled at the priest who knocked.


    "My apologies for disturbing you, Your Excellency. But something important just happened," the priest said.


    "Just say it. Don''t beat around the bush."


    "The girl who was kidnapped by the bandit, she was found by a guard at the entrance of the town."


    His attention was immediately grabbed when he heard what the priest said. "Are you certain it was her?"


    "She told us her name is Flora and that she was the one kidnapped by the bandit. She has long brown hair with greenish tips and dark brown eyes," the priest answered.


    Charles eyes brightened when he heard that. Because the priest just described the girl perfectly. That kind of beauty was something he couldn''t just forget. That''s why he was so disappointed when he found out that the girl was taken by someone. But now, he was given another chance to have her. Just how could he let that chance go? "Where is she?"


    "At the main hall."


    Charles walked briskly towards the direction of the main hall, followed closely by the priest.


    "Has she said anything?" he asked while walking.


    "None, Your Excellency. Except for her name and who she is. She seemed to be really shaken."


    They arrived at the main hall and Charles gaze went straight to the girl standing timidly at the center. She was as lovely as he remembered her, with all that white, white skin. He immediately walked towards her. The moment he held her shoulders, her whole body trembled. Charles remembered how much of a spitfire this girl was. Continuously making trouble at the vige. But now, he could no longer see the fire in her. A pity, truly. He would have enjoyed breaking her.


    "Flora, can you tell me what happened?" he asked gently.


    Flora didn''t talk and just shook her head.


    He was about to ask her again when the door of the main hall was rudely opened and in came Heath Magnus. His hair and clothes were in disarray, a sign that he probably just got out of bed. He was just delivered here early this morning. Because it was judged that it would only be safe for him to be moved today. He was seriously injured. The only healer avable to heal him only has a C level Gift that''s why it took almost two days for all his wounds to heal.


    Heath walked straight to Flora and grabbed her elbow, his eyes were bloodshot. "Where is he?"


    Flora''s body shook, she lowered her gaze, obviously afraid.


    Charles didn''t have to ask who the ''he'' the knight was talking about. "Knight Magnus, please control yourself!"


    Heath ignored the Bishop and yanked the trembling girl with more force. "Answer me!"


    "W-we were in the forest, th-this guy suddenly appeared and fought with the bandit. So I took that opportunity to run away. B-because I knew that if the bandit lost, then I would be next. There was a v-vige near the forest. I ask the people there if they could bring me to the c-capital and t-they agreed. I don''t k-know what happened to him a-after that," Flora exined in a trembling voice.


    Heath wrinkled his brows. Someone else fought with that guy? And this stupid girl thought that he would lose? No, that bastard couldn''t lose. Not until Heath defeated him himself. "Where''s that forest?"


    "It- it was near the vige of Seyn."


    He rudely let go of the girl and ran out of the main hall.


    The Bishop called out to him but he was just ignored. Charles almost let out a string of curses, but he immediately calmed himself. He turned to the priest. "Tell all the guards to follow Knight Magnus. Tell them to do everything to make sure that the knight won''t get injured again. Understand?"


    "All of the guards, Your Excellency?"


    "Yes. All." He couldn''t have Magnus be injured again. Thest thing he wanted was to get on the bad side of the Pope. Especially since he''s just a newly anointed Bishop. He couldn''t have all these taken away when he hadn''t even enjoyed all the priveleges provided by his position.


    "But Your Excellency, who would be left here to protect the Temple and you?"


    "Are you expecting a mass attack from some organization I don''t know about?" The priest shook his head. "Then get to it!"


    "Yes, Your Excellency!"


    After the priest ran out, Charles could finally focus all his attention on Flora. He put his arm on her shoulders. "My sweet,e. I''ll pour you some tea to calm you down."


    He guided her towards the direction of his room and the girl just docilely followed. Once they entered, he saw the shock on her face when she saw the girl on the bed.


    He gently kneaded her back. "Don''t worry, she''s not in pain." Her whole body trembled, probably in fear, which only excited him more. He carefully lead her to the bed and made her sit on it. "Don''t be afraid."


    To his surprise, her body stopped trembling. Then she looked up at her, no trace of fear or any kind of emotion on her face. "Oh I''m not afraid."


    The bracelet she was wearing suddenly turned into a sword. Before he could react, she already shed at him. He felt pain in both his ankles, making him fall straight on the floor. She put her foot on his chest and pointed her sword at his neck.


    "Who are you?" he asked, outraged. Because he was pretty certain this was not Flora. Now that he looked at her more carefully, this girl was much taller than the real one. It was stupid of him to not even notice that. All because he was too excited to have a taste of her.


    "You don''t have the qualification to know who I am."


    Charles red at the girl. He clenched his fist and started gathering Mana. A big fireball appeared above her head. He might not be an SS level Gift user, but this was certainly enough to burn this bitch. The fireball went down but the moment it touched the girl''s hair, itpletely disappeared. His eyes widened inplete shock. "How--?"


    "Don''t bother attacking using your Gift, it won''t work." She stabbed his shoulder making him grunt in pain. "Now, I want you to make a confession. Confess everything you did since you were assigned in this ce. And when I say everything, I mean everything. If you don''t want to die, that is."


    Although Charles was still confused by what just happened, the anger he felt was much more. "You dare do this to a Bishop of the Temple of Gaia?" Instead of answering she just stabbed his other shoulder. "The Temple will make you pay!" Another stab on his gut. "You--!" He wasn''t able to finish what he was about to say because she already stabbed him on his thigh.


    "Confess or the next one will be on your chest."


    For the first time, Charles experienced the word pain. It''s like being tortured to death slowly. And he couldn''t do anything about it. Now he''s regretting that he sent all the guards to follow that bastard Magnus. If he hadn''t, then someone could have already heard his scream by now. But because his ce of residence was far from the other priests, no one woulde here unless there''s an emergency.


    Then a sudden realization hit him. Magnus wouldn''t have gone out if this girl didn''t arrive and tell him the location of the bandit. And since she''s not the real Flora, she probably just lied in order to get him out along with the other guards. So she could do this to him. Charles looked at the girl,pletely frightened. Now he has no doubt that she would really kill him unless he did what she wanted. And he has no way to fight back.


    "I- I will c-confess," he finally said.


    "Good. Now, start."


    He started confessing everything. Taking gold coins from the Temple''s treasury for his own use, torturing and raping the girls who served at the Temple, everything. By the end of it, he was a crying mess. Because he knew if this got out, it would be the end of his career. But if he didn''t say anything, then he would be dead. He''d rather be kicked out of the Temple than for that to happen.


    "There, I''m done. Just let me go. Please!"


    "There still another thing. Tell me the reason why the Temple was so against Silver Corporation."


    Charles'' brain was muddled because of the pain his whole body was feeling. Although he was confused why the girl suddenly asked that question, he still answered it.


    "It''s because of the Silver Witch who was the center of the war 500 years ago. ording to the annals of the Pope who was alive at that time - Pope Mellidor, she built all these contraptions, these devices that could subvert human beliefs. She and the things she made was the cause of it all. We were taught that things like those created by the Silver Witch was sphemous. And the sPhones being produced by the Silver Corporation was no different from those things. Moreover, it doesn''t help that the one who founded thatpany also has silver hair. The Temple just couldn''t help but associate him with the Silver Witch."


    The girl furrowed her brows. "That''s all?"


    "Yes! Can- can you let me go now?"


    The girl nced at the servant girl on the bed before turning back her attention to him. "I won''t kill you. But I can''t let you off that easily either."


    "W-what are you going to do?"


    She didn''t answer and just waved her sword. His clothes were sliced into pieces, making himpletely naked. She raised her sword. When she brought it down, he just felt an extreme pain down there. He looked down and saw blood flowing between his thighs. He screamed and screamed. He was not even sure if it''s because of the pain or the horror. And then he''s vision slowly ckened until he lose conciousness.


    Argent stared at the Bishop who just fainted. She wrinkled her brows in disgust. She looked again at the girl who''s now shrinking herself like a ball on the bed. Her naked body was full of wounds, old and new. Argent clenched her fists. She already guessed that the Bishop was doing something like this. But seeing the evidence herself just made her remember a certain memory. A memory she thought she already burried at the deepest part of her mind.


    She looked back at the disgusting Bishop. Cutting his d*ck was defnitely not enough. Then she went and carved the word ''pig'' on his chest. Satisfied, Argent walked towards the girl. She cut the rope tying the girl to the bed. Then she took a coat from her space ring and covered the girl with it. "Go, leave this ce."


    That advice was the only thing Argent could give the girl. If she''s already brainwashed beyondpare, then no matter what Argent does, it would be of no use. Her fate was in her own hands. If she wanted to change it, then she was the only one who could decide what to do with it.


    Argent walked towards the window and opened it. She jumped down and walked straight to the hidden passage.


    If their n went well, then they could fly out of this country by the end of tomorrow.


    ----------


    Luc opened the door and slowly walked inside the room of Bishop Dupont. He removed the sses he was wearing, revealing a pair of sky blue eyes. Hebed back his golden blond hair and looked down at the Bishop who was naked in writhing in pain. He saw the word ''pig'' carved on his chest and a small smile appeared on his lips.


    [You still have such a dry sense of humor.]


    Charles looked up at the person who came in. His vision was still blurry because of the pain. He just woke up. The girl was nowhere to be found. He wanted to think that all that happened was just a dream. But the pain he was feeling was enough proof that what he experienced was real. He tried to clear his vision and looked carefully at the person who came. Once he got a clear look at the person, he felt hope. Though he wasn''t sure how this person could havee here at this moment.


    "Y-Your Holiness... please... help..."


    Lucern Faust, the Pope of the Temple of Gaia, looked down at the Bishop. The warm atmosphere he usually gave off was not there. Even the silly smile he showed to Argent was nowhere to be seen. All there was in his sky blue eyes was frigid coldness.


    "I warned you, Charles. I told you not to follow the footsteps of your predecessor. But you just have to drown yourself in senseless debauchery. I must say, you deserved this end."


    "P-please... please..."


    Lucern sighed. "Goodbye, Charles."


    He slightly raised his hand and four light spears appeared and skewered the Bishop. Charles screamed and up until his death, he still didn''t understand how could this be his end.


    Lucern no longer looked at the dead Bishop. He walked to the window and opened it. He looked towards the direction of the hidden passage and he couldn''t help the smile that crossed his lips.

 Chapter 48: conclusion

    Chapter 48: conclusion


    THAT MORNING, everyone in the town of Kaurr thought it would be just an ordinary day. Just like how it was for most of their lives. But that''s where they''re wrong. Before they could start they''re day, a huge projection above the town suddenly appeared. They were confused at first, but then the projection showed images with matching sounds. And then they were all just horrified.


    It first showed the image of the new Bishop berating the other priests with scathing words. Then he ordered one of those priests to bring a servant girl to his room. That priest dutifuly did so. Later, a pretty girl was sent to the Bishop''s room. And then that''s when the horror truly began.


    The Bishop ordered the girl to strip. The girl with quivering fingers started to do as she was told. Once naked, the Bishop pulled the girl and threw her on the bed. Then he tied her on the bedpost. They thought it couldn''t get any worse than that, then he started inserting objects in the girl''s private parts. And he''s doing it with a monstrous glee in his eyes. As if he''s enjoying what he was doing immensely. Then the horror intensified. The Bishop parted the girl''s thigh and proceeded on raping her.


    Some people couldn''t take it anymore and just vomitted on the sidewalk. Some couldn''t even look at it. Of course, some were in denial. They just couldn''t believe what they''re seeing. Who would, really? They grew up believing that the Temple of Gaia was the symbol of holiness and that includes the priests who served under it. The higher the position of the priest, the holier they were. But now, they''re seing this. And they just couldn''t begin to fathom just what they were seeing.


    When the Bishop was done, they thought that was already the end. But then the scene change and they saw the Bishop kneeling. He started stating everything he had done since he arrived here. Including raping and torturing a number of servant girls. Everyone couldn''t believe what they were hearing. They were justpletely petrified. Like everything they believe in was starting to crumble under their feet.


    One of the people in the crowds was Mr. Wicks. Frankly speaking, he couldn''t say he was surprise. The Temple was no different from anyrge organization. There would always be a part that''s full of corruption, greed, and perverseness. The people here just refused to see that.


    He suddenly thought of Miss ckbourne''s second visit to his shop yesterday morning. She told him that the Temple here would have a huge crisis soon and they wouldn''t have the time or even the inclination to bother with him. So he should take that chance to import sPhones here. Soon, someone from Silver Corporation would contact him to finalize the deal.


    Was this the huge crisis Miss ckbourne was talking about? Were they the ones behind this? Well, no matter. Whatever the answers were, all he had to do was do a good job and properly promote the sPhones here. Mr. Wicks turned around and entered his shop.


    The same thing was happening in the other four corners of Shandra. Images projected of the Bishop''s wrongdoings. Those images would continue to sh for the rest of the day, embedding it on the people''s mind. Even if they continue to be in denial, there was already a crack on the belief they were so proud of.


    ----------


    At this time, Argent and her threepanions were already inside the flying car and travelling towards the area where y left his sister and friends. It was no doubt that their n was a huge sess.


    On the day that suspicious Luc showed her the hidden passage leading to the residential area of the Temple, Argent went back there at midnight and went to the Bishop''s private residence. It was not that hard looking for it. She just went to the biggest building. ording to what that Luc said, the Bishop kept calling servant girls to his room. So Argent knew that the Bishop''s room was an infinite source of dirty materials. She put a small surveince camera inside the room - to record the Bishop''s activity. And the Bishop didn''t disappoint.


    The next day, Aurum, y, and ck left the town. They flew using the flying car, ck was the one driving. They went to the four biggest viges in the North, South, East, and West part of the country. They put the small projectors in those four viges. Then y went to disguised himself as the ''bandit'' Argent using the holographic choker. He ran around a certain vige, making sure that people would see his face. While Argent stayed at Kaurr to pick the perfect time to disguised herself as Flora.


    And the rest, as they said, was history.


    Now those projectors were showing the dirty deeds of the Bishop and also his confession. Argent was just d she already had those projectors at hand. She just made it a week before they flew to Shandra. Who would have guessed it woulde in handy so soon? She was not worried about people finding it. Because she programmed it to self-destruct once it finished showing the recordings.


    Argent yawned. She barely sleptst night. After getting out of the residential area of the Temple and walking out of Kaurr, she met with Aurum and ck who were waiting for her at the outside forest. Then they met with y who was just done parading himself as the ''bandit''. While inside the flying car, Argent edited the video recorded by the small camera in the Bishop''s room. So it would show the Bishop''s nightly activities more clearly. She also edited the girl''s face and reced it with a slightly different face. It''s a small thing but it could at least save the little bit of dignity the girl still has.


    Just watching that recording was enough for her to lose her appetite for a week. It''s really regretable that Argent had to forego on killling that pig. If he died, then there''s a chance that the Temple could turn things around. They would probably spin the events around and tell everyone that the Bishop was also a victim of sort. But bad news for them, the image of the Bishop raping and torturing that girl would forever remain in the minds of the citizens of Shandra.


    y suddenly chuckled, breaking the silence inside the car.


    "What are you giggling about?" Aurum asked. She was now using her real face since y had already seen it.


    "I''m just imagining the look of those damn priests right now. They''re probably already shitting themselves in anger."


    "Does y really hate the Temple?" ck asked innocently.


    y messed ck''s hair. "Isn''t that already obvious?"


    "Because they treated you and your sister badly when you were still living in that vige?" ck asked again, remembering the story y told them about the vige they grew up in.


    "Not only that." y went quiet for a moment, thinking on how to continue. Or if he even wanted to continue. But in the end, he still chose to say it. "They killed my parents. Setting our home on fire."


    "Why would they do that?" Aurum asked, curious.


    "We weren''t originally from Shandra. We''re from a country in the Southeastern continent. The Temple wanted to take an ancient artifact our family had been guarding for centuries. My parents, of course, refused to tell them its location. When they did that, those animals brutally murdered them," y answered, a trace of anguish in his voice.


    He could still remember the fire and the blood. And his father putting an amulet on his neck and telling him to take Flora away. y absently raised his hand and felt the amulet under his shirt. As always, grief and rage just filled him. If only he was powerful enough to protect them.


    Argent''s interest was piqued when y mentioned an artifact. "The Temple didn''t ask you the location of that artifact when they sent you and your sister to the vige?"


    "They didn''t know who we really are. They thought we also died during that fire. It''s only sheer luck we managed to survive. But then again, we still ended up in their hands anyway," y said bitterly. "It wouldn''t matter if they knew who we were. Flora and I both have no idea about the location of that artifact. It''s probably better that way. At least now its location would forever remain buried together with my parents'' remains."


    If y didn''t know its location, then he probably also didn''t know what it was. Argent wondered what could that artifact was that the Temple even went so far as to kill its guardians.


    She noticed that they were nearing their destination. Argent carefullynded the flying car on the familiar clearing. They all got off the car.


    "So this is it, huh," y said while facing the three.


    "I''d say I''ll miss you, but truly I won''t," Aurum said.


    yughed. "Same sentiments, blondie." He looked at ck and pinched his cheek. "Take care, kid." Then he turned to Argent. "Thank you, for everything."


    Argent turned off the effect of the choker and showed her real face to y. "You did your share of the job. I''d say we''re even now."


    y stared at Argent''s real face and then looked at Aurum''s. They truly were siblings, having probably the two most beautiful faces in the world. He just shook his head and grinned before he turned around and walked towards the direction of where his sister and friends were. Wondering if they would meet again in the future.


    Aurum stared at y''s back for a while before turning to her brother. "Where to now?"


    "Now, we''re going back to Albion," Argent answered. "But before that." She opened her light brain and contacted White. "White, there''s something I need you to do."


    "What is it, Master?" asked White''s soft voice.


    "I will send a recording to you. Make sure it would appear in every [Jiffy] ount and that it would trend for a week."


    "Understood, Master."


    Argent sent the recording and then cut off their connection. She nced at her sister who was now grinning mischievously at her. "What?"


    "Are you going to release the video of that Bishop?"


    "Yes."


    Aurum hugged her arm. "Good. People should know just how dirty the Temple really is."


    That was not really the reason why Argent did it though. It was her own little revenge. After that video was released, the Temple would never again shelter that Bishop. It''s his fault for making her remember those unwanted memories.


    She patted her sister''s head. "Let''s go. It''s time to go back to Albion."

 Chapter 49: a day in the lives of four men (i)

    Chapter 49: a day in the lives of four men (i)


    KINGDOM OF ALBION, Royal Pce.


    "I received news that the Duke of Hanover and his sister areing back at least in a month''s time," the King of Albion - Arthur Friedrich di Albion - said. He looked at his second son, standing in front of his desk with no apparent expression on his face. "I remember you met them personally seven years ago. What''s your opinion on the twins?"


    This was the reason the King summoned him in his royal study? To ask him about the ckbourne twins? Winter thought, perplexed. But he still answered the King''s question. "My interaction with them was short. But even then, I could tell that the Duke has a very brilliant mind."


    Winter absently touched the bracelet he''s wearing. He could still remember how amazed he was when he discovered that Argent made a bracelet that could stop the flow of Mana. It''s effect onlysted for a little more than a year. But it was still amazing, considering his age at that time. So when Winter learned that Argent was the one who founded Silver Corporation, it wasn''t so much as a surprise anymore.


    "How about Lady Aurum?" the King asked again.


    "I don''t have any opinion on her," Winter answered honestly.


    Arthur stared at his son''s face. When he saw how serious Winter was with his answer, he couldn''t help but sigh. His son was almost 18 now but he has never been close to the female color. Unlike his first son who always had to have a scandal with every woman he met. Arthur didn''t know if he should be d or worried.


    "You''re 18th birthday coincides with the month of their return. A grand ball would be prepared for you. Make sure to invite the twins personally."


    "Yes, Father," Winter said. He doesn''t really have any reason to refuse. Besides, inviting them personally would have meant that he now has an excuse to visit them. More urately, to visit Argent.


    "Try to get close to Lady Aurum." Winter''s brows furrowed when he heard that. "A suitable partner is someone with impable bloodline and a powerful Gift. Lady Aurum fit the bill perfectly, don''t you think?"


    Winter''s brows furrowed even further. He didn''t need to be a genius to understand what the King meant. To simplify it, he wanted Winter to have that kind of rtionship with Aurum ckbourne. But that''s something that would never happen. Aside from the fact that his closest friend adored Aurum like she was his treasure, Winter just couldn''t imagine himself with her.


    The King probably wanted to tie the royal family with the ckbournes because of how sessful Silver Corporation was. He was probably thinking that a marriage between the two family was his way to thepany Argent created. But if the King thought that it would be that easy, then he doesn''t understand Argent ckbourne at all.


    Before he could voiced out his opinion, the door to the study suddenly opened. A woman with dark blond hair and a pair of blue-gray eyes entered. She was wearing an elegant gown, a crown on top of her head. It was the Queen of Albion - Callista Margaret di Albion.


    She ignored Winter and went straight to the King''s desk. She put a newspaper on the desk rather forcefully. "Have you seen this news?"


    The King nced at the front page of the newspaper before returning his gaze to the Queen. "I read it this morning."


    "And you have no opinion on it?" Callista said, acting as if she was immensely scandalized. "That awful device was spreading a... video of a Bishop from the Temple of Gaia! What was the Duke of Hanover thinking letting that happen?"


    Winter knew what the Queen was talking about. He watched the video in his sPhone and he had no doubt that almost everyone in the country, probably even the world, had already seen it. It was, in a simple word, disgusting.


    "I don''t think the Duke has any control on everything that''s being posted on [Jiffy]. ming him for this was unfair and unfounded. Especially since he wasn''t the one raping and torturing a helpless girl," Winter said in a cold voice.


    Callista turned sharply at the boy. Just seeing him was enough to dampen her mood. "I''m not talking to you, boy. Do you even know how this thing could affect the rtionship between our country and the Temple of Gaia?"


    "I didn''t know Albion is afraid of the Temple of Gaia. My apologies then, for being an ignorant fool," Winter said with no emotions in his voice while looking at the Queen.


    Callista couldn''t help but feel that the ''ignorant fool'' he was talking about was her rather than him. "You--!"


    "I''ll take my leave then, Father," he said before the Queen began with her tirade. Winter bowed to the King and walked out of the study.


    As he walked away, he could hear the voice of the Queen arguing with the King. No doubt because of him. But Winter didn''t care. Let the King handle her.


    Out of the study, two of his most loyal aides walked behind him. One has a cleanly trimmed ck hair with light-green eyes behind half-moon spectacles. He was tall and lean with a schrly air around him. The other one was huge and muscr with shaggy blond hair and blue eyes. He has a built fit for a warrior.


    Ever since that incident seven years ago, he learned his lesson and started cultivating people he could trust. People who would not hesitate to lend him a helping hand and abide by his orders.


    "Is there any news?" he asked.


    "Nothing concrete yet, Your Highness," answered Niki - the one wearing sses. "But one of my sources said that she wasst seen on Greth."


    "I see." He turned to Aspen - the muscr one. "Go to Greth and check if the information is correct."


    Aspen grinned. "Highness, I already n to do that."


    Winter looked down. [Just wait a bit more, Mother. I won''t stop until I find you.]


    He subconciously touched the bracelet on his wrist and raised his head to look at the blue sky. And he just couldn''t stop but wonder if Argent already started sailing back to Albion.


    ----------


    Somewhere in the Southwestern Sea.


    "Your Holiness, this is a direct insult to the Temple of Gaia! Evidently, that sphemous Silver Corporation just doesn''t put us in their eyes! Your Holiness, we should do something to permanently close that sinfulpany!"


    Lucern looked at the Archbishop in the defaro crystal. There was a light smile on his lips, radiating warmth. "Archbishop Dalton, this is hardly the Silver Corporation''s fault. If we''re pointing fingers then all faults should lie on Bishop Dupont."


    "Your Holiness--!"


    "Don''t worry, Archbishop, I will take care of things. I''m the Pope after all." Lucern smiled at the Archbishop. "See you at Victoria City."


    He cut off the connection. He was on the deck of a small but luxurious ship that belonged to the Temple. The ship was currently sailing towards Victoria City. Lucern turned around and saw Heath Magnus walking to the deck. When the knight saw him, he frowned, gave him a curt nod, then walked back inside again.


    Lucern almostughed. He''s probably still pissed because he forcefully made him leave Shandra. Heath didn''t want to leave until he found that bandit and fought with him again. Unluckily for him, he wouldn''t find that bandit no matter how long he looked.


    Lucern felt a small swish of wind beside him, a sign that something or somebody just appeared. And a familiar voice followed. "Your new knight seemed pissed at you."


    Lucern turned his head and saw a man with long gray hair tied behind his back. The upper-half of his face was covered with a domino mask. He smiled at the man. "Harlequin."


    "Your Holiness," Harlequin greeted with an exagerated bow. "I heard what happened. Are we really going to give up Shandra?"


    "It has no use to me now. So, yes."


    "Pity. Shandra was a good source of human products. They sell quite well at my underground auction," Harlequin said, sounding as if he really regretted the lost of Shandra.


    "Do you have news?" Lucern asked,pletely changing the topic.


    Harlequin smiled. "It''s in the Eastern Continent. One of the sacred artifacts."


    "Where exactly in the Eastern Continent?"


    "Xing Empire."


    A bright smile crossed Lucern''s face. "Good. Contact the Apostles. Send one of them to Xing to search for the artifact."


    Harlequin bowed again. "As you wish, Your Holiness." Then he disappeared out of thin air.


    Lucern gazed at the deep blue sea.


    And smiled.

 Chapter 50: a day in the lives of four men (ii)

    Chapter 50: a day in the lives of four men (ii)


    SIN ISLAND.


    In between the Northern and Eastern seas, close to the Central sea lies an ind. At one nce, it seemed to be just an ordinary uninhabited ind. But on closer inspection, one could see that the vegetation of the ind was bigger than the normal ones. And if you entered inside, you could see countless mutated bugs and animals which were much bigger and scarier than their normal counterparts.


    This happened because the ind was the closest ind to Mythos Continent. In order to close the legendary continent, a powerful magical array was used. To support that magical array, a huge amount of Mana was needed. When that array was activated, that huge amount of Mana affected the nearby ind. The nts and animals slowly mutated and as years went by the mutation just became more and more horrible until no human could enter inside without risking their lives.


    Years and yearster, the said ind was known as Sin Ind.


    But if you went inside the ind now, not a single one of those mutated nts and animals could be found. Inside the forest, on a clearing, a man was standing on a pile of dead beasts. Almost all parts of his body was covered in blood. Either his own or the blood of the beasts lying under his feet. The strands of his hair that wasn''t sshed with blood was the palest tinum blond. It almost looked silvery white under the rays of the sun. But what people would notice first was not the blood covering him nor was it the color of his hair, but the pair of heterochromic eyes gazing at the sky. One forest green and one sky blue.


    Viperughed. The sound resounding throughout the forest. Finally! After seven years, he finally killed all the mutated things on this ind. That meant he could leave. That''s the agreement he had with his Master. As long as he managed to kill every mutated nts and animals in this ce, then his punishment could end early. Then he could finally see his Argent again.


    "I did it, Master! I killed all of them! You''re going to let me leave, right? You promised!" he shouted to the sky. Because he knew his Master was listening.


    His Master has a vi here. He usually stayed in this ind so it was not hard for him to surveil Viper''s movement. That''s why Viper didn''t dare to escape. Because his Master would just easily bring him back here. And besides, only a lunatic would dare go against someone like his Master. Viper could admit that he has some few screw loose but he was not that far gone off yet.


    Viper heard the pping of huge wings then something golden flew down. A huge golden dragonnded on the clearing. Its golden scales looked like golden jewels under the light of the sun. The Mana around it condensed and suddenly the dragon turned into a tall man with golden hair and golden eyes. He looked to be only in his mid-twenties but Viper knew he was way older than that. His clothes were enchanted. So even if he turned into a dragon, it wouldn''t be destroyed into pieces and once he turned into his humanoid form, the clothes would return to how it were.


    His Master has an innate arrogance in him. It probably came from the fact that he knew he belonged at the very top of the food chain. People in the world thought that the master of Dreich Gallere has a very powerful Gift. But the truth was the master of the most famous assassin organization in the world was not a Gift user but a dragon - probably the only one outside the Mythos Continent. He''s not just a dragon but a golden dragon. They have the noblest bloodline among the dragon race, not to mention, the most powerful Mana.


    It was a mystery, how he ended up outside the Mythos Continent. It was a sore subject for their Master, so they never asked. Lest they wanted to be punished. They guessed that the reason their Master chose this ind as his personal territory was because it was close to the location of the Mythos Continent. It was probably the closest thing next to home for him.


    Only the members of Dreich Gallere with code names knew about that truth. It''s like a reward given to them. After working hard and gaining a code name for themselves. Right now, there''s only nine members with a code name. Gecko was supposed to be a tenth addition. But Viper killed him before he could even make a mark in the world as an assassin. And Viper totally didn''t regret it. That''s what he deserved for hurting his Argent.


    Viper jumped down from the pile of dead beasts and ran towards his Master. "Master, I want to go out this ind now."


    Sinir stared at this stupid apprentice of his. He was covered with blood and filth from head to toe and he didn''t seem to care about that. The only thing he cared about for the past seven years was getting out of this ind. All for that one boy.


    Sinir nced at the pile of beast behind Viper and then turned his gaze back on his apprentice. "You can go. But you''re not allowed to meet with Argent ckbourne."


    Viper''s face immediately scrunched up when he heard that. "Why?"


    "I have a mission for you. Finish that first and you can do whatever you want."


    Viper''s face cleared up after that. "Okay. What''s the mission? I''ll do it right away."


    "First, clean yourself up. Then I''ll tell you the details."


    Viper nodded and immediately ran towards the direction of where theke was.


    Sinir stared at Viper''s back before shaking his head. Then he suddenly remembered the interview he saw of that silver-haired youth. An unknown emotion rippled in his golden eyes. No one could think of what was currently going on in his mind.


    ----------


    Xing Empire, the capital of Zou.


    People lined up on the streets of the capital, eagerly watching the parade of soldiers entering the city. At the forefront of those soldiers was a young man riding a ck stallion. His long ck hair was simply tied behind his back. His pair of obsidian ck eyes looked ahead, full of focus and determination. He looked majestic with his ck armor. Seeing him, no one could doubt the power he possessed.


    The people cheered when they saw the young man. They were there to wee the young and courageous general who protected the Northern border against barbarians for three years. He managed to maintain peace there. Something that not many could have done in his age. Now that he''s back, they were sure that his future was limitless. The Emperor would surely grant him many rewards.


    The parade stopped at the front of the Zhang Household. Madame Lin was there together with other servants, waiting for their arrival. Zhang Lei Feng went down his horse and walked towards his mother.


    "Mother, your son is back," he first greeted.


    Madame Lin stared at her only child and she couldn''t stop the tears that gathered in her eyes. She hasn''t seen him in three years and he already turned into such a handsome man. He even brought infinite glory to their family. She smiled and tried to prevent herself from crying. "Yes. Come,e, let''s go inside. I know you must be tired from the long journey."


    Madame Lin sped her son''s arm and they entered the gate. She guided her towards her courtyard. Once inside the living room, the servants immediately brought in tea and snacks.


    "How was your journey?" Madame Lin asked while pouring tea for her son.


    "Uneventful," Lei Feng answered, thanking his mother for the tea and drinking it. "Where''s Father?"


    "At the pce. The Emperor called him, probably to talk about you." Her husband was now holding the military power of the whole empire. He stays in the capital much more often nowpared to before. On the contrary, her son was now the one who was always away. "I think the Emperor is nning to bestow a marriage to you."


    Lei Feng didn''t have any reaction, as if he already expected something like that. "I won''t marry the sixth princess."


    Madame Lin raised her brow. There''s been a rumor going around that the Emperor wanted to marry his most precious daughter to the outstanding young general of the Zhang family. She didn''t expect her son to know about that since he was away from the capital.


    "Why not? The sixth princess is the first beauty of Xing. She''s also a very aplished youngdy. You couldn''t find anyone who could have such beauty and talent," she said, trying to gauge her son''s reaction. Of course, Madame Lin wouldn''t force her son to marry anyone he didn''t like. He was her only son, all she wanted was for him to be happy.


    Lei Feng gazed down. "I already have someone in my heart."


    Madame Lin''s eyes brightened when she heard that. Her overly strict and serious son just said that he has someone in his heart. She almost thought that she just had an audatory hallucination. "Who is it? Is she ady from the North? Where can Mother meet her?"


    "She''s not from the North. It will probably take time before I could convince her to be with me. So Mother may have to wait a while before you could meet her."


    "Howe you still have to convince her? My son is the most handsome and most powerful general of Xing. If she doesn''t ept you, then she''s thoroughly blind!"


    Lei Feng''s lips tilted upwards, forming a small smile. Making his already handsome face even more handsome. "She has that right. Because she''s even better than me."


    Madame Lin was confused by her son''s answer. Did that mean that the girl was also a warrior? She just shook her head and decided not to think about that for now. "Then Mother is waiting for you to introduce me to your specialdy."


    "Yes, Mother."


    After they talk for a while, Lei Feng bid farewell to his mother and walked towards his own courtyard. The moment he arrived there, An Yi appeared behind him.


    "How?" he asked.


    "It''s confirmed, Master. The fourth prince is preparing for a diplomatic visit to Albion."


    Lei Feng appeared thoughtful for a while then he turned to An Yi and ordered, "Prepare a meeting for me and the fourth prince."


    "Yes, Master!" Then An Yi disappeared.


    Lei Feng nced at the lotus pond not faraway. And no one would probably think that they would see excitement on the young general''s usualy stern face.

 Chapter 51: the popes speech

    Chapter 51: the pope''s speech


    ARGENT put the flying shuttle on auto-pilot mode before turning on her light brain. They were currently flying towards Albion, just a few hours more and they would enter the country''s territory. Before that, she decided to contact Finn. Since White had been sending her messages through her light brain that Finn had been trying to contact her for three days now.


    Argent doesn''t really have her own sPhone. Hermunication device was her light brain. If someone wanted to contact her using an sPhone, then they could either contact Felicia or thepany''s main line - which was technically White. She didn''t have the patience to sort out important calls from useless ones. So that job was left to Felicia and White.


    She contacted Finn through his [TalkUs] ount. Argent already has an idea why he had been trying to contact her these past three days. It probably had something to do with the disgusting video of the Bishop. After all, it has already been three days since she told White to release it in [Jiffy].


    Finn''s handsome face immediately appeared on the screen of the light brain. "Thank the goddess you finally contacted me. Did you somehow lose your sPhone or you just can''t be bothered contacting me back?" he said sarcastically.


    "I just can''t be bothered," she answered honestly.


    Finn felt the muscle on his face twitch. He should have known not to fight this guy with sarcasm. He would just be the one ending up losing. "That video of the Bishop, that''s your handwriting, right?"


    Argentzily looked at him. "You already know the answer, why ask?"


    Finn sighed. Yes, he already knew the answer. He just wondered how Argent managed to get that video without rming anyone in Shandra''s Temple of Gaia. "Are you certain it won''t be traced back to Silver Corporation?"


    "If I''m going to do something, I''m not going to be sloppy about it."


    The only way that video would be traced back to Silver Corporation was if a god-level hacker hacked that anonymous ount and found White''s signature on it. But that was definitely impossible to happen since the people in this world don''t even know what codes were, let alone the term ''hacking''.


    Finn no longer asked Argent about the video and proceeded to talk about another matter. "I already sent a team to Shandra to make a deal with Mr. Wicks and to help him with his shop."


    Argent raised one of her brow. "Help him with his shop? I never thought you''re that generous."


    "I wouldn''t, in a normal situation. But your sister threatened me with bodily harm if I didn''t send people to help Mr. Wicks."


    Argent didn''t realize that her sister actually sympathized that much with Mr. Wicks. Well, no matter, the sooner Mr. Wicks stabilized the sales of sPhones in Shandra, the better.


    "Are you already in Albion?" Finn asked after that.


    "In a while."


    "Be careful of those aristocrats, they might swindle you out of your money since you''re so rich now."


    Argent almostughed because of his ridiculous conjecture. "As if they have that ability."


    Finn couldn''t help but stare at Argent''s lips that slightly tilted upwards. He knew that was Argent''s version of a smile. And being able to evoke that from this indifferent guy just made him feel proud. He couldn''t even stop the fast beating of his heart because of that small smile. Finn shook his head.


    [Stop it, Finn! You already decided to not go on this route, right? You''re going to stay as his friend. Nothing more.] After admonishing himself, he remembered something he had to say to Argent. "You might as well check the Pope''s [Jiffy] ount."


    "The Pope has a [Jiffy] ount?" Argent asked, a bit incredulous.


    Finn shrugged. "He''s youngpared to the other priests. He was ordained ten years ago. And from what I heard, he advocates change in the Temple. Thus, he''s not afraid to use sPhones. Check the video he posted. It''s probably the Temple''s way to contain the negative effects umted by the video of that Bishop. It''s kind of ironic, really. Since people all know how much the Temple hates ourpany. And yet they''re using sPhones to fix the problem caused by their clergy."


    "That just goes to show they''re a bunch of hypocrites."


    Argent finished her call with Finn then turned off her light brain.


    "Master, are we really going to travel around Albion first before we go to your pce?" ck asked, suddenly hugging her arm.


    Aurum suggested that they traveled around Albion first. Since they informed people in Albion that they''re going to arrive there in at least a month''s time, why not take the opportunity to travel around first in disguise? They left Albion when they were seven. They didn''t really have the chance to go to Albion''s scenic spots because of that. This was probably the only time they''d have to go around since she''s certain that when those people - i.e. the King and the other aristocrats - found out she''s back, she''d be really busy.


    "Yes, we''re going to travel around Albion. And it''s not a pce, it''s a manor," she said, answering ck''s question.


    "Brother, have you seen this?" Aurum suddenly asked, sitting on her other side and showing Argent her sPhone.


    "Let me guess, it''s the video made by the Pope?" Argent said. Her sister nodded. "I haven''t seen it yet. Why?"


    "I haven''t watched it either but it''s currently trending. Let''s watch it together?"


    "Sure, why not?"


    Aurum pressed the y button of the video and a man with golden blond hair and sky blue eyes appeared on the screen. He has this certain warm atmosphere around him. People couldn''t help but think that he was nothing but kind. One just couldn''t resist but want to get close to him.


    "Good day to everyone. I know that these past three days, all of you probably already watched the video of Bishop Dupont. On behalf of the Temple of Gaia, I humbly apologized for his immoral actions. I assure you that the Temple of Gaia doesn''t condone actions such as his. Hurting others for the sake of one''s own pleasure is a sin that the goddess forbid us tomit. Being her humble servants, it''s our job to follow her teachings. So we could set a wonderful example to others.


    "But sometimes, there are those who couldn''t resist the call of evil. They soak themselves in greed and pleasure, not thinking of those people they could hurt. One example is Bishop Dupont. As the head of the Temple of Gaia, I will do everything to punish him for his sin and to help those girls he hurt. I vow this in my name, Lucern Faust. Once again, I''m sorry and I hope you could find it in your heart to forgive us."


    The Pope ended that speech with a low bow. Seeing the highest leader of the church apologizing so sincerely and bowing so low would surely leave a huge impact to anyone who''s watching the video.


    "Wow. He really apologized. He even made a vow," Aurummented, quite impressed. After all, not all could easily make a vow. Unless one really meant what they said.


    "He''s acting," Argent sneered.


    Even without the huge sses and the silly smile, Argent recognized him immediately. The Pope who was acting all sincere and humble was the shady guy she met in Shandra. Knowing that, the questions inside her mind just kept on multiplying.


    [Just what are you ying at, Lucern Faust?]


    *****


    NOTE: Yes, you didn''t imagine it. There''s really a new chapter so early in the week. Yey! I''m doing a trial. If I managed to release 5chapters a week this whole month of July, I''ll permanently change my update schedule to; Mondays-Fridays (GMT+8:00). Hopefully I could do it. *fingers-crossed* ()/

 Chapter 52: homecoming

    Chapter 52: homing


    ARGENT slightly opened her eyes when she heard the excited voice of ck. They were currently travelling inside one of the ckbourne''s carriage. She called their butler - Gregory - earlier to send the carriage to the dock. So it would give the illusion that they just arrived here in Albion. There were many eyes watching. Questions would just arise if they suddenly appeared here out of nowhere. So to avoid unnecessary queries, they produced an act that they just arrived here today by ship. It would be less troublesome that way.


    They just finished their travelling. They went to every scenic spots they could go to in the short span of three weeks. Argent remembered just how much pictures Aurum had taken during their travel. Just thinking about it could easily give her a headache. But she was d her sister had fun. That was more important.


    Argent looked outside the window of the carriage. They were already at the premises of the ckbourne estate. It seemed that nothing much had changed.


    "Master! Master! I can see your pce!" ck said excitedly pointing outside the window.


    "Sit properly ck before you identaly fall off the carriage," she reminded ck. "And again, it''s not a pce, it''s a manor."


    ck sat back down. "But it''s so big, how could it not be a pce?"


    "Because a real pce is much bigger."


    "Then Master, will you take ck to a real pce?"


    Before Argent could answer, Aurum interrupted them. "Oh stop with your childish question, kid." She turned to her brother. "Brother, that Pope''s speech is still in the trending list of [Jiffy]!" Aurum said, showing her the trending list of [Jiffy] in her sPhone. "Argh! I wish I could just tell everyone that he''s nothing but a shady, shameless guy who go around disguising himself as some clumsy, silly man."


    "Then, I''m d you''re restraining yourself," Argent said. When she recognized Lucern Faust as Luc, of course, she told that to her sister. And since then, Aurum already put a ''bad guy''bel on the Pope.


    "Why do you think he did what he did? You know, disguising himself and telling you things about the Bishop? It doesn''t make sense at all. Unless he knew exactly what you''re nning to do. Which was impossible. You said that he might have a telepathic Gift like me and he wanted to use us to get rid of the Bishop. But we know now that the Pope has a light Gift. So just how?"


    "Honestly, I have no idea."


    That was a first for Argent. The only working theory she has was that the Pope, in some way or another, knew exactly who she was despite the holograpic mask she was wearing that time. Aside from that, he also had to know what she was doing there. Which, as Aurum said, was impossible. Because how could he possibly know?


    Argent already asked White to collect all the avable information she could find on Lucern Faust. All she got was surface data. Like how he has an SS level light Gift, that he came from a middle-ss family, that he became a Pope at the young age of 16, that he does charity every now and then, and that he''s known for being kind and generous. But knowing those things could not really answer her questions.


    "Do you think he''s somehow against us?" Aurum asked somewhat worriedly. She watched that video. If her brother didn''t tell her that the Pope and that Luc person were the same guy, she might have believed the things he said on the video. He''s a good actor. Way too good, in fact. Which only showed that he has a very deep mind. Which also meant that he would not be an easy enemy to have.


    "Don''t think about it anymore. The Temple and ourpany are already at odds anyway. If he does end up as an enemy, then we''ll face him head on." Argent gripped her sister''s hand. "I won''t let him or anyone hurt our family. I promise."


    Aurum stared at her brother''s beautiful face and she knew she would do exactly as she said. She smiled. "I know. Because Brother is the best."


    ck chose that time to throw himself at Argent. "Of course, Master is the best."


    Aurum flicked ck''s forehead. "Stupid, how many times do I have to tell you not to cling on to my brother?"


    ck stuck out his tongue and hugged Argent even tighter.


    After a few more minutes, the carriage stopped in front of Hanover manor. The coachman opened the door of the carriage. ck was the first one who got down, followed by Aurum, and thenstly, Argent. Gregory and Nelly - the husband and wife duo, also their butler and head maid - were there waiting for them together with other servants.


    "Wee back, Your Grace, and mdy," Gregory greeted them. "I trust you had a safe journey."


    "Yes, thank you, Gregory," Argent said.


    "Wee back, Your Grace, mdy," Nelly smiled brightly at them. Then she looked at ck. "And wee to Hanover manor, little master."


    ck smiled widely. "You know me?"


    "My daughter, Felicia, might have mentioned to me about the little master who''s always stuck at our lord''s side."


    "You''re Felicia''s mom? Then..." he nced at Gregory. "This scary looking man is her dad?"


    Aurumughed. "Don''t mind this stupid kid Gregory, you''re not scary at all."


    "I don''t mind, mdy," Gregory said, no apparent reaction on his face.


    "I made all your favorite dishes. I hope you would like it."


    "Of course, we would, Nelly. I remember loving your food as a kid. I''m excited to taste your craft again."


    "Thank you, mdy," Nelly said, smiling proudly.


    They all entered the manor. Just as they were entering the dining room, Argent noticed a maid who just put a te of fruit on the table. She was statuesque and graceful even with the maid uniform. Her side face showed her undeniable beauty. Her long blue-ck hair was braided behind her back. Her dark blue eyes were surrounded by thick eyshes. And then, she turned around and Argent saw the other side of her face.


    The left side of her face was riddled with ugly burn scars. It immediately ruined the beauty she should have had. When she saw them came in, her face crossed a horrified look and then she immediately bowed her head.


    "Y-Your Grace, m-mdy... w-wee back," she greeted, stuttering. As if afraid they might scold her. "I- I was just t-trying to put the fruit p-te--"


    "It''s okay, Merissa. You can go back to the kitchen now," Nelly said, with a kind smile on her face.


    The maid - Merissa - bowed again before walking fast back to the kitchen.


    "Is she new?" Argent asked, following the maid with her eyes.


    "Yes, Your Grace. I met her on Greth when I was visiting a friend a month ago. I found her unconcious in the middle of the road," Nelly exined. "When she woke up, she told me she has nowhere to go. I decided to hire her temporarily as a maid. I''m sorry if I went ahead and did that without Your Grace''s permission."


    "I don''t mind. You and Gregory were in-charge while we were away after all. I trust your judgement," Argent said.


    "Thank you, Your Grace," Nelly said, full of gratitude in her voice.


    "Why does she look like that?" ck asked innocently.


    "Because life happens," Aurum answered.


    "I don''t understand," ck said, confused.


    "Of course you don''t. Because you''re a kid," Aurum said with a mocking grin.


    "Stop bickering, you two. Let''s just have our lunch," Argent said, walking towards the long dining table.


    While sitting down, Argent couldn''t help but think of that maid. She just couldn''t get this hunch out that there''s something off about her. She shook her head and temporarily get that thought out of her mind.


    ----------


    A huge ship was travelling on the Southern sea. Its sail has the symbol of the mighty Xing Empire. There were soldiers with armors standing on the ship''s deck. Inside one of the most luxurious cabin in the ship, two men were having tea.


    One has delicate features that could either be said to be female or male. His long ck hair was tied atop his head with a jade crown. He was wearing an elegant red robe. He has that certain kind ofzy beauty. The other man has that ssic handsome face. He was wearing a simple ck robe. His long ck hair was simply tied behind his back.


    The man with delicate features was the fourth prince of Xing - Li Jun. And the other was the young general, Zhang Lei Feng.


    "I still can''t believe that the brave general would rather be my bodyguard than be married to my sister," the prince said, drinking his tea. "Frankly, I can''t me you. If I''m in your position, I''d ran away from my sister too. Li Min might be beautiful, but she sure has a rotten heart."


    "I''m going with you for my own reasons not because I ran away from your sister."


    "Yes, tell yourself that," Li Jun said with a teasing grin. "Though I''m not reallyining. I''m happy to have a qualified person with me during this trip. It''s quite reassuring. You''d save me if someone tried to assassinate me, right?"


    "Yes, Your Highness. That''s part of my job. If there''s nothing else, then I''ll leave you to your privacy." Lei Feng stood up, bowed, and went out of the cabin.


    He walked towards the deck and took out his sPhone. He opened it and stared at the wallpaper. It was a screenshot of Argent ckbourne during that one interview. [Just one month more and I could finally see you. Just a little bit more.]

 Chapter 53: the mysterious maid

    Chapter 53: the mysterious maid


    ARGENT parted the scattered hair on her sister''s forehead. She stared at Aurum''s angelic face, a rare look of tenderness on her usual indifferent face. They were in her old bedroom. Aurum asked if they could sleep together, of course she agreed.


    Aurum nced at ck who was sitting near the window. He appeared to be sleeping but he wasn''t. Her brother had to shut his system down before it overloaded. All because he overate. Again. "Will he be fine tomorrow?"


    "Yes. The extra-energy he umted would be diffused by then," Argent answered then smiled teasingly at her sister. "I thought you didn''t like ck."


    "I think he''s an annoying brat. But I already got used to him. It''s weird not having him chattering around."


    "Then you''ll be d to know that he''d be chattering again by morning. Now, sleep. We will have a busy day tomorrow."


    Because she was sure once the news spread that the Duke of Hanover was back, some greedy sharks would definitelye flocking to their door.


    Aurum burrowed herself into Argent''s arm. "I''m not sleepy yet."


    "Then I''ll get you a ss of warm milk to help you sleep."


    Argent gently stroke Aurum''s hair before getting up. She walked out of the room and went downstairs straight to the kitchen. It was quiet and no servants could be seen walking around the hallway. Not really surprising since it''s already close to midnight. Argent arrived at the door of the kitchen and was about to enter when she heard the soft humming of a woman inside.


    It seemed the owner of the voice was humming a children''s song based on the bubbly and jumpy rhythm. Just listening, one could easily tell that the one singing has a very nice singing voice. She has a very soft and melodious tone. Argent slightly furrowed her brows. Who was still awake during thiste hour?


    She went inside the kitchen and saw the maid with the burn scars on her face, happily making some kind of pastry. There was a smile on her lips, so unlike the frightened expression she had earlier. If you ignore the scars, it was easy to see that she was a very beautiful woman.


    Argent cleared her throat. The maid - Merissa - was obviously startled because she almost dropped the whisk she was holding. When Merissa saw her, the maid''s expression immediately turned horrified. She bowed her head and gripped the airpron she was wearing quite tightly.


    "Y-Your Grace, I-I''m sorry for being here so lte. I-I just couldn''t sleep and I ended up here in the kitchen, then--" she said, quite flustered.


    "Rx. I''m not going to eat you," Argent said, cutting whatever else it was she has to say. "I won''t send you to prison just because I found you baking during the middle of the night."


    Merissa stared at the young duke''s beautiful face. She experienced a lot of maltreatment for the past 12 years. So she''s sensitive to people''s ill-will, especially if it was directed at her. But looking at the duke''s purple eyes filled with indifference, she could tell that he has no maliciousness towards her. In fact, he probably doesn''t care why she''s here at all. Indifference she could take. That''s infinitely better than malice. Due to that, her fear slowly subsided.


    Argent picked a small pan and took a bottle of milk from the pantry.


    The maid probably already guessed what she was trying to do because she said, "Your Grace, I could warm that milk for you."


    "No need," Argent said, putting the pan on the stove, lighting it and pouring the milk inside. She wouldn''t let a person she didn''t trust to warm the milk she''s going to give to her sister. Once she''s done with that, she turned back to the maid who was now continuing her whisking. Staring at her, Argent couldn''t stop the curiousity running in her mind. "What happened, to your face, if you don''t mind me asking?"


    There was a slight surprise on Merissa''s face because of the duke''s sudden question. She lowered her gaze, she resisted the urge to touch the burn scars on her face. "Someone wanted me dead but I survived and this was the result."


    The sad smile that crossed the maid''s face didn''t get past Argent''s notice. There was no anger, an emotion that should have been there considering that she probably experienced an awful lot. Instead, there was only infinite sadness. "You don''t want revenge, to the people who did this to you?"


    Merissa shook her head. "No. Nothing good wille out from vengeance. It would only generate more hate."


    Argent stared at the maid''s face, checking if she was sincere with what she said. And surprisingly, she was. Argent no longer talked and turned back to turn off the stove. She picked a mug and poured the warm milk in it. "I''ll leave you to your baking."


    "Yes. Good night, Your Grace."


    Argent nodded to the maid and went out of the kitchen. After that conversation, she could now safely say that the maid was not some cold-hearted b*tch posing as a servant here in the manor. But that doesn''t mean Argent''s suspicion of herpletely cleared up, it only decreased a tiny bit.


    ----------


    Just as Argent predicted, early the next morning, a ton of minor aristocrats and wealthy businessmen came knocking on the manor''s door - those aristocrats who were trying to make connections and the merchants who wanted to make business transactions. It was already past noon and yet there''s still no stopping them.


    She was just d no high ranking aristocrats came. Then she would be forced to meet them. Aristocratic rules and stuff. But because those who visited were only minor aristocrats and merchants, it was enough to let Aurum entertain them. While her sister was working hard dealing with those people, Argent was in the study with Gregory. Reviewing the report of the state of the ckbourne''s different properties for the past seven years.


    "You did a good job on managing all the family''s estates, Gregory," Argentmented after finishing reading thest report.


    "It''s my job, Your Grace. I wouldn''t want to disappoint you and the Duchess," Gregory humbly said.


    She put down the report and thought of something. "That new maid - Merissa - what do you think of her?"


    "She''s dilligent, Your Grace. Naturally kind and selfless. I''ve observed her carefully for the past month and she hasn''t done anything suspicious."


    "Yet."


    Looked like Gregory was also suspicious of Merissa, especially since his wife was the one who brought her here. If the maid turned out to be nothing good, then Nelly would surely me herself.


    "Don''t worry, Your Grace. If she does something, I will handle it myself," Gregory promised.


    "Good."


    The door of the study suddenly opened and Aurum walked in - or rather marched in. She sat down on the seat in front of Argent''s desk, all udylike. "Brother, I can''t do this anymore! If one more matrones here wanting to marry off her daughter to you, I swear I wouldmit murder!"


    Aurum couldn''t even be rude to them because that would ruin the angelic, perfectdy she was projecting to outsiders. But seriously, her patience was already at its end.


    "And I''m proud of you for notmitting murder," Argent teased.


    "Howe you can stay here while I deal with those people? It''s unfair," Aurumined, pouting.


    "Because I''m the duke," Argent said with a grin on her face.


    Aurum stared at her brother. She was d Argent mostly only smiled at her. If her brother always smiled like this, then the line of people wanting to marry her would be endless. "I''m hungry," she just said instead.


    Argent turned to the butler. "Gregory, could you ask that new maid to bring snacks and tea here for Lady Aurum?"


    "As you wish, Your Grace," Gregory bowed and walked outside the study.


    "Why do you ask for that maid?" Aurum asked, confused.


    "She''s a mystery. I like observing her. Don''t you?"


    "Not really." But Aurum could understand her brother''s point. After all, Argent loved puzzles. The moreplicated, the better.


    A few minutester, Merissa knocked and came in with a trolley of teas and pastries. "Your Grace, mdy," she greeted politely. She pushed the trolley towards them and put two teacups on the desk. She carefully poured tea in each teacups.


    Before any of them could drink the tea, someone knocked on the study''s door. Argent told them toe in and Gregory entered.


    "What is it?" Argent asked.


    "There are new visitors, Your Grace," he told them.


    "Tell them to wait. I haven''t even eaten my snacks yet," Aurumined.


    "Your Grace, it''s the Earl of Brightmore and the second prince."


    When Gregory mentioned the two, Argent noticed that Merissa''s face paled quite dramatically. She raised one of her brows. And so, the mystery just expanded.

 Chapter 54: winter is here

    Chapter 54: winter is here


    ARGENT noticed that not only did the maid''s face paled, her whole body also trembled. Interesting. There''s already a conjecture inside her head but Argent hated jumping into conclusion without enough evidence. So she temporarily let go of the idea running through her head.


    Argent turned to Gregory. "Tell Brightmore and his royal highness that we''ll meet them shortly."


    "Yes, Your Grace," Gregory bowed and went out the study once again.


    [Why the heck did Mis bring that prince with him?] Aurum thought, she was already getting annoyed because of all the visitors she had been entertaining. Now, her irritation just reached its peak because of the arrival of that prince.


    Even now Aurum could still remember the talk she had with the King seven years ago before they left Albion. She was just a young kid then, but she still understood what the King wanted. For her to be a fiancee candidate to that second prince. And now that she could somehow control her Gift, add that to the fact that her brother now owned one of the wealthiestpany in the world, she has no doubt that she was now at the top of that fiancee candidatedder.


    That''s why Aurum didn''t want any member of the royal family to get close to their family. Because she just couldn''t help but think that they have some ulterior motives.


    Argent nced at the maid, who was still as white as a sheet of paper. "Bring that trolley to the drawing room."


    She didn''t think it was possible but the maid''s face paled even more because of what she said. Argent just ignored that and left the study together with Aurum. They walked towards the drawing room. Once they entered the room, the two men sitting inside immediately stood up. Both were tall, lean, and equally handsome.


    One has red hair and a pair of russet colored eyes. He has this kind of innate energy in him, as if he couldn''t sit still in one ce. The other has an ice blue hair and pale blue eyes. There was no apparent expression on his face. As if his face was forever frozen in that cold expression.


    Mis''s eyes brightened when he saw Aurum. They often talk using video calls but seeing the real thing was still different. His goddess grew up so beautifully. Just seeing her standing there could already bring his heartbeat into overhaul. "Aurum!"


    "Lord Brightmore," Aurum greeted Mis with her fake smile and then turned to the second prince and cutsied. "Your Highness."


    Mis was confused for a bit and then she realized that Aurum was probably pissed at him. But why? He hasn''t done anything that could possibly annoy her.


    "Brightmore, Your Highness, please do sit down," Argent said gesturing for them to sit.


    The two sat back down and the twins sat on the opposite couch.


    Winter couldn''t help but stare at Argent. He wanted to say that seeing him right now was no different than seeing him on that interview. But he would be lying if he did. His silver hair appeared much softer, his purple eyes were like expensive amethyst, his white skin seemed to be more delicate. Winter couldn''t believe that a man could be so beautiful. Even though the duke''s sister, the one known as the most beautiful girl in the world, couldn''t take his attention away from Argent ckbourne.


    Winter was d that he has an inherent poker face. Or else, all the things he was thinking would probably show on his face. And what a great embarrassment that would be.


    A whileter, a maid came in pushing a trolley of teas and snacks. Argent raised her brow when she saw that it was not Merissa but apletely different maid. She already expected that. But it only intensified the suspicion she already had.


    The maid started serving them with teas and scones. After that, she quietly left.


    "So, what brings Lord Brightmore and Your Highness here?" Argent started.


    "I''m just here to see Lady Aurum, actually," Mis honestly anwered.


    "The King sent me to extend an invitation to you, Hanover. He''s expecting to see you tomorrow at the pce. The Queen as well extends an invitation to Lady Aurum for an afternoon tea party at the pce garden," Winter said, in his usual cold voice.


    "How generous of the King and Queen, letting Your Highness act like a personal messenger just to give us an invitation," Aurummented. There was a smile on her face but anyone with good observation could hear the sarcasm in her voice.


    Winter ignored her and just continued to look at Argent. "Your answer?"


    "We''ll be there," Argent answered, drinking tea. She knew they had to meet with the King sooner orter. They might as well get it over it.


    "Could I talk to you alone? I have something to discuss with you," Winter said, suddenly changing the subject.


    Argent raised one of her brows, a little bit curious about what the prince had to discuss with her. She stood up. "Then let''s take a walk in the garden, shall we, Your Highness?"


    Winter stood as well.


    "Brother, you can''t leave me here alone with Lord Brightmore. It would be inappropriate," Aurum interjected. She didn''t really mind talking alone with Mis, but she couldn''t just let her brother be alone with that popsicle prince. What if he has some kind of bad ulterior motive?


    Argent almost smiled because of the silly reason her sister gave. "Don''t worry, I''ll ask Gregory to chaperone the both of you so you needn''t be alone with Brightmore."


    Argent led the second prince out of the drawing room. A few secondster, Gregory entered the room and stood near the door.


    Mis stood up and sat beside the pouting Aurum. "Why are you pissed at me? We finally met again and you don''t even want to give me a real smile," he said with a bit of grievance in his voice.


    Aurum''s heart softened a bit because of that. Mis had been a very good friend to her. It was unfair to be annoyed with him just because he came with the second prince. She knew the two were close, so it was natural that they would go here together. She finally looked at Mis. "I''m sorry."


    Mis smiled brightly. "It''s okay, I''m not mad or anything," he said. "I brought you a weing gift, by the way." He took a rectangr velvet box from his space ring and handed it to Aurum. "Open it."


    Aurum opened the box and what appeared before her eyes was a ne with a very beautiful butterfly pendant with amber colored jewels embedded on it. "Mis, it''s beautiful," she said, amazed.


    "When I saw the jewels on the butterfly, I immediately thought of your eyes and I just knew it would be perfect for you. I hope you''ll like it."


    "Are you kidding? I love it! Thank you, Mis," Aurum said with a bright smile on her lips,pletely forgetting that she was pissed just a few minutes ago.


    Mis stared at Aurum''s angelic face. Just looking at that bright smile on her lips was enough to make him feelplete.


    ----------


    On the other side, Argent and the second prince were walking steadily in the manor''s garden.


    "What is it you want to discuss, Your Highness?" Argent asked, starting the conversation.


    "The King ordered me to court Lady Aurum. He wanted to join our families by having me marry your sister," Winter said with no preamble whatsoever.


    Argent was slightly surprised. Not by what he said but by the way he said it. It''s like he doesn''t mind at all that he just told her of the King''s n. Not that it was shocking. Aurum belonged to one of the oldest noble family in Albion. She also has a very high level Gift. She has the bloodline and the Gift to be a perfect wife to a prince. Not to mention, she was also the sister of the one who founded one of the richestpany in the world today.


    "Why did you tell me that?" she asked, quite curious.


    "Because I don''t want you to think that I was scheming with the King just so the royal family could have their hands on yourpany."


    "Oh trust me, even if the King wanted to have a piece of Silver Corporation, he couldn''t. By the simple reason that I won''t allow it."


    Winter listened to the duke''s confident tone and the tip of his lips tilted because of that. "I know you wouldn''t."


    "But it''s surprising, for you to tell me that. Marrying my sister is also advatageous for you, you know. Because with this, it''s clear that the King wanted you to be his heir. Wouldn''t you want to be the next king?"


    "If I''m going to be the king, I won''t do it on someone else''s expense. I will do it using my own ability. That way, I could honestly tell myself that I deserve the crown sitting atop my head."


    Argent nced at the second prince. She remembered when they met seven years ago. He still has that cold, expresionless face. But it seemed that he matured quite alright. A small smile crossed Argent''s face. "That''s a nice sentiment."


    Winter stared at Argent''s face. His already beautiful face bloomed like a flower because of that simple smile. Winter suddenly felt his heart skipping a beat. Just like how it did seven years ago. He immediately turned his face away. Because he could feel his whole face heating up. [What''s wrong with me?]


    Argent didn''t notice what happened to Winter because her gaze was attracted by a shadow looking out the window from the manor''s second floor. That shadow probably noticed her gaze because it immediately stepped back out of her sight. She could only think of one person that shadow could possibly belong to. [What are you up to, Merissa?]


    "May I ask you one thing?" Winter suddenly asked.


    Argent regained her gaze. "Sure."


    "The defaro crystal I sent, why didn''t you answer it, not even once?"


    Argent wrinkled her brows. "Defaro crystal?"


    Winter stared at Argent''s totally confused look. And a sudden realization hit him. He didn''t receive the defaro crystal. That''s why he never answered his call. But Mis said that he sessfully sent the defaro crystal. Unless, the duke was not the one who received it. And whoever did, didn''t bother to give it to the duke. Winter already has an idea who that might be.


    He couldn''t help but sigh, feeling foolish and pissed at the same time. "It''s nothing. Nevermind."


    "Well, if that''s the case, then we should go back. Before Lord Brightmore proposes marriage to my sister," Argent said dryly, because it''s quite evident that the Earl has a thing for Aurum.


    Argent was about to walk back towards the manor but the prince stopped her.


    "Hanover."


    She looked back at him. "Yes?"


    Winter took a deep breath and said the thing he has been wanting to say for the past seven years, "Could you and me be friends?"


    Argent was a bit surprised. Because the way he said it, it was like a grade-schooler asking someone to be his friend. She couldn''t believe that the expresionless prince would actually say that. "It''s quite a hassle, being friends with a royal. But if you could give me a good reason why I should, then I could probably consider it."


    After saying that, Argent turned around and continued walking.


    "I will," Winter said softly, not caring if the duke heard him or not.

 Chapter 55: on the way to the palace

    Chapter 55: on the way to the pce


    "MASTER, what''s our n for today?" ck asked after Argent finished double-checking his system and making sure that there''s noting wrong with it.


    "You are going to stay here and behave while me and Aurum will go somewhere," Argent answered, finishing her checking.


    "ck wants to go too!" ck immediately said.


    "You can''t." Even if she wanted to bring ck, she really couldn''t. She''s going to meet the King and she couldn''t have a kid with her during that conversation. Aurum, on the other hand, would join adies only tea party. So, of course, her sister couldn''t bring ck with her as well.


    ck wanted to convince his Master to bring him along but then he saw the firm expression on her face, he knew he wouldn''t be able to convince her no matter what he said. So he could only pout in the end. "Fine, ck will stay here."


    "But I have a mission for you."


    ck''s ears perked up when he heard that. "Mission?"


    "Yes. While we''re away, I want you to observe the maid with the burn scars on her face. Ask her informations about her past, the more, the better. Understand?"


    "Yes, Master. ck understand! ck will do as Master says."


    Argent stroked ck''s hair, her pair of purple eyes bent into a smile. "Good."


    "ck will start to do the mission now." ck jumped off the chair he was sitting on and excitedly ran out of the room.


    Argent just shook her head before going outside her room as well. She already has an idea as to who Merissa could be. But having additional information wouldn''t hurt. She walked towards her sister''s room and knocked.


    "Come in!" called her sister''s voice.


    Argent opened the door and came in. Aurum was currently brushing her long golden hair. She was wearing an elegant white gown with a beautiful poppy pattern on the flowing skirt.


    "Do you need help?" Argent asked.


    Aurum smiled at her through the mirror. She put down the brush she was holding and picked up a pink ribbon. "Then could you tie this ribbon for me?"


    "Certainly." Argent walked behind her back and picked up the brush. She started brushing her sister''s hair before doing a half-ponytail and tying it with the pink ribbon. "There. You look beautiful as always."


    Aurum smiled widely. "Thank you, Brother." She stood up. "Shall we go?"


    Argent nodded and Aurum immediately hugged her arm. They walked outside the manor where Gregory was waiting with the carriage. Gregory opened the carriage''s door. Aurum went in first, followed by Argent. Once inside, the coachman immediately drove the carriage. While travelling, Argent suddenly remembered a part of a conversation she had with the second prince yesterday. Something that slightly puzzled her.


    She turned to her sister. "Aurum, can I ask you something?"


    "Of course, Brother. You can ask me anything."


    "Did you perhaps receive a defaro crystal from the second prince before we left for Amexem seven years ago?" Aurum turned silent for a few seconds and then she lowered her gaze. "Aurum, no matter what your answer is, I won''t get angry at you."


    Aurum raised her head. "Really?"


    "Really. How could I get angry with the most beautiful girl in the world?" Argent teased, pinching her sister''s cheek.


    What she said obviously loosened Aurum''s nerved because she no longer hesitated telling Argent what she wanted to know. "Mis asked me to give you a defaro crystal that connects directly to the popsicle prince''s own defaro crystal. I broke it. Because I don''t want you to have a connection with him. You might not know this Brother, but when I had that talk with the King, he practically told me that he considers me as a fiancee candidate for that popsicle. Even seven year old me understood that. So when suddenly that popsicle wanted to have a permanent contact with you right after that, I didn''t hesitate to stop it. Who knew what kind of ulterior motive he had." Aurum nced at Argent, a bit hesitant. "You''re not going to be angry at me because of what I did, right?"


    "I told you, I won''t get angry at you. I understand why you did what you did." And Argent did understand. Aurum just got out of the tower that time. It was understandable for her to be a bit overprotective of the brother who took her out of that tower. "But next time, you should consult with me first when ites to things like this. So I could decide myself on what to do. Understand, Aurum?"


    Aurum turned her gaze down, her golden eyshes casted a dark shadow on her delicate white cheeks. "Yes, Brother."


    Argent picked her sister''s chin up. "Hey, don''t be sad. I didn''t say what you did was wrong. Even if I received that defaro crystal, I probably wouldn''t have the time nor the inclination to answer the prince''s calls. So, technically, what you did or didn''t do wouldn''t really change anything. Now, cheer up. I want to see that pretty smile on your lovely face."


    Aurum finally smiled and didn''t hesitate to throw herself into her brother''s arms. "Brother, you''re really the best." Her brother just gently patted her back. Aurum looked up at her. "Then you won''t get close to that popsicle?"


    "I don''t think you have to worry about the second prince. He, himself, told me yesterday that the King ordered him to court you. But he doesn''t n to obey that order. And even if on the off chance that he does, do you really think I will let you be married against your will?"


    Aurum shook her head. No, her brother would never allow that. "Then, you believe what that popsicle said? That he doesn''t want to marry me?"


    "The second prince may be cold and expressionless, but it''s easy to see that he''s a man of his words. If he say he wouldn''t, then he probably won''t."


    "Should I apologize to him, then?"


    "It''s up to you."


    During their talk, the two didn''t even notice that they would soon reach the royal pce.


    "Looks like we''re near," Argentmented, looking outside the carriage''s window.


    "Brother, the Queen won''t try to kill me, won''t she? I heard she really hates the sPhones because a lot of hate posts about her appear on [Jiffy]."


    Argent chuckled because of what Aurum said. "Then if you feel like the Queen will try to kill you, press the button on your limiter." Aside from limiting the use of her Gift, the bracelet Aurum wore also has an rm function. Once she pressed the button, it would release a signal that would immediately be transferred to Argent''s light brain. That way, she would immediately knew where Aurum was and saved her. "I''ll definitelye running to save you."


    Aurum raised her pinky finger. "Promise?"


    Argent smiled and hooked her own pinky finger to Aurum''s. "Promise."


    And the carriage they were riding just entered the royal pce''s driveway. It''s time to meet the King and the Queen.

 Chapter 56: meeting with the king

    Chapter 56: meeting with the king


    A COURTIER led Argent to the King''s study. The same way another one led Aurum to the royal garden. The two had to separate almost instantly after they entered the pce. Argent wondered what her sister was doing now. She was probably just doing fine. After all, Aurum''s interpersonal skills was infinitely better than her.


    For the past seven years, Aurum perfected the act of being the sweet and amiable youngdy. At first, Argent only told her to act sweet and kind so she could have some kind of defense against the people who would not hesitate to judge her at the drop of a hat. Aurum stayed at a tower for a whole three years. It was inevitable that she wouldn''t know how to act around people their age. If Argent didn''t tell her to act a certain way, her sister would definitely not know how to interact with others. She just didn''t expect that Aurum would be able to continue that act for the next seven years.


    To outsiders, her sister was this sweet and beautiful youngdy. But to those close to her, she could be self-willed, blunt, and childish. She managed to perfect her act. So if there''s someone who could survive the Queen''s tea party, then it''s Aurum.


    They arrived in front of the King''s study. Argent still remembered when she met with the King seven years ago. It was in the throne room of the pce. But now, the King himself requested to meet at a much more private space. Either his opinion of her vastly improved or he was nning to use his scheming mind on her. She would just bet it''s thetter.


    The courtier knocked. When the King gave permission for them to enter, the courtier opened the door and gestured for Argent to go in. She entered and she saw the King behind his mahogany desk. The King didn''t change much over the past seven years. He still looked like the adult version of the second prince. The simrity was even more prominent now that Winter has grown into a young man.


    She made a slight bow. "Your Majesty."


    "It''s been seven years. Wee back, Hanover," the King greeted, smiling.


    "Thank you, Your Majesty."


    Arthur stared at the tall teenager in front of him. He does look simr to his missing father during his youth. But when the former duke could be describe as handsome, his son could only be describe as beautiful. Argent ckbourne has that kind of beauty that would captivate anyone who looked at him. But that beauty was always subdued by the indifferent atmosphere he was constantly exuding.


    He considered the former duke as apetent rival. Imagine his disappointment when he found out that the duke''s only son turned out to be a NoGift. With his father gone, he was left to continue his legacy. But what could a NoGift kid do? Arthur already thought that the ckbournes would only go downhill from then. That''s why he was hesitating if he should chose his sister, Aurum ckbourne, to be the fiancee of Winter.


    The girl has an excellent bloodline and a powerful Gift. She was the only girl of their generation in the nobility that has an SS level Gift. Arthur didn''t want topromise and chose a fiancee with an S level Gift for Winter. Just like he did. That''s why Winter was the only one who inherited his SS level Gift and the rest of his children didn''t. The only stain in the otherwise magnificent resume of Lady Aurum was her NoGift brother.


    How could a powerless kid with no father as a support and a barbarian as a mother survive the political schemes of the nobility?


    But then Argent ckbourse certainly subvert all his expectation.


    Managing to design a unique device that could connect everyone in the world, building a hugepany that was now probably earning more gold coins than the tax the kingdom collected per year, and doing all of that when he was only seven years old. If someone told Arthur before that a NoGift kid was capable of doing all that, he might have justughed at that person''s face. But no, Argent ckbourne really managed to do all that.


    Because of that, all Arthur''s hesitation vanished. Lady Aurum just became the perfect fiancee candidate for Winter. Having them be married would not only result to powerful offsprings but also permanently tie the royal family to Silver Corporation. That would vastly improve the economy of Albion. That''s why he was even more determined to make this marriage happened.


    Having the young Hanover as a son-inw was a much more reliable n. But Arthur doubted if he could even force the teenager to do that. Someone who could aplished what he did at such a young age was someone who couldn''t be controlled easily. The best way to control him was through his weakness. In this case, his sister - Lady Aurum.


    If Winter managed to make the youngdy fall in love with him, and she, herself, asked her brother to let her marry Winter, then Hanover would have no choice but to agree. Just to make his sister happy. When Arthur found out that Hanover was the one who founded Silver Corporation, he ordered his people to do an investigation on how the ckbourne twins lived for the past seven years. And the result lead to one fact - Hanover would do anything to make his sister happy.


    "What''s your n, now that you''re back?" the King asked.


    "Nothing concrete yet, Your Majesty," Argent answered.


    "You should probably move yourpany''s operation here. Since you have to attend parliament sessions. That way would be much more convenient for you."


    This sly fox. He didn''t even bat an eysh when he said that. How shameless. He was literally showing his interest in herpany. Did he really think Argent wouldn''t notice? Or he knew she would but just didn''t care. "I''m afraid that would be impossible, Your Grace. You see, McAllister Chamber of Commerce has a huge share on mypany. The heir to the McAllister fortune is also the general manager of thepany. They''re based on Amexem. I could hardly change their base of operation just so it could be more convenient for me."


    Of course, Argent was lying. The percentage McAllister Chamber of Commerce has over Silver Corporation was only five percent. That was Argent''s gratitude towards Jaxon McAllister for all the gold coins he loaned her to set-up herpany. Not to mention, the cost needed to mine and search all the materials needed to make an sPhone. But Argent had long paid back everything to Jaxon. So that five percent was really more of a courtesy. But there''s really no need to tell all that to this greedy king.


    Arthur, of course, read all about that in the report his men did. He just couldn''t believe that Hanover would really give up a part of the controlling power of hispany to a family not rted to them. Even if the head of the said family was the closest friend of his parents. Was he mistaken in thinking that Hanover was not a fool? Or was this kid just ying him for a fool?


    "I think with the ie generated by yourpany annualy, you could already buy out those shares," Arthur suggested.


    "I could but I wouldn''t. If there''s no Jaxon McAllister, there would be no Silver Corporation today. I don''t want to be an ungrateful bastard and cut him off just because I want to earn more money. Greediness is never an attractive quality." Argent looked straight at the King, condescension filling her purple eyes. "Don''t you think so, Your Majesty?"


    Arthur''s whole body became stiff, because he felt that this boy just insulted him. His pale blue eyes darkened with suppressed anger. "You should watch how you act, Hanover."


    Argent sneered inside. "Certainly, Your Majesty," she answered amiably, not meaning it.


    Then suddenly Argent felt the diamond stud on her right ear vibrate. It was three short vibration, followed by three longer vibration, then another three short vobration. That was the distressed signal sent by the limiter worn by Aurum.


    After receiving the signal, she didn''t hesitate to say to the King, "My apologies, Your Majesty, but we need to cut this meeting short. I have somewhere I need to be right now."


    She bowed and then went out of the King''s study,pletely ignoring his call. She quickened her pace, wondering all the way what could possibly have happened to her sister.

 Chapter 57: tea party

    Chapter 57: tea party


    AURUM silently followed the courtier leading her. A few of the servants they passed by couldn''t help but nced at her direction. Most have admiration in their gazes, but some have envy as well. She was already used to those kind of gazes. Being a spokesperson for sPhones, it''s unavoidable that she would be recognized wherever she went. With fame, people could either love her or hate her. She doesn''t really care either way. But she does love the attention.


    It''s like when she received the love of the masses, even though she knew it was false, she felt validated. Like the part of her that could kill people with just a single thought doesn''t exist.


    After a while, they arrived at the pce''s lush garden. The garden upied arge area in the pce grounds. There were different varieties of nts and trees. They continued to walk until they reached a pavilion. Sitting inside around a beautiful crystat table were three young women. Servants were serving them teas and pastries from different trolleys.


    One of the women has a wavy chestnut brown hair, wearing a light green dress thatplemented her own green eyes. The other two have ice blue hair - a signature feature belonging to Albion''s royal family. Which meant that the two were the first and second princesses. The older one of the two has a gentle and graceful temperament. She''d probably be only considered in at best if not for that. The other princess was more charming but shepletelycked the grace her older sister has.


    The courtier announced Aurum''s name and the three looked at her direction. She walked inside the pavilion and the three stood up. She curtsied and they did as well.


    "Lady Aurum, wee. Please, do sit down," the first princess said with a gentle smile on her face, gesturing for her to sit down.


    "Thank you, Your Highness," Aurum said, also smiling. She sat down beside the second princess.


    "This is Lady Therese Bridgerton, the only daughter of the Duke of Orwell. Mother also invited her to today''s tea party," the first princess introduced the other girl.


    Aurum turned to the brown-haired girl. "Pleased to meet you, Lady Therese," she said.


    "You as well. You''re much more beautiful than your pictures in [Jiffy], Lady Aurum. No wonder everyone loves you," Therese said. Even though she said it with a smile, Aurum could still hear the mockery in her voice.


    Aurum pretended not to hear it and just smiled. "Thank you."


    "Yes, you''re really much more beautiful in person," the second princess seconded. But unlike Therese, Noelle really meant what she said.


    Noelled decided that today she would do her best so Aurum ckbourne could have a good opinion of her. If she wanted the Duke of Hanover to notice her, then the best way was to be friends with his sister. But she really meant when she said that Aurum was beautiful. Because she was. Noelle had seen countless photos of her on [Jiffy] and just as Therese said, she was even more beautiful in person.


    Aurum almostughed because of the naivety in the second princess'' voice and expression. She could see no pretention on the princess'' face. As someone who''s been well-versed in acting, Aurum could easily tell if a person was acting or not. If she was this simple, then Aurum didn''t need to guard herself against her. But she couldn''t say the same about the other two young women with them. "Thank you, Your Highness."


    "Oh, please just call me Noelle. And I''ll also call you Aurum."


    "Noelle, I don''t think that''s appropriate," the first princess gently reminded.


    "Oh don''t be so stiff, Sister," Noelleined.


    "The first princess is correct, Your Highness. But I would be very much happy if you could call me by my name," Aurum said, smiling at the second princess.


    Noelle beamed. "Truly?" Aurum nodded. "Then I would call you Aurum from now on."


    "It seems that the rumors are true. Lady Aurum is truly a very sweet and amiable youngdy," Icelynmented.


    "I agree. It''s a good thing that Lady Aurum outgrown her... unsavory tendencies," Therese said, with a polite smile on her face.


    Aurum was not stupid to not understand what she meant. She was obviously talking about the incident when she was four. The b*tch.


    "Lady Therese, I don''t think we should talk about that here," Icelyn gently scolded.


    "Oh, I''m sorry, I didn''t mean anything by it," Therese immediately apologized. "I hope you won''t take offense on what I said."


    Aurum stered a fake smile on her face. "Of course."


    Then a courtier announced the arrival of the Queen.


    "Her Majesty, the Queen," the courtier announced in a loud voice.


    A woman with dark blond hair and a pair of blue-gray eyes walked towards the pavilion. There were twodies-in-waiting following behind her. She was wearing an elegant white gown. Her back was so straight as she walked. There was a haughty expression on her face. As if she always looked down on other people. Well, she certainly fit the image of the Queen in Aurum''s mind.


    The four of them stood up and curtsied to the Queen.


    Callista looked at the four youngdies in front of her and her gaze stopped on Aurum ckbourne. She has long, flowing golden hair, a pair of amber eyes surrounded by golden eyshes, delicate white skin, pinkish lips - the girl was certainly beautiful beyondpare. She was the perfectbination of her father and mother.


    And that only made Callista hate her even more.


    Dorian ckbourne was her first choice for a husband. She was always forward in expressing her feelings to him. But he always found one way or another to reject her. Then her parents decided to chase the position of Queen for her. Before she knew it, she was married to the King. It was fine at first. Being the Queen certainly has its own advantages. But then, Dorian married that barbarian whore.


    Callista felt extremely insulted. That he would constantly reject her, but wouldn''t hesitate to marry that woman. She didn''t give up on him just so he could marry a barbarian! Then he went missing and that whore gave birth to twins. After that, his heir turned out be a useless NoGift. And even though his daughter has an SS level Gift, she just turned into a monster that couldn''t control her Gift. She thought those were the punishments the goddess gave to Dorian for marrying that woman. And what appropriate punishments they were.


    Until she found out that Argent ckbourne was the one who founded Silver Corporation.


    He might be a NoGift but his intelligence was enough to make up for it. Even the girl was no longer an uncontroble monster. Instead she was now someone beloved by many.


    Dorian was gone but it was like he was still mocking her. That his choice had never been wrong.


    And here she was, married to a King who couldn''t care less about her and a mother to four children - three of whom were nothing but defective goods. Her eldest son couldn''t keep his thing in his pants, her second daughter was a naive fool, and her youngest son was a simpering coward. The only one noteworthy was her eldest daughter. But she was still not enough for the King. The only one he cared about was his bastard son.


    Staring at Aurum ckbourne, Callista could only feel a great suffocation in her chest. Because the girl was a representation of the things she could have had.


    As Callista was about to sit down, Lady Therese suddenly picked up a tea cup and ssh the tea inside on the Queen''s gown. There was a long silence in the air, then there were loud gasps.


    "Lady Therese! What are you doing?" one of thedies-in-waiting gasped in indignation.


    Therese let go of the tea cup and began to tremble. "I-I''m s-sorry, Your Majesty. I-I don''t know what hase to me. My b-body just m-moved on its own."


    "You really expect me to believe that?" the Queen shouted, her already bad mood just became worse.


    Icelyn stood in front of Therese. "Mother, you know Lady Therese since she was young. She wouldn''t do something like this unless..." She suddenly acted horrified and then turned to look at Aurum. "Lady Aurum, even if Lady Therese offended you, you shouldn''t have controled her body just so she would anger the Queen!"


    Aurum was almost amazed by their two women show. Obviously, she didn''t do what the first princess was using her of. She was not stupid enough to do something like this. But from the way the Queen was looking at her, it wouldn''t matter even if she exined her side.


    "You did this?" Callista, a dark expression of her face. "You have a lot of nerve. If you don''t respect the royal family, then I don''t think you deserve any respect either."


    Callista waved her hand and a stream of water poured down on Aurum,pletely soaking her from head to toe.


    Aurum was shocked, shepletely didn''t expect for something like this to happen. She subconciously moved backward, outside of the pavilion. And before she could think of anything, she already pressed the button on her limiter.


    "Mother! How could you do this?" Noelle said, unable to believe what she just saw. She was about to walk to Aurum but her mother stopped her.


    "Stay where you are, Noelle," the Queen warned. Then she looked back at the soaking wet Aurum. Seeing her in this embarrassing state truly made her feel a bit better. "Kneel and apologize to me for what you did and I might just be able to forgive you."


    Aurum clenched both her fists. She was this close to removing her limiter and just kill everyone here. Then suddenly she heard a thud beside her, like someone just jumped from a high ce. She felt a coat wrapping around her shoulders.


    She looked up and saw her brother''s beautiful face.

 Chapter 58: argent is pissed

    Chapter 58: argent is pissed


    ARGENT stared at her shivering sister. There were no part of her that wasn''t wet. A sudden anger filled Argent''s chest. Since she took over the identity of Argent ckbourne, she had never allowed anyone to bully her sister this way. She might not know what exactly happened here, but all she cared about was the fact that these people humiliated her sister. And that was all that mattered.


    Argent wiped the water on Aurum''s face, then she took a calor stone from her space ring. It was a gift from Finn for herst birthday. It was a special stone that could not be mined just anywhere. When a person touched it, it automatically produced a heat that could instantly warm a person''s body. She asked Finn why he gave this to her. He just said that if she ever felt cold, she could just use the stone to warm her up. Now, Argent''s was kind of thankful to Finn for this present.


    Argent held her sister''s hands and put the stone in her palms. "Hold this for me."


    Considering that she couldn''t just carry off her sister right this instant, this was the best thing she could do to prevent Aurum from catching a cold.


    "It''s warm," Aurum whispered then looked up at her brother. "Howe you''re here?"


    "I told you, didn''t I? That if something happened to you, I''ll definitelye running."


    Aurum softly smiled. All her grievances instantly disappeared. It''s like her brother''s words just chased all the coldness she was feeling and filled her with infinite warmth. "Thank you, Brother."


    The other people in the garden stared at the young duke who just came out of nowhere. If they''re not mistaken, he just jumped off from a tree.


    The Duke with his soft silver hair, amethyst like eyes, delicate white skin was beautiful. That was the first thought that came to the three young women''s mind when they saw him. They all saw his interview and they already knew how beautiful she was, but not to this extent. It''s like they were looking at someone surreal.


    Callista, on the other hand, couldn''t help but stare. It was like she went back in time and was looking at a young Dorian ckbourne. The hair, the eyes, almost all the young duke''s features were simr to his father. And seeing him caring about his sister was like seeing Dorian taking care of that barbarian bitch. Her anger was ignited again.


    "Lord Hanover,ing to adies'' tea party unannounced is highly inappropriate," the Queen shouted.


    Argent turned her head. Her cold, indifferent gaze swept the three young women - all almost instantly felt a chill down their backs, like a sharp sword has just been pointed at them. Then Argent settled her gaze on the Queen. Was this woman stupid? She was talking about rules when she just used her Gift on Aurum? Argent knew the Queen was an S level water Gift user. That was the main reason the King picked her as his queen. So she was the only one here who could have done this to Aurum.


    "Your Majesty, what is highly inappropriate here was you using your Gift on my sister," Argent coldly replied.


    Being looked at by those cold purple eyes only made Callista more frustrated and angry. "I only punished her for being disrespectful. Do you see this tea stain on my dress? Your good sister controled Lady Therese''s body so she could make her ssh her tea on me. Do you expect me to just stand here and let it slide?"


    "No, as a wise Queen, I expect you to gather evidence first before you used my sister of anything, Your Majesty," Argent said, almost sarcastically. Then she moved her gaze to this so-called Lady Therese.


    Therese''s whole body shivered in fear. This time, it was for real. No matter how beautiful the Duke was, being stared at by him was like being stared at by a beast. A beautiful beast that would not hesitate to kill her if she so much as move.


    "You say my sister controlled your body?" Argent asked.


    "Y-yes."


    "How can we be sure that you''re not lying?" Argent asked again.


    "I-I--"


    Icelyn went forward. "Lord Hanover, Lady Therese hardly has any reason to lie."


    "Really? I can think of plenty. For example, she''s jealous of my sister so she made this stupid y just to get her in trouble." Argent turned to the Queen. "I can''t believe you''re making this insipid girl make a fool out of you, Your Majesty. I guess you''re not so wise after all."


    Callista''s face flushed in embarrassment. Just when she was about to speak, the servant''s around them suddenly bowed their heads towards a certain direction. They all looked in that direction and saw the Kinging with some of his guards.


    Arthur stared at the scene in front of him. He wondered why Hanover suddenly ran out of his study. But soon, he found out the reason why. One of the courtiers ran to his study and told him of what''s happening in the garden. He wasn''t sure how the young duke knew that his sister was in trouble, it probably has something to do with them being twins. That''s why he immediately went here as fast as he could before his wife made irreparable damage. But from the looks of things, he might be just a tad bitte.


    His whole expression couldn''t help but darken.


    Argent looked at the King. "Your Majesty, you came at the perfect time. As you can see, my sister is being used of something she did not do and the Queen didn''t hesitate to humiliate her because of it. So now, I''m asking Your Majesty if you could ask someone to bring a veritas stone to see if thatdy over there was really telling the truth."


    Being pointed at, Therese''s whole body trembled in fear. She only did what the first princess suggested because she said nothing like this would happen. It didn''t take long for the first princess to convince her, because she does hate Aurum ckbourne. There was a gossip spreading across the aristocratic circle that Aurum was the King''s first choice to be the second prince''s fiancee. Even if that wasn''t the case, that was enough for Therese to hate her.


    Therese has liked Winter from the moment she first saw him. It didn''t matter to her if he''s illegitimate or not. Her father supported her fascination because he knew that the King would most likely passed on the crown to Winter. But she didn''t care about all that. She just wanted him. And then Aurum ckbourne came along. They all said she''s a sweet angel when she''s all nothing but. That''s why Therese grabbed the first chance she got to make trouble for her. She just didn''t expect this end.


    Therese nced at the first princess. Her eyes collided with a pair of cold blue eyes. There was warning in those eyes, as if silently telling her that if she pulled Icelyn into this mess then the princess would make sure that she would regret it.


    Therese bit her lower lip. If someone really brought a veritas stone here, it would easily prove that she was lying. Having all that happened in front of the King, she could just imagine how terrible the ending would be. But if she admitted her wrong first and asked for forgiveness, then there might be a bit of hope for her.


    And that''s what she did.


    Therese didn''t hesitate to bow deeply. "I''m sorry, Your Majesties! I lied. I didn''t mean to. I was filled with jealousy towards Lady Aurum. I''m really, really sorry." She turned to Aurum ckbourne. "I''m sorry, Lady Aurum. Truly."


    Arthur looked at the foolish girl and sighed, he already felt a headacheing. "Your father will be informed of your indiscretion. I will make sure to ask him to punish you for your foolish action today." He then turned to Argent. "Would that be enough?"


    "No," Argent answered straight. "I want her majesty to punish her the same way she did to my sister. Then after that, I want her majesty to apologize to my sister for herck of good judgement."


    "You--!" Callista was already embarrassed enough because of how Therese yed her and now this. A duke asking a Queen to apologize? Preposterous!


    "Do it," the King said to the Queen.


    Callista rounded her eyes in disbelief. "Are you out of your mind, Arthur? You''ll allow this boy to humiliate me?"


    The King''s expression didn''t change as if he didn''t hear what the Queen said. "Do it."


    The Queen gritted her teeth in anger. She pointed her hand on Therese''s direction and a much bigger stream of water poured down on her. Then Callista turned to Aurum. "Sorry," she said, almost gnashing her teeth.


    Aurum gave a bright smile, as if mocking her actions. "I ept your apology, Your Majesty."


    Then the Queen stormed off out of there.


    Arthur let out a deep breath. Sometimes, he really thought that marrying Callista might be the biggest mistake of his life. "Noelle, please bring Lady Aurum to your room and let her change clothes before she catches a cold."


    "Y-yes, Father," Noelle immediately answered. She was still in a bit of a daze because of everything that just happened. She didn''t even have time to admire Argent ckbourne. Because the whole time, she was in fear of him. She couldn''t believe that he didn''t even hesitate to call out her mother for being wrong. Even her eldest brother would never do that. And he did it all because of his sister. She admits, that was kind of amazing. Because she was sure none of her brothers would ever do that for her. She walked towards Aurum. "Let''s go, Lady Aurum."


    Aurum looked up at her brother, silently asking if she should go or not. Argent nodded, giving her permission. Before she left, she whispered to her brother, "It was the first princess'' ruse."


    When the two left, the King ordered the servants to bring Therese - who was dripping wet and looked like she was still in shock - back to her family''s estates. Then he turned to Argent. "I hope this incident won''t cause a crack in the rtionship between our two families."


    "Of course, Your Majesty," Argent said insincerely.


    Hearing that, the King also left. Leaving Argent and the first princess, along with some servants, in the garden.


    Argent looked at the calm princess. She believed that the princess was not foolish enough to stage all these just so she could make trouble for Aurum. Because for one, the n has a lot of loopholes. The veritas stone alone could solve the problem. Unless her real target was that Lady Therese. If it was, then she aplished her goal beautifully.


    "I don''t like it when people use my sister for their own agenda," Argent said, full of hidden meaning. "You might have gotten out of this unscathe, but I promise you, if you do something like this again, I will bury you alive."


    There was a ripple in the princess'' calm blue eyes. Argent didn''t wait for her to answer and just walked away from there.


    Looks like the royal family has a lot of free time in their hands. She probably should do something to make them busy.

 Chapter 59: identity revealed

    Chapter 59: identity revealed


    ARGENT gently put the thick quilt on her sister''s sleeping form. After drinking the herbal tea Nelly made, Aurum finally fell asleep. Thankfully, she didn''t catch a cold. Though her temperature was a bit higher than normal. That''s why Argent asked Nelly to prepare some herbal medicine for Aurum. Now, she was kind of regretful that she never really got into medicine. Maybe she could have made a lot of medicine by now. That would be pretty useful during a time like this.


    After making sure that Aurum was really asleep, Argent silently walked out of her sister''s room. She walked down the stairs and suddenly, ck came running out of nowhere and hugged her arm.


    "Master!" ck greeted. "I saw Nelly preparing medicine for Aurum. Did she get in some kind of trouble?"


    "No. But some people tried to get her into one."


    "Should we beat those people up?" ck asked innocently.


    "Oh we will. Just not right now. So how was your mission?"


    "ck sessfully did his mission!" ck excitedly answered.


    "Let''s go to my study first." Argent led ck to her study. She sat on the couch and made ck sit beside her. "Now, let''s hear your report."


    "ck spent the whole day with Merissa. She''s really nice. She kept giving me candies and sweets. But ck told her that he couldn''t eat that much or Master would be angry at him. She also has a very beautiful voice. ck loved hearing her sing. And then--"


    "ck, please, only tell me the important details."


    "Oh okay. Merissa didn''t really say anything important. When ck asked her how could she have such a wonderful voice, she said she was a singer before. ck asked if she ever performed in front of a crowd. She smiled and said ''once''. And she also mentioned in passing that ck reminded her of her son. There was a really sad smile on her face when she said that. Was that helpful, Master?"


    Argent smiled slowly. "Yes. That''s plenty. Good job, ck." ck grinned. "Go and call Gregory. Tell him I need to speak to him in my study. And as a reward for your hardwork, you can go and ask Nelly to give you any pastry you wished to eat."


    "Yey! Thank you, Master!"


    ck immediately ran outside the study. Argent stood up and sat behind her desk. A little whileter, Gregory knocked and came in.


    "You called, Your Grace?" he asked.


    "Are you familiar with the affair the King had with that opera singer?" Argent asked.


    Gregory was kind of puzzled why the young lord suddenly asked that. But if it''s something she asked, then he could only answer in the best way he could. "It was a huge scandal back then, Your Grace. So yes, I was a bit familiar with the said event."


    "Tell me all the details."


    "The girl was a rising star in the opera. She caught the attention of the King when her theaterpany made a special performance at the pce. Since then, the King often visited the theater. Most of the times, he was seen with the girl. Then one day, the girl suddenly disappeared and was never heard from again. That is, until the King brought the second prince back 12 years ago."


    "I see. And what is the name of this singer?"


    "She was known as Madame La Chanteuse."


    "Hmm..." That was definitely not the singer''s real name. But no matter, Argent could almost confirm her conjecture.


    "Is there something else, Your Grace?"


    "No, that would be all. Thank you, Gregory."


    Gregory bowed and went out of the study.


    Argent opened her light brain to check the report she asked White topile earlier. It was about the opinion of themon people in Albion in regards to the first princess. Whitepiled it from a considerable number of [Jiffy] ounts. The report only said one thing; that the masses think that Icelyn Jade di Albion was a kind princess. She performed charity events, donated multiple school buildings, does food drives once a month for the homeless. She also has a deep connection with the Temple of Gaia.


    In short, to the people, the first princess was almost regarded as a saint.


    Argent smirked. A saint, huh? Having her reputation tainted was probably thest thing she wanted. Especially since, from the looks of it, she badly wanted to be the next monarch.


    She connected to White.


    "Do you need me, Master?" White asked with her sweet voice that almost has no ups and downs.


    "White, connect to the sPhone of Icelyn Jade di Albion." The first princess has a [Jiffy] ount, which meant she has her own sPhone. And since she used her real name, that meant she also used her real identity to register on the [SilverCorp] app. Which also meant that White could easily connect to her sPhone. "Send me every data in her phone."


    "Yes, Master."


    After ten seconds, a folder was sent to her light brain. "Good. Spy on her through the camera of her sPhone. Send a recording to me once you discover something that would incriminate the princess."


    Spying on the princess would be easy. After all, White could easily connect to her sPhone. She wouldn''t even notice a thing nor suspect that something was wrong. It wouldn''t even cross her mind that something like that could be possible.


    "Understood, Master."


    Argent ended the call. She was about to open the folder White sent when she suddenly received a call. There were only four people that could directly connect to her - White, Felicia, Aurum, and their mother. She immediately epted the call and her mother''s face appeared on the screen.


    Anthea grinned, her amber eyes shining brightly. She was obviously in a very good mood. Argent could see snow in the background. It looked like she was still in the Northern Continent. Their mother has been travelling around the world for the past seven years. But sadly, she could still not find any useful information about their father''s whereabouts.


    "Mother," she greeted.


    "Argent, how was your visit to the pce?"


    "Well, the Queen certainly has some hatred towards us," she answered.


    That caught Anthea''s attention. "Did that delusional b*tch do something to you and Aurum?"


    Argent raised her brow. It seemed like her guessed was right. There''s definitely a bad blood between her mother and the Queen. ording to what Aurum told her, as soon as the Queen saw her, she acted like she forgot her brain somewhere else. Argent could only think that the Queen was probably acting on hatred. Because surely, she wouldn''t be that stupid during normal situations.


    "Don''t worry, Mother. I already took care of it."


    Anthea stared at her eldest daughter''s face. A face that looked so simr to her missing husband. But unlike her husband''s, Argent''s face leaned more on the beautiful side. Maybe because she was a girl. She would definitely look very beautiful in a dress. But sadly, Anthea couldn''t ask her to stop masquerading as a boy. At least, not yet.


    Anthea was not afraid that they would lose their wealth when the people learned about Argent being a girl. With the amount of wealth that Argent gathered from thepany she built, they would probably never be poor in this life. And she was so proud of Argent for managing to do all that in just a span of seven years. Who else could say to others that their kid invented a gadget that could easily connect people around the world?


    What Anthea was afraid of was losing the manor and everything in it. Because she knew just how important the manor was to Dorian. She couldn''t just let it be taken from their family when Dorian was still missing. But luckily, with thetest clue she got, it seemed that she could find him soon.


    "I''m sorry that you still have to dress up as a boy," she said apologetically.


    "Mother, I don''t mind. Being a boy is much easier than being a girl," Argent said. That was her honest opinion.


    Anthea almostughed. She was afraid that if Argent continued to act like a boy for another five years, she might totally forget that she was a girl at all. "Well, don''t get use to it so much. Because I found an important clue regarding your father''s whereabouts."


    "That''s good, Mother." So that''s why her mother was in such a good mood. Argent doesn''t really have any opinion on this father of hers. But if finding him would bring happiness to her mother, then she has noints.


    "So I might not be able to contact you and Aurum for a while. I got to go. I love you. Send my love to your sister as well."


    After the call, Argent decided to go to the kitchen to get a ss of water. And just like her first night back, she found Merissa in the kitchen, humming some tune and baking a pastry. But unlike that first night, when she saw Argent, she didn''t pale in fear. Instead, she smiled.


    "Your Grace," she greeted.


    Argent stared at her. She nned to talk to her tomorrow. But now was a good time too. It''s not like the content of what she has to say would change. She walked towards the maid. "There''s one thing that keeps bugging me."


    "What is it, Your Grace?" Merissa asked, a bit confused on why the young duke suddenly said something like that.


    "Howe the former mistress of the King and the mother of the second prince is here masquerading herself as a maid? Would you please enlighten me, Madame La Chanteuse?"


    What answered her was Merissa''s stricken face.

 Chapter 60: the truth behind the scars

    Chapter 60: the truth behind the scars


    MERISSA trembled and bowed as low as she could. "Y-Your Grace, I apologized. I-I didn''t n to conceal my real i-identity. Me ending up in Hanover manor was truly just a c-coincidence. I''m n-not here because I have some u-ulterior m-motive. Truly, Your Grace. I do not harbor any ill intention to y-you or anyone living in this m-manor. Please, please, believe me. I will immediately p-pack my bags and leave. But please, Your Grace, I hope that my s-stay in here won''t get out in the public. A-and if- if you could find it in your heart, I hope that you can forgive my unintentional deceit."


    Argent looked at Merissa''s low posture and sighed. "You shouldn''t bow your head at the drop of a hat. It would make people think that they can look down on you that easily." She helped her stand up properly. "I''m not nning to kick you out nor do I n to go running around town spreading the news that you''re here. So for goodness'' sake, calm down. We can''t talk properly if you keep trembling in fear."


    Merissa tried to calm down, just as the young duke asked. She shouldn''t really be afraid. She knew they only met for a couple of days, but ever since, he hadn''t shown any ill-will towards her. Even now, after knowing who she really was, there was no judgement in his indifferent face. Not even the slightest bit of disgust. She was not sure how the young duke put two and two together, but she was d that it was him who found out. If it was any other person, she would probably be thrown out by now. And then the people who were after her would immediately know where she was.


    Merissa took a deep, calming breath. "Thank you, Your Grace."


    "Now, I know it''s not any of my business, but seeing that you''re now living under my roof, I want to know exactly what happened to you." Argent immediately saw the hesitation on Merissa''s face. "Look, with those burn scars and the way Nelly found you, I know you''re running from someone. I could help you. If you just trust me, that is."


    Merissa lowered her gaze. She felt extremely tangled. On one hand, she was thankful for the duke''s offer. But on the other, she doesn''t want him or anyone in here to be entangled by her problems. "I--"


    "Merissa, is that your real name?" Argent interrupted what Merissa was about to say.


    "Yes, it''s Merissa Grant."


    "Okay, Merissa, if you don''t want to tell me anything, then you can listen to my story. A young and beautiful singer caught the attention of the King. She fell in love and they had an affair. That affair lead to the singer being pregnant. After finding out about her pregnancy, she felt afraid and decided to run. Because she knew her child would be like a taboo existence to the royal family. Especially to the Queen. You settled in a quiet vige. You''re happy, at least until the King found out about the existence of your son.


    "With his SS level Gift, the King decided to take him back. Leaving you alone. Also, probably telling you that you''re not allowed to see your son again. But thenter on, the Queen found out about your whereabouts. And being the petty person she is, she ordered people to kill you. Properly by setting fire where you lived. But you somehow survived. Thus, the burn scars. You''ve been on the run since then. Which brought you to Greth. Out of exhaustion, you fainted in the middle of the road and that''s where Nelly found you. How am I doing so far?"


    Merissa was speechless. She almost thought that the duke was with her during all those times. Despite the situation, she couldn''t help but smile. "You missed some details, Your Grace." She lowered her gaze, there was really no reason now not to tell him everything. "I was an orphan. Singing was all I have. Being a part of that theaterpany was like a dream to me. I thought that nothing could be better. And then he came along. Hevished me with gifts, told me all the things I wanted to hear, he made me feel special. That was the first time I ever felt that way."


    Argent raised her brow. She couldn''t imagine that sly king was capable of all that. But she guessed, every person was capable of being romantic once in a while. Though she could never really imagine that of herself.


    "I was a stupid girl back then. I fell in love with someone I shouldn''t. I know it was wrong. But my heart just wouldn''t listen. And just as Your Grace said, I became pregnant. But I ran because when I told him about my pregnancy, he told me to get rid of it. When I asked him why, he answered that a mere mistress doesn''t have the qualification to carry the royal blood. That''s when I realized that I had only been fooling myself. I fell in love with an image I created inside my head. Because for him, I was just a mere ything," Merissa continued, a bitter and deprecating smile on her lips.


    Now that sounded more like the King, Argent thought.


    "I ran and stayed at a small vige where I gave birth to Winter. He was such a beautiful baby. The moment Iid my eyes on him, an indescribable emotion filled my heart. And that''s when I knew what true love really meant. The six years I spent with Winter was the happiest days of my life. He was such a treasure. Just one smile from him and I was immediately filled with happiness." There was a nostalgic smile on Merissa''s face, as if she was remembering those times.


    "And then he found us. I was so horrified that day. It felt like my world was slowly crumbling. But then I looked at Winter and there was so much joy on his little face. That was the time I found out how much he longed for a father. So when Winter happily told me that his father would be taking us back, I just didn''t have the heart to tell him that that probably was thest time we could meet. He took Winter and I was sent to a manor at the edge of the kingdom."


    Merissa touched her chest. It was like she was back at that time again, seeing her son happily waving at her, not knowing that that would be thest time they would see each other. Just like that day, she felt like her heart was being torn into pieces. She forced herself not to cry, but a tear still slipped out of her eyes.


    "The servants and guards there were sent to monitor my every move. To make sure that I wouldn''t do anything to contact Winter. For the next ten years, I spent my life there. Together with people who couldn''t even be bothered to hide their disgust for me. Then two years ago, two men kidnapped me in the middle of the night. I woke up in a shed and heard them talking how I would be used as a leverage against Winter. So he wouldn''t even dare to fight for the crown.


    "When I heard that, I just lose my mind. I couldn''t bear to let them used me to threaten Winter. So I fought them with all my might. That''s when the fire happened. I somehow managed to survive. That''s where these scars came from. An old woman found me floating on the river. She took me to her vige. She didn''t have the means to call for a healer, so the scars remained. As soon as I was able to walk, I left. Because I just knew those people won''t stop until they find me. I''ve been running ever since. And that, Your Grace, was the truth of it all."


    Argent digested everything Merissa told her. The things that happened to her was almost the same as what Argent thought. But there''s just one thing that''s been bothering her. "The two men who kidnapped you, do you know who sent them?"


    Merissa shook her head. "But as Your Grace said, it might be the Queen. That''s why I couldn''t be a burden to Winter. If there''s a chance that Winter could be next king, then I wouldn''t want to be a hindrance to that."


    Argent stared at Merissa. "When you made that decision, have you taken into ount your son''s feelings?"


    "Your Grace?"


    "You saw him, when he came here to visit. Did you see any semnce of the kid you once knew?"


    With the young duke''s question, Merissa recalled the day of Winter''s visit here. But she was so flustered that day, the only thing she could think of was how much her son had grown. She couldn''t even remember the expression he had that day. "I--"


    "He''s not smiling. You said that ck reminded you of Winter. Well, ck is the farthest person I would use to describe the second prince now. I think he lost his smile the moment the two of you separated. He''s no longer that happy kid. Frankly, it would be weird if he didn''t change at all, considering the kind of ''family'' he grew up with. Deciding not to contact him, do you really think that was the best course of action? For you and for him?" Argent said, her voice full of seriousness.


    Merissa felt like she was pped awake by the duke''s words. These past 12 years, she just assumed that Winter has been living a happy and full life as the second prince of Albion. She had never thought of the consequence of him living with the Queen and her children. All she could think of was how much she would taint Winter''s reputation if she ever contacted him. That his image to the people would be destroyed. That''s why even though no one has been monitoring her every move for thest two years, she never thought of contacting Winter. But because of the duke''s few simple words, she realized just how wrong she was.


    "I''m a horrible mother," she said, she couldn''t help the sob that escaped her throat.


    "Maybe. But you can easily remedy that. Meet with the second prince. Be the mother that you always wanted to be and let him be the son he should. I don''t think he''s so weak that he wouldn''t even be able to protect you. Or his position as a prince."


    Merissa no longer stopped herself from crying. "Yes. Yes, I will."


    "Good. Then I will contact the second prince so the two of you could meet here."


    "T-thank you, Your Grace," she said while sobbing and smiling at the same time. "But may I ask, why do you want to help us?"


    "Well, some members of the royal family annoyed the hell out of me. So I thought of giving them some problems to ponder on. And you, my dear Merissa, are just the perfect problem they wouldn''t be able to easily fix."


    Argent grinned, mischief filled her purple eyes, making her face even more beautiful.

 Chapter 61: mother and son

    Chapter 61: mother and son


    A NONDESCRIPT carriage entered the premises of Hanover estate. Sitting silently inside were Winter and one of his trusted aide - Niki. They were travelling towards the young duke''s manor because of the sudden message Winter received from Argent. That''s why they went here in a very quiet manner so as not to attract unnecessary attention. But even without the duke''s message, Winter was already nning to visit Argent. Especially after he heard what happened when the ckbourne twins visited the pce the other day.


    There was still a tense atmosphere between the King and Queen. Understandable, considering how they all knew the King wanted to make a good rtionship with the duke. Due to the Queen''s action, that chance might now go down the drain. Winter couldn''t understand why she would do that. He''s been dealing with the Queen''s nasty attitude for the past 12 years and he has never seen her act so stupid. It''s like she suddenly lost all her inhibition and just acted on instinct. Which was so unlike the scheming witch she was.


    Based on the report that Robin - another one of his trusted aide - gave, everything was more or less staged by the first princess. The Queen should have at least noticed that. But ording to Robin, the queen just straight up med Lady Aurum without even waiting for the girl to exin. Like she was on a personal vendetta or something. Whichever the case, this incident might actually be good if one looked at it from a different angle. Because this way, Argent would have a concrete reason to reject the King.


    Winter looked out of the carriage''s window.


    He was not in the pce during that incident. He needed to go to Greth because Aspen called him and told him that he found someone that matched the description of his mother. But when Winter got there, the woman Aspen found was not his mother. It was just another false rm. He could no longer count the number of false rms he got for the past two years. But no matter how many he received, he would still go and check it. Even if the chance was low, if there''s a slight possibility that he could finally reunite with his mother, he would ept any information that went his way.


    The King promised Winter to give reports about his mother if he became an obedient son. But those reports stopped two years ago and Winter just knew that something was wrong. The King simply told him that his mother ran off, but he knew it wasn''t as simple as that. The King said that he already has people looking for her. But Winter just couldn''t trust him, not when his mother''s well-being was concerned.


    Winter really regretted that he didn''t go to her sooner. If he did, then he could have had taken her from that ce the King put her before she disappeared. But he was busy, solidifying his political power and influence. Which was now currently only slightly higher to that of the first princess. The only reason he had that advantage was because of the King''s tant support. But even at the possibility of losing that support, he still mobilized people to look for his mother.


    Because she''s his mother and he loved her.


    "Your Highness, why do you think the Duke of Hanover asked to meet with you?" Niki suddenly asked, pushing his sses up.


    "I don''t know but it must be something important," Winter simply said.


    "You''re not worried that he might retaliate because of what happened to his sister?"


    "He will retaliate. But not at me. After all, I have nothing to do with what happened. He''s not the type to do unnecessary revenge."


    Niki sighed. He knew the prince looked at the duke through rose-colored sses. It probably has something to do with the incident that happened seven years ago. But trusting someone like Argent ckbourne unconditionally was a big no-no. Especially if one was trying to be a king of a country.


    He watched that video of the duke. Niki could immediately tell that he''s crafty, good to be friends with but very difficult to have as an enemy. If he could be an ally to the prince, then good. But that didn''t mean that the prince should give him all his trust. That''s probably where Nikies in. As one of the prince''s three trusted aides, he should make sure that every decision his highness makes in regards to the duke would not be disadvantageous to him. That''s the least Niki could do.


    The carriage soon entered the Hanover manor''s driveway. Soon, the carriage stopped. Niki went out followed by Winter. The butler was waiting for them at the door.


    Gregory bowed at them. "Wee, Your Highness. Sir. His Grace is waiting inside."


    Winter nodded.


    The butler lead them inside and they immediately saw the duke standing there.


    Niki''s steps faltered a bit when he saw the duke. [Well, look at that. He''s really a pretty bloke.]


    "I heard what happened to your pce visit," Winter started.


    "Oh, I didn''t call you because of that. Someone wanted to see you. They''ve been waiting for you in the drawing room for quite awhile now." Argent looked at Gregory. "Gregory, could you bring His Highness to the drawing room, please."


    "Yes, Your Grace," Gregory answered.


    "Your Grace, could you tell us first who this person is?" Niki asked, intercepting the butler from moving.


    Argent ignored the smart-ass looking guy and just continued to speak to the second prince, "I assure you, there''s no assassin waiting for you at my drawing room. So, don''t waste time and just go. And I suggest you go there alone."


    "Your Highness--"


    Winter was still confused at what was this all about but he believed that the duke wouldn''t caused him harm. At least not in this ce, the duke''s home. "It''s alright, Niki. Stay here."


    Before Niki could speak, Winter already walked away and followed the butler. Just as the duke said, he lead Winter towards the drawing room. The butler opened the door and gestured for Winter to go inside. And so he did. But the moment he stepped inside the room, he immediately stopped because of the woman standing at the center.


    She was standing with poise, wearing a simplevender gown. Half of her face was covered by her blue-ck hair. But even with that, the eye, the nose, the lips, these were all features he was very familiar with. He found himself walking towards the woman, not even noticing the silent tears that fell from his pale blue eyes.


    "Mum...?"


    Merissa stared at her son. It felt like a dream, standing here in front of him. Her baby was already so big. He was tall and so handsome. But just like as the young duke told him, there was no smile on his face. Only coldness. Then she saw him suddenly crying and she immediately felt distressed. She walked towards him. Both of them met halfway.


    Merissa raised her hands and cupped Winter''s face, gently wiping his tears. "Don''t cry. Seeing you cry makes me want to cry too," she said but there were already unshed tears in her eyes.


    Hearing the voice he wanted to hear for the longest time and feeling the familiar warmth from her palms, Winter was now certain that he''s not wrong. This woman was really his mother. He no longer stopped himself and immediately hugged her.


    "I missed you, Mum. So, so much."


    Merissa hugged her son back. The moment she did, she realized how real this moment was and she could no longer stopped her tears from falling. "Me too, my son. No days passed by that I''m not thinking of you. I''m sorry, for not going to you sooner."


    "No, Mum. It''s me. It was all my fault. If only I wasn''t so stupid back then. Maybe we might be still living quietly in that vige, away from the fights and the intrigues of the court."


    Merissa separated herself from Winter and gently admonished him, "Winter, even if you didnt choose to go with your father that day, he would still bring you with him. So don''t me yourself for something that was not in your control."


    "He''s not my father," Winter coldly said. "Yes, if there''s someone to me, it''s him."


    Merissa stared at her son''s cold expression. She wanted to tell him not to say things like that but she just couldn''t find it in herself to defend the man. Not after everything that has happened.


    "How did you end up here, Mum?" Winter asked. "I''ve been continuosly searching for you for two years. I didn''t imagine that this is where I would eventually find you."


    "It''s a long story. But we have all the time in the world now. I could tell you anything you wanted to hear. Because I''m not leaving. Even if other people wanted me to. I''ll be here for you from now on," Merissa dered, her voice full of conviction.


    Winter''s lips tilted upward, his eyes bent into crescent shape. For the first time in years, he showed a full-blown smile. The coldness on his face immediately thawed because of that, making him looked like a gentle prince instead of a cold one. "Yes."


    She smiled and gently patted Winter''s cheek. "Look at you, you''re taller than me now and so, so handsome."


    "And you''re still as beautiful as I remember, Mum."


    Merissa''s smile cracked a little when she heard that. Winter immediately noticed the change in her expression. Then he had a slight glimpse of the part of his mother''s face being covered by her hair. If he was not mistaken, those were burn scars. He parted her hair and whaty beneath just confirmed what he saw.


    The smile on Winter''s face immediately vanished and his face darkened. The temperature inside the room even started to get lower. "Who did this?"

 Chapter 62: exploit the situation

    Chapter 62: exploit the situation


    THE TEMPERATURE in the drawing room was getting lower and lower. Ice started forming on the surface of the different furnitures inside the room. Even the windows started to get foggy because of the sudden drop of temperature.


    Merissa immediately grabbed her son''s hand. "Winter, please, calm down."


    Winter''s face just became colder and colder. His heart was filled with extreme suffocation. He had never felt this angry before. Not when the Queen pped him and told him he would be nothing more than a filthy bastard, not when the first prince tried to beat the shit out of him when he first arrived at the pce, and definitely not whenever the first princess schemed against him. But this, hurting his mother, this just hit his bottom-line.


    He couldn''t control his anger, making his Mana unstable. Then Winter noticed his mother shivering. That was like a punch straight to his gut. What was he doing? His mother only has a D level wind Gift. Releasing his Mana like this would only freeze her. He took a calming breath and slowly controled his Mana until it became stable. The ice forming around the room also slowly dissipated.


    He took off his coat and put it on his mother. "I''m sorry, Mum."


    Merissa shook her head and smiled. "No, don''t apologize. I''m just happy that my baby grew up to be so powerful."


    "Mum, please tell me who did this to you."


    Merissa stared at her son''s cold face and she knew she had no choice but to tell him everything. She told him the same things she told the young duke. At the end of her story, Winter was clenching his hands tightly. As if he''s trying real hard not to lose control again. She squezzed her son''s hand,forting him. "It''s okay, Winter. I''m not that hurt. Please, don''t be mad."


    Winter just felt more rage because of thatst sentence his mother said. His mother was overly kind. Even if someone did something unkind to her, she would never truly hate that person. "If I don''t get angry for you, then who would?" he said, almost in a whisper. "The person who caused the fire, was it one of the two men who kidnapped you?"


    "Yes. When I attacked them, it took them by surprise and I identaly hurt the one with the fire Gift. He attacked me and since the shed was small and made of wood, it easily caught fire."


    He took another calming breath. "Do you think they''re still alive?"


    "Yes. I mean, I think so. They ran out of the shed before me."


    "Good." Which meant he could punish them for what they did. "I will look for a healer with an SS level healing Gift. They can definitely heal these burn scars."


    "I don''t mind the scars."


    "Mum, please, just let me do this for you."


    And as he does that, he would look for the people responsible for what happened to his mother. How hard could it be? He could literally count on his fingers the number of people who would do this. Then once he found them, he''d made sure that they''d pay.


    ----------


    Argent was sitting behind the desk in her study, speaking to White. "You haven''t found anything yet about the first princess?"


    "Not yet, Master. The recordings taken from her sPhones so far were all just about her daily activities."


    After going through the data of the first princess'' sPhone, Argent was not surprised to hear that. She was obviously very meticulous and not the type to leave everything to chance. She wouldn''t just leave evidence lying around that could cause detrimental damage to her reputation.


    "Continue spying on her." Argent doesn''t believe that the first princess wouldn''t make a single blunder. "How about the Pope?"


    She also told White to spy on the Pope as soon as she knew that he has a [Jiffy] ount. But so far, just like the princess, nothing hase out of it.


    "It''s just the usual, Master. The recordings were just of his room and whenever he went to his garden and take a rest."


    That meant what they could get from those were just of him waking up and sleeping. And also of him, sitting in the garden and browsing through [Jiffy]. He either only has those as his daily activities or that he turned off his sPhone whenever there''s an important conversation. Argent was more inclined to believe it was thetter.


    "Just like with the princess, continue your surveince."


    "Yes, Master."


    Argent ended the call and turned off her light brain. She hasn''t had time to continue with her thoughts because the door of the study suddenly opened. Aurum came in and sat in front of her desk.


    "Who''s that guy outside?" she asked.


    "The second prince'' servant or something," Argent answered.


    Aurum furrowed her brows. "The popsicle is here?"


    "He''s meeting with his mother."


    "Oh, I see." Aurum almost forgot that that was today. She still couldn''t believe that the new maid turned out to be the popsicle''s mother. The chance of that happening would be slim to none. But it still happened.


    Aurum was about to ask her brother about something when someone suddenly knocked on the door.


    "Come in," Argent called.


    The door opened and the second prince came in. At one nce, one would think that reuniting with his mother didn''t really have any effect on him. But if you just look at him closely, you could see that his eyes were slightly red. Indicating that he must have cried.


    Winter saw the duke as soon as he entered the study, but he also saw Lady Aurum. He has conflicting feelings towards the girl. He knew that she was the only one who could have had destroyed the defaro crystal he asked Mis to give to the duke. On the other hand, he also felt extremely foolish. Because that possibility didn''t even crossed his mind.


    He shook his head and just chose not to temporarily think about it. "Hanover," he first greeted the duke. "Thank you, for what you did for my mother."


    Argent shrugged. "I didn''t actually do anything."


    "Exactly. Even if you found out about her real identity, you didn''t exploit it. Instead, you called me. For that, you have my gratitude," the prince said seriously.


    There was a hint of amusement in Argent''s eyes. "Oh, but that''s where you''re wrong. I do n to exploit this situation." The prince showed a confused look. "The one behind your mother''s kidnapping, you should know that there''s a high possibility that it could be a member of the royal family, well, aside from your father. Since he definitely wants you to be his official heir. I want to cause mayhem to the royal family. You know, let them be busy about something. And the emergence of your mother would be that perfect mayhem."


    Winter became silent for a few seconds. "If you have a n, then I''ll work with you. But there''s no way this n could include my Mum being in danger."


    Argent raised one of her brows. "You''re here to protect her, aren''t you?"


    Winter was slightly taken aback by that and a small smile appeared on his lips. "Yes, I am."


    Aurum observed the interaction between the two. She still doesn''t like the second prince. But after interacting with the King, the Queen, and the second princess, she must admit that he''s probably different from them. At least, he obviously loved his mother.


    "Can my Mum continue to stay here?" Winter asked.


    "Sure. You can even visit," Argent said. "But you have to think of a way so your visit won''t look suspicious. If you go here frequently, even if you ride a nondescript carriage, there''s no way no one would notice."


    "You can act as if you''re visiting me. The King wanted you to get close to me, right? No one would suspect you of anything if you tell them you''re here for me," Aurum interjected.


    The two simultaneously looked at her.


    Argent smiled. "Good idea."


    "What?" Aurum snarled when the prince stayed silent. "Just think of this as my way of apologizing. I broke that defaro crystal you sent when we left here seven years ago. I kind of thought you have some sort of hidden agenda. I didn''t want you to get close to my brother. So with this, we''re square. Okay?"


    Winter stared at Lady Aurum for a few seconds more before nodding. He didn''t expect that she would actually admit what she did. "Okay, I guess." What else could he say? No matter his grievance, what she said was really a good idea. He then turned to the duke. "It looks like my debt to you just kept getting bigger and bigger."


    "You can pay in full once you be the king," the duke simply said, as if that was the most natural course of event.


    "Yes, I think I will do just that," Winter said. "Thank you, Argent," he followed, saying the duke''s name for the very first time.

 Chapter 63: parliament

    Chapter 63: parliament


    THE ONE who was responsible in making thews in Albion was the parliament. It was an assembly made up of high ranking titled lords in the aristocracy and, of course, the King. They gathered twice a year - one general assembly every six months - to discuss the current state of affairs of the kingdom, to talk about relevant matters that could affect the country, and to pass importantws.


    If the ruler was weak, the lords could limit the power being held by the monarch. They could rule in the King''s stead and the ruler would be just a figurehead. But if the King was powerful, he would have the ability to rule and not be limited by the lords. The current king - Arthur Friedrich di Albion - was such a ruler.


    The general parliament assembly was being held at the Parliament House located at the capital - Londinium. Today was the mid-year assembly when all the lords and the King would gather for a meeting. Argent was on her way there now. She received a summon a week ago saying that she should attend the meeting.


    Holding one of the few ducal titles in thend, it was a given that she has a seat in the parliament. But receiving the title at such a young age, she was exempted from attending the meetings. Now that she''s 14, she was required to attend. A person finished their primary education at the age of 14, at some country they could already be considered as an adult. In Albion, being a lord and having a seat in the parliament could be good reasons why a 14 year old could be considered old enough to participate in government matters.


    Honestly, Argent was not so excited about the thought of attending the assembly. One of the things she hated was politics. Because most often than not, politicians just cared more about their own agendas rather than really improving the lives of the people they''re supposed to govern and protect. They were more concerned in widening their sphere of influence, so much so that they wouldn''t hesitate to use anything or anyone just to aplish their goals. Besides, they''re the reasons why she died in her original world so cut her some ck for her extreme prejudice.


    That''s why Argent only has one goal ining to today''s meeting - gave up her seat in the parliament.


    She doesn''t want to y the politics game with the other so-called lords. Aside from the fact that it''s boring, she''s not interested in having a political career here. She''s not some sort of patriot who cared about anything and everything about the country she was born in. She just doesn''t feel that kind of moral obligation. If she did, then she wouldn''t have done what she did to country C - the country where she was born in her original world. Her attachments to this kingdom could be counted using one hand - her family, the Hanover manor, and Felicia''s family which included Nelly and Gregory.


    Giving up her seat in the parliament wouldn''t really affect her that much. What would they do, detain her? Not likely. Because what she was about to do was not illegal. Take their family''s estates? Definitely impossible. Because their properties here were entailed to the Hanover title and not to the monarchy. The only downside that could be considered was she would lose the right to vote on anything they decide during every parliament assembly. But she doesn''t really give a shit about that. So she wouldn''t really lose anything.


    Argent doesn''t think that her father would care if their family lose a seat in the parliament. If he did care about things like politics, he wouldn''t go traipsing around the world looking for treasures. If her mother ever found him and he returned here and he wanted to take back his position in the parliament, she was sure he could regain it. He could just say that his son was not thinking straight or something. They would probably take him back considering how few dukes there were in Albion. And their family has one of the oldest bloodline. So, that''s a plus.


    Argent wouldn''t even go to the trouble of dealing with the royal family if they just left her and her sister alone. But they did mess with them, so it''s only right to return the favor.


    The initial n was going smoothly. It''s been two weeks since the second prince and his mother reunited. She told the prince to let his people spread rumors about the return of the famous Madame La Chanteuse. When the capital was brimming with that rumor, then she would make White spread a number of fake news in [Jiffy] telling that the once famous opera singer was in the capital of Gaul making aeback. Gaul was the nearest country to Albion. It''s considered as a country of artists. Since most famous painters, musicians, and opera singers were born there. And its capital - Luretia - was a thriving capital of arts.


    Of course, that fake news would only revolve around Albion. This way, whoever kidnapped her would surely make a move. Argent really wished it was the first princess. Because if it was the first prince, then that would be just on another level of disappointing. He''s an idiot who only thinks with his little brother down there. Fighting with idiots was no fun.


    The carriage carrying Argent stopped, indicating that she already arrived at her destination. The coachman opened the door for her and she got out of the carriage. In front of her was a white dome-like building - the Parliament House.


    People passing-by the street couldn''t help but stare at the tall youth. He was wearing a ck coat tail and ck suit pants that fitted his long legs perfectly. His silver hair was carefully brushed back and his amethyst like eyes were like expensive jewels. Even if they don''t know who he was, his beautiful features alone were enough to gather their attention.


    Argent ignored the sights directed at her and entered the building. Someone lead her to the assembly room. When she entered, a lot of people were already there - 24 to be exact. All eyes turned on her the moment she entered. A robust man with long red hair tied behind his back stood up and walked to her. He pped her back, making her almost doubled-over.


    "Hanover, my boy, it''s nice to finally have you here," he said whileughing heartily.


    If Argent was not mistaken, this man was Kerrigan Greaves - Mis''s father and the current Duke of Wakefield. "Lord Wakefield," she greeted.


    "I''m sorry if my son has been bothering you these days. I hope he''s not being a hindrance," the duke said while leading her to an empty seat on the long table where the lords were sitting.


    Mis has been visiting the manor with the second prince. While the prince was spending time with his mother, the Earl was spending time with Aurum. Her sister seemed to be fond of him so she doesn''t really have objection of him tagging along with the prince. It''s rare for Aurum to care about an outsider so she wouldn''t prohibit that kind of interaction. "He''s not a hindrance at all. He''s goodpany."


    "Then I''m d to hear that," the duke said, smiling as he sat down. "You look a lot like your father, do you know that?"


    "Yes. I hear that from a lot of people," she answered, sitting down beside the duke.


    "Let''s just hope he''s not as carefree as his father," said someone in front of them, his voice dripping with unconcealed mockery.


    Argent turned her gaze towards the man who spoke. He has brown hair and a pair of green eyes. He looked to be the same age as the Duke of Wakefield. But unlike the duke who looked fit and muscr, this one was on the portly side. "And you are?"


    The man''s face flushed in embarrassment and he red at her with daggers in his eyes.


    Kerrigan chuckled. "That''s Orwell," he said before turning to the portly man. "Be kind to our junior here."


    The Duke of Orwell just scoffed before turning his gaze away, no longer paying attention to them.


    So, that''s the Duke of Orwell, Argent thought. He''s the father of that stupid Lady Therese who was used by the first princess. If she''s not mistaken, he was also on the faction that supported the second prince. Not because he believed on the prince''s ability but because he believed the prince would be the next king. He wanted to put his only daughter as the queen. No wonder he seemed to hate her. Especially now that the rumor of the second prince courting Aurum was just going stronger.


    After a few more minutes, the King came in. All of the lords stood up and bowed to him. Then the assembly started.


    They talked and debated about the economy, the military, themon people. It went on like that for the next five hours. Argent yawned. She was already dying of boredom.


    The Duke of Orwell saw the action of the boy and his irritation towards the young duke just went up a notch. "Hanover, do you have any opinion about this matter?" he asked for the nth time.


    And for the nth time, the young duke also answered with, "No. I abstain."


    Orwell could feel the veins in his forehead popping because of the answer he''s been constantly hearing from the young duke for the past five hours.


    The King, on the other hand, didn''t care much. Winter has been doing a good job building a rtionship with Lady Aurum. He believed that in no time, an engagement would happen between the two. So even if the duke was acting like this, he could look the other way.


    Kerrigan who was sitting beside the young duke was amused. It felt like he went back in time. It reminded him of the times when the former Duke of Hanover was attending the assembly. He was exactly the same as his son. Although the former duke did it in a more cheerful and annoying way.


    "Do you have anything inside that brain of yours at all?" the Duke of Orwell almost snarled.


    "Yes. A lot, in fact. I''m a genius, remember?" Argent answered with an annoying grin on her face. "I''m just not interested in the topics you were talking about. On that note, I think I just reached the limit of my patience." She stood up and looked at the King. "Your Majesty, I respectfully abdicate my seat on the parliament."


    Everyone in the room seemed to be having auditory hallucination. Did they just hear it right? The young duke wanted to abdicate? Was he insane?


    Arthur looked thoughtfully at the tall youth. "Do you know what you''re saying right now?"


    "Yes."


    "Abdicating meant your family would lose the right to vote on any decision regarding the ruling of the kingdom," the King said, pointing out the seriousness of the young duke''s decision.


    "I know, Your Majesty. But I just don''t have the interest to deal with things like these. It would be just a huge waste of time. For you and for me."


    The King sighed when he heard that answer. Maybe this was also good. With that huge brain, if the kid put in the effort to meddle with the kingdom''s affair, Arthur would definitely have a huge problem in his hands. "Alright. I approve your abdication."


    "Your Majesty, he just can''t do that!" the Duke of Orwell shouted in outrage. A duke belonging to an old bloodline, even if he''s a NoGift, abdicating? That''s absurd!


    "Oh, Lord Orwell, but I just did," Argent said, grinning annoyingly at the portly duke. Then he turned to the King and bowed. "Thank you, Your Majesty. I shall take my leave now, as to not waste any more of your time."


    They watched as the young duke walked out of the assembly room. Kerrigan almostughed. The kid definitely has more balls than his father.


    "Continue with the meeting," the King said, cutting off all their reverie.


    Argent stepped outside the Parliament House. She took a deep breath and smiled.


    Ah, freedom.

 Chapter 64: foreign arrivals

    Chapter 64: foreign arrivals


    SUNLIGHT was pouring down the youth sitting in the garden. His silver hair appeared soft to the touch. His pair of purple eyes were like glistening amethyst. His gaze was downcast, his silver eyshes casting a shadow on his cheek. His delicate white skin has a faint blush because of the morning sun. His fingers were long and slender with distinct joints. It looked incredibly beautiful against the ck cover of the book he was holding.


    That was the scene that Niki saw when he walked to the garden. He must admit, if he has a faint heart, he would surely be tempted by what he''s seeing. Good thing he wasn''t. If the young duke would tone down his indifference, Niki was certain that people would easily mistake him for a girl. But as it was, he was surrounded by this atmosphere that just iste him from the world around him. It''s like he has this huge sign above his head saying ''don''te, highly dangerous''. That just overwhelmed the beauty he has, making people unable to associate her to the word ''feminine''.


    Truthfully, he wasn''t really a fan of the young duke. In his opinion, a person full of apathy was sometimes even worse than those with bad intentions. At least, with those people, you knew what to expect. But with someone like the Duke of Hanover, you could never tell what he would do next. Because everything depended on his mood.


    But Niki just couldn''t ignore the fact that the duke was the one who found Miss Merissa. He knew just how badly the prince wanted to reunite with his mother. And the duke just made that possible. For that alone, Niki was ready to set aside his prejudice against the duke. But if there ever came a time that he became the prince''s enemy, Niki wouldn''t also hesitate to fight him. Because the prince well-being would alwayse first, to him and to Aspen and Robin.


    "If you have something to say, then don''t just stand there."


    The duke''s slightly husky voice woke Niki up from his reverie. He walked towards the duke and bowed. "Your Grace."


    "Is there something?"


    "His Highness sends a message. He couldn''t personallye because of some important business but he wanted Your Grace to know that everything was ready. Everything should go as nned."


    Argent closed the book she was reading and put it down on the crystal table beside her. "Good."


    It has been another two weeks since that incident in the parliament. Ten days since White released that fake news about Merissa having aeback at a famous opera house in Luretia. And just like Argent predicted, someone did make a move. She was not that happy when she found out who. They even used the same two people who kidnapped Merissa. Talk about stupid and unoriginal. So the second prince easily apprehended them.


    "Those two people, are they dead?"


    With the duke''s question, Niki inadvertently remembered when Aspen apprehended the two men who kidnapped Miss Merissa. They were brought to a cabin in an isted forest at the edge of Albion - it was a property owned by the prince himself.


    [Four days ago...]


    A deafening scream erupted inside the cabin.


    "S-stop... please... stop..." A man chained on the wall begged. Most of his body was frostbitten. Tiny ice needles were entering his every pore and he couldn''t help but let out another scream of pain. He looked down and saw the pieces of ice on the floor. Inside those ice were body parts. Parts from his former partner who was alive just a while ago and was now turned into that. "What else do you want?! We already told you everything!"


    Winter looked coldly at the man. There was no expression on his face, only calmness. As if he was looking at an already dead man. "This is retribution. For the hell you put my mother through."


    Winter raised his hand and the scream within the cabin continued.


    [Present day...]


    That was the first time Niki saw the second prince being that ruthless. He didn''t even think that he was capable of that much anger. But it was good to know that he was not serving someone soft-hearted. Because a king doesn''t need a soft heart.


    "Let''s just say they already met their demise," Niki answered.


    Argent guessed that much. She didn''t really care what happened to those two men as long as they get the information they wanted. Which, in fact, they did. "Is there anything else?"


    "Nothing more, Your Grace. We''ll be seeing you at His Highness'' birthday banquet."


    "Oh, I wouldn''t miss it for the world." Because that''s when all the shit would go down.


    Niki bid farewell and Argent continued reading. She was about to flip another page of the book when her sister suddenly came running.


    "Brother!" Aurum called while waving her sPhone.


    "What''s wrong?" Argent asked when Aurum was finally near.


    "Look." Aurum showed her the screen of her sPhone and on the screen was a teenage girl with ming red hair and a pair of big hazel eyes.


    Argent furrowed her brows. "Ruby?"


    "Argent! Thank the goddess. Come and save me!"


    "And I told you, we''re in Albion. Do you expect my brother to teleport there to Amexem?" Aurum answered.


    "Have you even read the post on my [Jiffy] ount?" Ruby countered.


    "Why would I read your post? I have better things to do than that. And besides, I don''t follow you."


    "What? How could you? I was following you, you know?"


    "Who told you to follow me?"


    "Okay. That''s it. I''m going to unfollow you right now."


    Argent shook her head. Her sister and Ruby has some sort of weird frenemy rtionship. After the kidnapping incident, Ruby changed. She no longer acted as self-willed as before. Which meant she no longer pestered Argent. That kind of lead to her and Aurum building a friendly rtionship. Or at least their own kind of friendship.


    "Stop. Both of you." Argent turned to Ruby. "Where are you right now?"


    "That''s what I''ve been telling you. I''m in Albion right now. Soe save me. Please!"


    ----------


    A huge ship docked on the port, the sail being taken down has the symbol of the mighty Xing Empire. Down below, the first princess and the second prince of Albion was waiting together with a number of royal guards. They were there to act as a weing party to the fourth prince of Xing who was here for a diplomatic visit. Nothing should go wrong during this visit. Because the diplomatic rtionship between the two countries depended on this.


    "I didn''t think you woulde. I thought you would be too busy. Preparing for your birthday, I mean," the first princess said, talking as if she meant apletely different thing.


    "Father asked me to be here. So, I''m here. I''m more curious why you''re here," Winter said, not even looking at the princess.


    "Father also told me toe. He wanted me to entertain the prince," Icelyn said, smiling.


    On the deck of the ship, Li Jun took a deep breath. "Ah, we''re finally here." He turned to the young general beside him. "Isn''t this exciting?"


    Zhang Lei Feng didn''t answer immediately and just stared at the town ahead. "Yes. It is."

 Chapter 65: the eyecatching guard

    Chapter 65: the eyecatching guard


    A GROUP of soldiers first came down the ship. Then they parted to let a young man through. Based on the guards action and respectful attitude, the young man could only be the fourth prince of Xing - Li Jun. The prince was wearing a red brocade robe that perfectly showcased his white skin. His long ck hair was tied in a jade crown. You could see from his delicate features that he''s from the Eastern continent. Men from the East usually have softer featurespared to men from the West. The fourth prince of Xing was a prime example of that.


    Icelyn made a curtsy when the prince walked in front of them. "Wee to Albion, Prince Li Jun," she said using the Xingnguage. "I''m Icelyn Jade di Albion, the first princess of Albion. It''s my pleasure to wee you to our country."


    Li Jun was slightly surprised. It didn''t really crossed his mind that he would hear a royalty from another country speak theirnguage. He expected a trantor to be present at best. That''s why he couldn''t help but gave a second look at the princess. Though she couldn''t be said to be a devastating beauty, she has a very graceful temperament which made up for that. She reminded him of the Empress. Which was really not apliment considering the Empress was a calctive, maniptive bitch. So he couldn''t help but put the first princess on his ''not-to-be-trusted'' list.


    "I didn''t expect the first princess to speak ournguage so well. It truly made me feel wee," Li Jun said, smiling.


    "I''m d the prince feel that way. It seems learning thenguage was not at all in vain," the princess said, smiling back at him.


    "I appreaciate the effort of the princess, but I''d rather we speak themon tongue. After all, I''m in Albion now. It''s impolite of me to let the princess speak mynguage when I can perfectly speak yours," Li Jun said using themon tongue, a gentle smile on his lips.


    Most countries in the world used themon tongue to speak. But some of the countries in the Eastern continent still used their ownnguage. These countries were quite exclusive and refused any foreign influence. A perfect example was the Xing Empire. A foreigner would need to pass a lot of clearance before they could enter Xing. But because of the rising influence of sPhones to society, the rigidws in Xing regarding foreigners were slowly starting to soften. That''s why a diplomatic visit like this became possible. The time when countries like Xing wouldpletely open itself to outsiders might not be far off.


    Icelyn smiled, not minding what the prince said. "Of course," she answered, switching back to themon tongue.


    "Prince Li Jun, the carriage is ready. We will escort you first to the royal pce and then we will bring you to your temporary residence," Winter said with his usual cold expression.


    Li Jun turned to the person who just spoke. He has the same hair and eye color as the princess. It was safe to assume that this guy was probably also an Albion royalty. "You must be...?"


    "Winter di Albion. Pardon me for not immediately introducing myself."


    The man standing beside the prince of Xing lifted his gaze when Winter introduced himself. Honestly speaking, the man was more eyecatching than the prince. He was tall and well-built with wide shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs. No one could ever say that he looked delicate. The word ''handsome'' wasn''t even enough to describe him. But because he was intentionally masking his presence, no one paid much attention to him. Yet now, when he suddenly looked at Winter, the intense power in his obsidian ck eyes showed. Attracting the attention of the people around them.


    The man looked at Winter as if he''s sizing up the prince. There was no hostility in his gaze. It was like he was making certain if the prince was a worthy opponent or not. But then, he quickly turned his gaze away, making people feel that it was all in their imagination. But that split second was enough to intrigue not only the first princess but Winter as well.


    Winter was a bit confused why the man looked at him that way. It seemed that the man was some sort of personal guard for the prince of Xing. He never showed any hostility to the prince. So why?


    "Please, lead the way," Li Jun saidpletely cutting Winter''s thoughts.


    But before everyone could move, a falcon suddenly came flying downward andnded on the shoulder of the man standing beside the prince of Xing.


    The falcon leaned on Lei Feng''s ear and he heard An Si''s voice. An Si was one of his dark guards. He has a rare Gift. He was what people called a warg - a person who could transfer his conciousness to an animal. His Gift was perfect for spying and information gathering. His Gift was at A level which meant he could transfer his conciousness to five animals at a time. That''s why when the sPhone reached Xing, he immediately sent An Si to Amexem to gather information on Silver Corporation. Because he knew she was there.


    Xia Yin was the only one who could create something like the sPhone.


    But at the end, during the five years that An Si stayed at Amexem, the only really important information he gathered was that the one who created the sPhones was the one who founded Silver Corporation. An Si did his best to find out who it was but it was like looking for a ghost. Not even the employers of thepany knew who it was.


    Until that interview happened.


    Lei Feng felt like he was drowning for years, but when he saw that interview, it''s like a driftwood was given to him. That was the only moment he truly felt that he could continue on living.


    This time, this time for sure, he wouldn''t make the same mistake.


    Lei Feng listened to An Si''s voice through the falcon. After listening to what it has to say, there was a slight change in his expression. Then he turned to Li Jun. "I need to go somewhere," he said in the Xingnguage.


    Li Jun was a bit confused when he heard that. "Where are you going?"


    "Two of my dark guards are here to protect you," Lei Feng said instead of answering the prince''s question.


    The falcon flew. There was a static in the air and Lei Feng followed the falcon, moving as fast as lightning and almost disappearing in ce.


    The people left were quite surprised by his sudden movements.


    "You sure have an interesting guard, Prince Li Jun," Icelynmented and based on the informal way theymunicated with each other, it was obvious that that man was not an ordinary guard. And that amount of Mana, the man was probably at least S level or even higher.


    "Yes," Li Jun answered but he kept wondering where Lei Feng would go. As far as he knew, this was the first time Lei Feng has been in this country. So where could he possibly go? And in such haste too?


    He just shook his head and followed the first princess and the second prince towards the carriage.


    ---------


    Ruby kept pacing. She was inside a gorgeous room but she has no time to appreciate it because of the circumstance on how she actually ended up here. She was finally epted as an apprentice to a very famous painter. But when she went to Gaul to meet her master, the servants told her that her master was in retreat and he wouldn''t be back until a monthter. So Ruby decided to travel to Albion since she heard from his brother that Argent and Aurum were already back there.


    She just arrived at Albion and thought of shopping in town first before going to Hanover manor and surprising the twins. But who would have thought that someone would actually kidnap her? She remembered she was looking at some clothes when she felt a sting on her neck. Then everything turned ck. The next thing she knew, she was already in this ce. She probably lose conciousness.


    But how bold of those people! Actually kidnapping someone in broad daylight? Weren''t they afraid of the authorities? Wasn''t Albion supposed to be the nd of gentlemen''? Then how could something like this happened?


    Ruby was really tempted to just burn everything here. But then she thought she was not in Amexem. Her status was currently a foreigner in a foreign county. Obviously, someone who has the nerve to do this kind of thing in broad daylight was not an ordinary citizen. They might even be an aristocrat. If she caused an international incident, then Uncle Jaxon would surely lock her up and never allowed her to leave Amexem again.


    She was just d that those people didn''t take her space ring. Good thing she always wore it as a ne. Those people probably didn''t see it. If not, then she wouldn''t be able to call Argent.


    Ruby took a deep breath. It''s okay. She already called Argent. He said he''d be here and fix this situation. She only had to stay put and wait for him. She calmed down after thinking that Argent would soon be here.


    Her rtionship with the twins eased up a lot during the past seven years. That kidnapping incident really forced her to grow up. Seeing Argent all covered in blood made her realized that she couldn''t continue being a willful and spoiled child. Despite being a child and a NoGift no less, he still did his best to protect his sister. And there she was, thinking what kind of story she should tell to her friends when they went back. That incident really woke her up.


    As the years went by, she realized her fascination with Argent was not really the romantic kind. Every child that age wanted things that were pretty and Argent fell perfectly in that ''pretty'' category. But now, Ruby''s feelings for Argent could only be described as sisterly. No matter how pretty Argent was, she just couldn''t feel any attraction for him. Which was probably good. Because seriously, anyone who would like Argent would need to ovee a lot of trials. Aside from having a sister with a huge brotherplex, Argent was also oblivious to other people''s feelings. Especially if those feelings were directed towards him.


    So now, Ruby could only light a candle for those people who would seriously like Argent.


    Her thoughts stopped when the door was suddenly flung open. And a tall man entered. His shirt was not buttoned up, revealing a wide expanse of his chest. His icy blue hair was disheveled. There were even some marks and bites on his skin. Ruby might be only 16 but she knew what a hickey was when she saw one. The man''s gaze fell on her. He looked at her from her head to toe and his gaze stayed on her chest. The obvious desire that filled his blue eyes made Ruby shiver from disgust.


    He might be handsome. But no amount of handsomeness could cover up the perverted gaze he just gave her.


    Jasper just had a very bad week. Everything was just falling into chaos. Even ying with women doesn''t calm his anger. He just finished f*cking one and yet he''s still not satisfied. Good thing his men just informed him that they got a new woman for him. And they even assured him that this one would thoroughly satisfy him. Looking at the girl in front of him, he couldn''t agree more.


    The girl has wild ming red hair and a pair of big hazel eyes. The white trousers she has on perfectly showed the curve of her hips. The suit dress she was wearing didn''t hide her huge chest. He couldn''t help but gulp. She was definitely more than he expected. And ording to his men, this girl was a foreigner. So he could probably do whatever he wanted to her.


    When the man started walking towards her, Ruby stepped backwards. "What the hell do you want?"


    The man smiled sleazily at her. "Isn''t it obvious? Of course, to have fun with you."


    Ruby already had an idea what kind of ''fun'' this man was talking about. "If you dare touch me, I swear I''ll burn you into ashes."


    "Oh, a spitfire. I like that."


    He continued on walking towards her. Before she could react, he already pushed her towards the bed and loomed over her. Ruby''s body stiffened. She swore if this guy touched her, she would really set him on fire. Because she was too busy feeling disgusted, she didn''t hear themotion happening outside. She was readying herself to attack but before she could do that, the man was suddenly pulled away from her.


    When she looked up, she saw a tall youth with silver hair and purple eyes standing by the bed. He was obviously the one who pulled the guy away from her.


    Ruby excitedly stood up. "Argent!"

 Chapter 66: saving the beauty

    Chapter 66: saving the beauty


    ARGENT stared at the red dot constantly flickering on her light brain. It was the signal being released by Ruby''s sPhone. Once she learned of Ruby''s current situation, she immediately asked White to track the signal of Ruby''s sPhone. White found its location and sent it to Argent in no time. The signal wasing from somewhere just in the outskirts of Londinium.


    Argent didn''t waste time and immediately called one of the coachmen. She specifically told the coachman to use four horses to pull the carriage. In that way, their travel time would be lessen by quite a lot. Of course it would be much faster to use her flying car. But she couldn''t take the chance that it won''t be seen by anyone. After all, it''s broad daylight and the ce was not far from the capital.


    She just hope that nothing would happen to Ruby during this time. She still finds Ruby a bit noisy at times but spending time with her for the past seven years, Argent already got used to her quirks. She already put Ruby under the category of ''friend'' along with Finn and Jaxon. So Argent wouldn''t wish for something bad to happen to her.


    Just like she predicted, they arrived at the ce much faster than normal. Argent turned off her light brain and went out of the carriage. She stood in front of a two-storey mansion. Two guards were outside, the both of them were wearing the same clothes with an emblem of the royal guard attached to it. When Argent heard of how Ruby ended up in this kind of ce, she already had a hunch on who was behind it. But seeing these guards here now only solidified that hunch.


    She let out an exasperated sigh. This was probably the ce of that perverted first prince - Jasper William di Albion. Seriously, do the members of the royal family have nothing better to do than to piss her off?


    The two guards of course noticed her arrival. But before they could ask what''s her business there, she turned her bracelet into a silver stick and didn''t hesitate to attack the two. Both quickly lose conciousness and fainted on the spot.


    Argent walked inside the mansion. She was d that she decided against disguising herself. Because her identity as the Duke of Hanover would surely be advantageous in this situation.


    Two men who were in the mansion''s entryway immediately noticed her arrival. Unlike the two men outside, they were not wearing a guard''s uniform. They were probably the first prince''s personal goons.


    "Hey, you! How did you get here?" one asked, shouting at her.


    "I opened the door and walked inside," Argent answered, her voice full of sarcasm.


    The one who asked her immediately flushed red from embarrassment. "This is not a ce someone like you could easily enter!"


    When the man obviously couldn''t wait to attack her, the other man suddenly stopped him. Because he recognized the tall teenager in front of them. It was the Duke of Hanover! "Milord, this is the first prince''s private property. I don''t know why you''re here but I hope you would leave peacefully and not make unnecessary trouble."


    Argent raised her brow. Well, looks like this one has a bit more brains than the other. "I certainly could do that. But I won''t. Because you just took someone you shouldn''t."


    She used [Mizukodo] to hasten her pace for an attack. She arrived in front of the stupid one in just a few seconds it took for them to blink. She raised the silver stick in her hand and itnded on the man''s neck. She heard a loud crunch, like bones breaking. If this guy couldn''t find a healer to heal him, then he might not be able to move his body in this life. The man fell on the floor.


    Argent turned to the one with a bit more brains inside his head. The man was petrified with a horrified look on his face. Before he could react, he already felt a searing pain from his knees. He doubled-over and also fell on the floor. The man couldn''t believe what just happened. The duke might be a genius but he was still a powerless NoGift. And yet this supposedly powerless duke was able to supress two grown men in just a matter of seconds. They didn''t even have the time to use their Gifts to defend.


    The man started to gather Mana in his left hand but before he could even do anything with it, the stick the duke was holding suddenly came down. It almost crushed his nose, making him even more horrified.


    "What do you think is faster, you attacking me with your Gift or me gouging your eyes out with this stick?"


    The man gulped, clearly he wasn''t sure which one was really faster. "W-what do you want?"


    "The girl you took from Londinium, the one with red hair, where is she? And don''t even try to deny it because I''m just a hair''s breadth from losing my patience," Argent said while poking the man''s face with the stick.


    This was all about that girl? Was she a friend of the duke''s? But how did the duke found out that they took her here? No, none of that mattered now. Because they did take the girl. Now he really wanted to punch himself. If he knew the girl''s identity, then he wouldn''t agree on nabbing the girl and giving her to the first prince.


    Argent added a bit more force on the stick. "Answer my question."


    The man felt like the stick would soon drill a hole on his cheek if he didn''t answer soon enough. "A-at the second floor, the end of the hallway."


    After saying that, he felt a pain at the back of his head and immediately lose conciousness.


    Three more men of the prince heard themotion in the entryway. When they arrived there, what they saw was a tall youth with beautiful features standing indifferently over two of theirrades. They were so surprised that they didn''t even notice when the teenager moved. Before they knew it, they were already lying unconciously on the ground.


    Argent sneered. What weak security. Anyone could seriously just enter here and kill the first prince. She wondered why no one ever tried it yet.


    She climbed upstairs and walked towards the room the man told her about. She opened the door and what she saw immediately darkened her mood. The first prince was now looming over a girl lying on the bed. Based on the red hair she saw, the girl could only be Ruby. One of the things Argent hated was people forcing themselves on others. It was vile and disgusting.


    She walked towards the bed and didn''t hesitate to pull the prince by the scruff of his neck and throw him away from Ruby.


    Ruby''s eyes brightened when she saw her and immediately stood up. "Argent!"


    "Are you okay?" Argent asked, inspecting Ruby for any injuries.


    "Aside from wanting to throw up, yes, I''m fine."


    Jasper stared venomously at the teenager. Of course, he knew who this ''Argent'' was. It''s that waste duke! He could always see that annoying face everywhere in [Jiffy]. So what if he''s a genius? He''s still trash! A NoGift waste! How did his men even let this trash enter here? "You barged in here and attack me, do you think you could get away with this?"


    Argent nced coldly at the prince. His handsome face was now distorted by hate. But she didn''t care about that. This idiotic prince doesn''t even deserve a tiny amount of her time.


    "What about you, do you think you could get away from abducting the Duke of Hanover''s guest? I think the King would have a lot to say about that, don''t you think so, Your Highness?" Argent asked, her voice while calling his title was full of mockery.


    The mockery didn''t get pass Jasper. Of course, he knew just how much he would be in trouble if his father knew about this. But so what? He''s a prince. He''s entitled to have some fun. He looked at the duke and smirked. "You''re mistaken. That girl came here on her own free will. I just did what she wanted me to. In fact, she even begged me to touch her."


    Ruby rounded her eyes because of the man''s shamelessness. Based on what Argent called him, he must be a prince. But if all princes were like him, then she''d rather not meet one. "Shut up, you disgusting pig! Who would want to be here and be raped by you?"


    Jasper felt like his head would explode because of too much rage. This was the first time someone dared to call him disgusting to his face. "You--!"


    He raised his hand and three sharp ice cones suddenly appeared and flew to the girl''s direction.


    Argent changed the stick she was holding into a sword and easily cut off the ice cones into pieces. Then she moved in front of the prince, raising her sword to his throat.


    Jasper''s whole body stiffened. He could feel the sharp edge of the sword on his throat. He didn''t even have the time to think on how the stick the duke was holding earlier suddenly turned into a sword. The duke right now was exuding such a strong killing intent. He has no doubt that if he made the wrong move, the duke wouldn''t hesitate to kill him.


    "You- you can''t kill me," he said, trying to sound confident even though his knees were already shaking.


    "Yes, you might be right." Killing the prince wouldn''t be beneficial to anyone. Besides, all those nning would go down the drain if this pervert died here. "But that doesn''t mean I can''t hurt you."


    The sword turned back into a stick and she thrusted it to the prince''s crotch. She didn''t even hold back her strength. The prince screamed like a little girl and doubled-over on the floor, holding his crotch. Now let''s see if he could still get hard after that.


    "Y-You-- you will p-pay for this!" the prince threatened.


    "Then I will wait for His Highness'' payback," Argent said, full of sarcasm in her tone. Then she pulled Ruby out of the room.


    Ruby couldn''t hold it in anymore andughed out loudly. "Did you see his face? That was really amazing," she said, her eyes tearing up because of too muchughter. "But was that really okay? He''s a prince, right?"


    "It''s fine. Don''t think about it."


    What could a prince who''s not favored by the King even do? Even if he told the King about this incident, Argent was sure that the King would just turn a blind eye to it. Especially now that he''s trying to get the second prince engage to Aurum. He might even punished the first prince if he knew that he abducted the Duke of Hanover''s guest.


    Ruby saw the five unconcious men near the entryway. There was no doubt in her heart that it was Argent''s handwriting. Even until now, she still couldn''t believe how much of an expert Argent became when it came to sword fighting. She knew how much hard work he put into his training, just so he could be as good as he was now. Because he knew how weak he was. So he worked hard to be stronger. Argent really was indeed amazing.


    Ruby hugged his arm and said, "Thank you for saving me."


    "I''m just afraid you would start a fire if I didn''te soon enough."


    Ruby grinned. "Actually, I was nning on doing just that. Good thing you arrived in time."


    Argent just shook her head. They walked out of the mansion and Argent furrowed her brows when she saw her coachman talking to a tall man. The man was wearing a simple ck robe - the kind that could be found in those ancient historical films in her original world. His face was being obscured by his long ck hair. The coachman appeared to be exining something to the man. But it looked like the man doesn''t understand what he was saying.


    Argent walked towards the two and she temporarily faltered in her footsteps when she heard the man talk. It was in anguage she hasn''t heard since she came to this world. But she immediately regained her bearings and continued walking.


    "What''s happening here?" she asked.


    The coachman appeared relieved when he saw her. "Milord, this man seemed to be a foreigner. He just suddenly appeared here and started talking to me but I couldn''t understand a word he was saying."


    Argent turned to the man who was currently staring at her. The intense power in those obsidian ck eyes almost made her want to step back. He was looking at her as if he wanted to memorize every parts of her. It was quite... unsettling. But the weirdest part was, she felt like she had seen that gaze before. She just couldn''t point out when or where. Then he turned down his gaze, cutting off the connection.


    "His clothes, he must be from Xing," Ruby whispered to Argent.


    Yes, she already guessed as much.


    The man looked up again. This time, the intensity in his gaze was no longer there. "I''m lost. Could you help me go to the ce I''m supposed to go to?" he asked using the Xingnguage.

 Chapter 67: the lost man from xing

    Chapter 67: the lost man from xing


    ARGENT stared at the man who immediately looked sideways after saying that he was lost. He said it with such a serious expression as if he was not talking about being lost but about a very important matter instead. Then she noticed how red his ear tips were. Like he was embarrassed. Argent just doesn''t know if he''s embarrassed that he was lost or that he gave such ame excuse to talk to them.


    Even though this ce was near the capital, it was far from the main road. Normally, a lost person wouldn''t wander off far from the main road so as not to get more lost. Except, of course, if that person was really directionally challenged. But looking at this man, Argent couldn''t really rte the word ''directionally challenged'' to him. Then again, you couldn''t really judge a book by its cover. So this man could really be lost just as he imed to be.


    But Argent''s gut feel was telling her otherwise. It''s telling her that this man probably came here on purpose. The only question was why would he pretend to be lost? But the weird thing was, Argent doesn''t really feel any ill-intent from him. She''s sensitive towards that particr type of emotion. The ce where she grew up in her original world forced her to be. If she didn''t learn to separate the people who had bad intentions from those who don''t, then she would have probably died much, much earlier. She probably wouldn''t even survive from childhood.


    Since she already ssified the man as ''suspicious but doesn''t n to do bad things at the moment'', Argent decided to y along with him. It''s better to find out herself what this guy was really ying at than to wonderter and make wrong conclusions.


    "And where is this ce you''re supposed to go to?" she said in perfect Xingnguage. Argent smiled to herself. She hasn''t spoken thisnguage since she came to this world. But it seemed she hasn''t forgotten how to. Not really surprising, since she lived in country C for 25 years. Speaking that country''snguage was not something she could easily forget.


    Ruby was quite surprised hearing Argent speak the Xingnguage. She didn''t know he could speak it. And in such perfect manner too! As if he''s lived his whole life in Xing. But the again, Argent was a genius. Learning anothernguage for him wouldn''t really be that hard.


    The man, on the other hand, didn''t seem surprised at all. As if he already expected that Argent could speak the Xingnguage.


    "The royal pce," the man answered.


    Now that wasn''t an answer Argent expected. "May I ask why you have to go there?"


    "The prince of Xing arrived here today for a diplomatic visit. I''m a member of his entourage. But I got lost along the way. Good thing I came upon you. There isn''t a lot of people who could speak ournguage so perfectly," he said, ncing sideways. Then he looked up and stared straight at Argent. His obsidian ck eyes showed no other image than hers. "I''m really happy to have met you."


    Then he immediately looked away, cutting off that intense gaze.


    Argent was a bit confused by his gaze. She doesn''t like it. Not because it disgusted her, but because she doesn''t understand why he would look at her that way. As if she was someone very important.


    She just shook her head and ignored that feeling. It was probably just her imagination anyway. Argent just focused on a much more important thing. Like how he was a member of the prince of Xing''s entourage. Of course, she heard about that diplomatic visit. That was a huge step for the two countries. If the prince''s visit here was sessful, then a stable trade would be established between the two countries. Which, in turn, could result in a much better economy.


    With such an important visit, how could a member of the prince''s entourage be lost here? Argent thought that there''s really only one way to find out. "Alright, I''ll guide you to the pce."


    "Thank you."


    Argent turned to the coachman. "Separate two of the horses from the carriage. Then return to Hanover manor with thedy."


    "Yes, milord." Although the coachman was still confused by what was happening, he didn''t ask any questions and just followed the order of the young lord.


    "Wait- why would I have to return to the manor alone? And what exactly did you talk about with that Xing foreigner?" Ruby asked.


    "He''s lost. I''m just going to help him find his way back."


    Ruby looked at Argent suspiciously. "Since when did you be such a good samaritan?"


    "I''m always kind, didn''t you know?"


    "Yeah, right. If you''re kind, then I''m a saint," Ruby snorted. "Besides, are you really fine being alone with such a suspicious stranger?"


    Ruby nced at the man from Xing. He was looking at them as if observing their interaction. He was handsome, alright. But he also has that kind of special presence as well. That kind that when he entered a room full of people, the first person anyone would notice was him. But that doesn''t mean he''s not a bad guy.


    "It''s fine, I could just kick his ass if he ever tried something," Argent said, looking at the man. That''s why she immediately noticed his mouth twitching when she said that, as if he was preventing himself from smiling.


    "Milord, here are the horses," the coachman said, bringing the two horses in front of Argent.


    "Good." She took hold of the reins of the two horses. Then she turned to Ruby. "Tell my sister I''m going hometer."


    Ruby sighed. Aurum would surely throw a fit when she learned her beloved brother went off with a stranger. "Fine."


    She went inside the carriage and the coachman drove it towards the direction of the manor.


    Argent looked at the man and gave him the rein of one of the horses. "We''ll ride towards the capital."


    "Yes." He took the reins and swiftly rode on the horse''s back, as if he had done it a thousands of times.


    Before riding the horse, Argent didn''t forget to put on a cloak. Some of the people in Londinium might recognized her. And she doesn''t really want people taking pictures of her using their sPhones, thenter on posting in on their [Jiffy] ounts.


    "Follow me," she said once she was on the horse''s back. Then she made the horse run forward towards the direction of the capital.


    The man immediately followed and rode beside her. "Why did you wear a cloak?" he asked.


    "Why do you think people wear cloaks?" Argent asked back instead of answering him.


    "Because they don''t want people to recognize them."


    "Or maybe they''re just cold," Argent said in return.


    "It''s such a shame though."


    "Hmm?"


    "To hide such a beautiful face," the man said with that serious expression on his face.


    Argent was slightly startled. This was the first time that someone called her beautiful to her face. She couldn''t help but feel annoyed. Then she noticed the man''s ear tip was glowing red. Her annoyance slowly turned to amusement. Especially after seeing the man''s ever serious face. "A man wouldn''t be happy being told that he''s beautiful."


    "I guess they won''t," he just said but never took back what he said earlier about her being beautiful.


    Soon, they entered the capital. Argent navigated the horse towards the direction of the royal pce.


    She nced to the stoic man riding beside her. "You''re one of the prince''s guards, aren''t you?"


    "Yes."


    Based on his bearings, Argent already guessed as much. "Then why would a royal guard be lost on his first day in a foreign country?"


    "The prince ordered me to buy some snacks popr here in Albion. But I got lost along the way," he answered, ncing sideways.


    Argent looked at him and couldn''t help but smirk. "I see. You must really have a poor sense of direction."


    "Yes, I do."


    An Si, whose conciousness was now inside the falcon flying above the two, was now already numbed from the general''s shamelessness. He''s been listening to the conversation of the two since earlier and it''s like his three views was being attacked everytime the general opened his mouth. What couldn''t speak themon tongue? What the prince ordered him to buy snack? what poor sense of direction? Was this man still their honorable general?


    While An Si was having an existential crisis, the two below were already slowly making their way towards the royal pce.


    Argent stopped the horse she was riding when the pce was already in view. "We''re here. You just have to go straight from here and you''ll arrive at the royal pce."


    The man also stopped his horse. "Thank you, for guiding me here."


    "Oh, I think you''d arrive here safely even without my help." The man only gave him a questioning look. "Come on, are we still ying this game? I know you''re not lost. Your prince probably didn''t even order you to buy snacks. And if you''re able to go off on your own as soon as you arrived here, then either you have a special position or the prince asked you to scout the area. I leaned more on the former. You''re probably some Xing aristocrat apanying the prince. Am I right or not?"


    There was a gratified look on the man''s face, as if he was proud of her for figuring all that. "I''m not an aristocrat. I''m a general tasked to protect the prince."


    Argent raised her brow, not expecting him to admit to anything. "Then you''re not doing you''re job. Leaving the prince alone on your first day of arrival at a foreign country."


    "He''s not alone. And I left my personal guards to protect him," he simply said. "How did you know I was lying."


    "You have a tell. Everytime you lie, you look sideways."


    That''s the reason why Argent slightly put down her guard. A person who couldn''t even properly lie would not be good at scheming. Add that to the fact that she didn''t really feel any ill-intent from him, made her feel that whatever his reasons for lying were didn''t necessarily mean that he was nning some nefarious plot against her.


    Once again, Argent saw his ear tip turning red. "I see."


    "And I also know you can speak themon tongue. So, why pretend to be lost? Better yet, why ask me for help?"


    "As you said, I have a tell. If I answer your question, you would immediately know that I''m lying. But know this, I meant no harm. If you don''t believe me, I can make a vow here and now," he said, staring straight at her eyes.


    "No need. I already know you meant no harm. But next time, try not to lie. Since you''re not very good at it." Although Argent was curious about his motives, she wouldn''t force someone to tell her something. Especially if it probably doesn''t even have anything to do with her. He would probably ask help from anyone who was in that area. She just happened to be there. "But I''m curious, how did you know that I could speak yournguage?"


    "Because you''re Argent ckbourne," he simply said, as if that already answered everything.


    Argent was surprised. Because the man was acting so normal, she didn''t even realized that he might have recognized her. "You know me?"


    "I''ve seen your interview."


    Well, now that changed a lot. She narrowed her eyes at him. "You didn''t purposedly go in that ce because you know I would be there, didn''t you?"


    "No," he answered, not moving his gaze from her face.


    "Good. Because I don''t like it when someone is spying on me without my knowledge," she said, a hint of warning in her voice.


    "I told you, I meant you no harm. That wouldn''t change even if this world ended." Argent didn''t answer. Because he was looking at her in that way again, as if he was trying hard to embed her image in his mind. "My name, it''s Zhang Lei Feng. I hope we could talk more next time, Argent."


    "We''ll see, General." Then Argent drove the horse away from there.


    Lei Feng stayed there until he couldn''t see Argent''s silhouette anymore. His usual serious expression showed a small smile. Just as he expected from Xia Yin, she immediately noticed his tell whenever he was lying. He wasn''t even aware that he has that tell. He never noticed things like that, because he rarely lied. That''s why it took a lot of effort for him not to nce sideways when she asked if he went to that ce specifically for her.


    It wouldn''t be good if he made her angry this early. Not when they only just met in this world.


    A falcon flew down andnded on his shoulder. "Master, do I need to follow the duke?" asked An Si''s voice.


    "No, you don''t have to do that anymore."


    Xia Yin would surely not like it if she found out that he asked one of his dark guards to gather information about her.


    Lei Feng nced back at the direction where Xia Yin went. No, he probably should start referring to her now as ''Argent''. Because just as he became Zhang Lei Feng in this world, she also became Argent ckbourne.


    And this time, this time for sure, he would do everything to protect her.


    Just like he promised on that one cold night.

 Chapter 68: the day before the party

    Chapter 68: the day before the party


    AURUM and Ruby were trying on the dress they were supposed to wear on tomorrow night''s party. Aurum chose an off-shoulder white dress with a flowing skirt. The front of the skirt reached her knees while the back reached the floor. The hem was filled with small gems, making it shine whenever light hit it. Add that to Aurum''s long golden hair and it gave off a somewhat magical effect. Ruby, on the other hand, was wearing a red mermaid gown that perfectly hugged her curves. Which gave her a very seductive feel.


    "What do you think?" Aurum asked, twirling her dress.


    Ruby stared at Aurum. Even without make-up or any jewels on her, she already looked impable. "Are you actually fishing forpliment right now?"


    "Then that means I look beautiful as always," Aurum said, grinning at Ruby. Ruby scoffed. "Can you get any more narcissistic?"


    "What, I''m only telling the truth," Aurum said, tilting her head proudly. "How about you, are you really going to wear red? Isn''t that a bit redundant, since your hair is already red?"


    "I''m going to put my hair up so it won''t sh with the dress. Besides, I look good in red."


    "You''ll look like a foxy woman who''s trying to seduce every men in that party with the cut of your gown, you know."


    "So? Every women should have the freedom to dress the way they wanted without people judging them for it. Besides, Argent is going to be my partner. Who''d dare nder me with him around?"


    "I should be Brother''s partner but instead I have to apany that popsicle," Aurumined.


    This popsicle must be the second prince - Winter. "You don''t like him? But he seems okay to me."


    Unlike that perverted brother of his. Ruby met him the other day when he took his mother out of the manor. Aside from having a perpetually cold expression, he seemed alright to her. Aurum also exined to her the overall situation. After all, she would also attend the party. It wouldn''t be good if she went there without knowing anything. She might somehow jeopardize the n if she did. Someone who didn''t stop searching for his mother no matter the situation certainly wouldn''t be too bad.


    "It''s not that I don''t like him. I just don''t want to spend the whole party with him, smiling to everyone as if I''m enjoying myself."


    Aurum also needed to act cryptic about their rtionship so the King and everyone else would think that there''s something going on between them. Even now, there''s already a lot of rumor going on in [Jiffy] about her and that popsicle. Saying it''s only a matter of time before they would get engaged.


    Aurum didn''t mind the ruse. This way, the King would think that his n to attach the ckbournes to the royal family was seeding. It would temporarily get him off their backs. That popsicle could also be a good shield for her against men with not so good intentions. And since she''s only 14, she''s still too young to be forced into marriage. In Albion, a woman should at least be 18 in order to get married. By that time, that popsicle probably already had solidified his political power and influence in Albion. Which meant the ruse wouldn''t be needed anymore.


    During that time, the popsicle promised her that no engagement announcement would ur. He would convince the King that there''s no need for one since Aurum was still young. They need to at least deepened their feelings before that could happen. Aurum almostughed when she heard that. She just couldn''t imagine him saying that with that cold face of his. But that was better for both of them. Because once an engagement was announced, both their reputations might suffer a bacsh if they suddenly separated.


    Her brother asked her if she was really fine with this kind of set-up, she said ''yes'' because even she could see that it''s advantageous to both parties. And so, the ruse of her and that popsicle having vague feelings towards each other started.


    Aurum continued saying to Ruby, "But I guess you being my brother''s partner is not so bad. At least you could keep those annoying pests away from him."


    Ruby sat down. She has no doubt that those ''annoying pests'' Aurum was talking about were women who would try to get close to Argent. "You do know that your brother needs to marry someday, right?"


    Yes, her brother might. But certainly not to some pesky woman. Because despite how cool and manly her brother was, she''s still a girl. If she ever married, then it would be to a man. Aurum just had to make sure that the man would be worthy of her brother.


    "Yes. But that''s still a long way. For now, my brother is still mine," Aurum said smiling like some proud cat.


    ----------


    Li Jun drank the tea poured by the servant. He wrinkled his brows and sighed. He just couldn''t get used to the tea being served here in Albion. It was nd with almost no vor. He still prefered the tea from Xing. He also didn''t like the fog that seemed to surround the capital every morning. Even the food here was not to his taste. All the enthusiasm he had for this trip was long gone. Now, he couldn''t wait to go back home.


    But he still has to wait for at least another five days. After tomorrow night''s party, the King and him would sign a treaty indicating the approval of the trading route between Albion and Xing. Once that was approved and eventually implemented, Xing would surely have an economic boost.


    Something like this should have been done years ago. But those conservative ministers just kept on hindering the progress of the country. Good thing his eldest brother managed to convince their father Emperor into weing foreign trades. But this was only the first step. If Li Jun failed here, not only the progress of the country be affected, his eldest brother''s fight for the throne would also be hindered.


    So he couldn''t fail here.


    Li Jun put down his tea cup and waved for the servants to go out of the drawing room. Once they''re gone, he looked up at the young general who''s currently standing near the window and looking at the garden outside.


    "You still haven''t told me where you went on the day we arrived here," he started. He was still kind of curious about that. Especially since when Lei Feng came back, despite the serious expression on his face, he was radiating with so much happiness.


    "You don''t need to be concern about that," Lei Feng simply said. "What you need to think about is the possibility of someone assassinating you on tomorrow night''s event."


    Li Jun put his chin on his hand. Of course, he already thought of that possibility. If he died during such an event, then his diplomatic visit would be for naught. Even though he''s not the most favored prince in Xing, he was still one of the few living sons of the Emperor. The Emperor would surely be mad if Li Jun died in a foreign country. Not only would the trade be stopped, Xing would surely be more closed off to other foreign countries. His eldest brother might even lose the qualification to fight for the throne. Since everyone knew that Li Jun was supporting his brother and that he volunteered for this diplomatic visit for him.


    In short, Li Jun absolutely cannot die here. Because his death could only bring benefits to one person - the crown prince of Xing.


    "Isn''t that why you''re here? To prevent something like that from happening?"


    The general only nodded. "Rest assured, I would certainly do my job properly."


    Li Jun gave a satisfied smile. He has a lot of confidence on the young general''s skills. After all, despite his young age, he managed to defend and bring peace to the Northern border in just a short amount of two years. "Speaking of tomorrow''s party, do you think Argent ckbourne would be there? I think it would be good to have a good rtionship with the founder of Silver Corporation, don''t you think?"


    Something flicker in Lei Feng''s obsidian ck eyes at the mention of the duke. "She probably would be there," he said absent-mindedly.


    "Hey, I don''t think the duke would appreciate it if you refer to him as a ''she''. I know he''s pretty and all but he''s still a guy," Li Jun said, correcting Lei Feng.


    Lei Feng only gazed down and didn''t answer. Yes, Argent was now a man. But he still couldn''t help but refer to her as a ''she''. Maybe because he knew that the soul inhabiting the current Duke of Hanover''s body belonged to a young woman. So no matter what her gender might be in this world, she would still be a girl in his eyes. In fact, when he first saw Argent, all he could see was a beautiful teenage girl masquerading herself as a boy.


    He sighed. Lei Feng wasn''t sure if he has filter in his eyes so Argent would look that way to him. But honestly, during that short ride he had with her, she was practically shining in his eyes. Like thousands of tiny light particles were surrounding her. Was that because he was so excited on meeting her again or was he really just that pretty far gone?


    Li Jun looked at the young general who seemed to be debating the greatest problem in the world. "What are you thinking?"


    Lei Feng nced back at the prince. "Nothing. Just some security details for tomorrow night," he answered with a straight face, then immediately ncing sideways, his ear tips turning red.


    ----------


    Winter carefully closed the door to his mother''s chamber. The other day, he took her mother from Hanover manor and brought her to one of his properties unknown to many. He had to bring her here so it would be much easier for tomorrow''s n to proceed.


    He knew it would be difficult for his mother. Winter didn''t really want to involve her in this. But after knowing what they were nning, she didn''t hesitate to offer her help. Argent even said that with her involvement, the n would be much easier to execute. Making his mother much more determined to help.


    A man wearing all ck with a somewhat dreary atmosphere around him walked up to Winter. It was Robin, one of his trusted aides. He has ck hair that almost covered his pewter colored eyes.


    "Guard my Mother. Make sure that nothing would happen to her."


    "Yes," Robin simply said, bowing to Winter.


    Winter continued walking, he still has to return to the pce. After all, he still has a birthday party to prepare.

 Chapter 69: let the show begin!

    Chapter 69: let the show begin!


    QUITE a number of grand carriages were starting to form a line on the driveway of the royal pce. Every person who came down each carriages was wearing either an elegant suit or a magnificent gown. One could easily see that it was a gathering of the creme de creme of Albion''s aristocratic society. They were all there to attend the second prince''s birthday celebration.


    A ck carriage stopped in front of the pce''s entrance. It carried the emblem of the ckbourne family. The coachman immediately opened the door. The first one who came down was a tall youth wearing a ck suit that beautifully showcased the perfect lines of his body. His silver hair was swept to the side, clearly showing the diamond ear stud on his right ear. His purple eyes were filled with indifference.


    He turned towards the carriage and raised his hand, palm up. Someoneid their hand on the palm of the tall youth. Then a young woman wearing a red mermaid gown came down. The cut of the gown she was wearing perfectly showed her bountiful curves. Her red hair was piled on top of her head, showing off her swan like neck. She could easily outshine anyone, but not the young man beside her. They formed a perfect bnce - one hot, one cold.


    "So this is Albion''s royal pce," Rubymented once they entered.


    "It isn''t all that much, right?" Argent followed up.


    "Totally. I''ve definitely seen much better."


    The two looked at each other and grinned.


    They reached the huge ballroom where the party would be held. The courtier announced their arrival. Once everyone inside heard the announcement of the courtier, almost all turned their heads towards the entrance of the ballroom. Argent and Ruby walked inside.


    Most men couldn''t help but stare at the young woman exuding with seductive charm, wondering who she might be. While all the young girls set their eyes on the beautiful duke. He might be a NoGift but being the Duke of Hanover and the founder of Silver Corporationpletely made up for that w. In short, he''s the perfect marriage partner to most of the aristocratic girls there.


    Seeing the attention being given to the young duke, the first prince couldn''t help but gnashed his teeth. Jasper could still remember the pain he felt when that trash crushed his-- Shit. He couldn''t even say it. If one of his men didn''t immediately call for a healer, then he might not really be able to father a child. He swore, he would definitely make that trash pay.


    "B-Brother, you''re going to b-break the ss if you hold it too tightly," said a stuttering voice beside him.


    Jasper looked down and saw his younger brother. Even though it''s a formal ation, he didn''t even bother to fix his usually messy ice blue hair. Even the way he dressed was sloppy. One look at him and you couldn''t even tell that he''s actually the third prince of Albion.


    Jasper sneered in disgust at this younger brother of his. "Shut up! Why are you even standing beside me?"


    The third prince flinched because of his sudden outburst. Which only made Jasper even more irritated. Noelle who was standing near the two immediately came to her younger brother''s defense.


    "Brother, don''t talk to Vale like that," she scolded.


    Jasper only snorted before walking towards a group of youngdies. He doesn''t even want to be in this party. Who would want to celebrate that bastard''s birthday? He was only here because of their father''s order. Saying that they should all be there to celebrate the birth of that bastard. It was so obvious just how much their father favored Winter that it almost made Jasper want to punch someone.


    But soon, soon he would definitely get that bastard off from his high horse.


    Noelle looked at her younger brother and then nced at the newly arrived Duke of Hanover. They were both the same age and yet they were as different as night and day. Someone with his brother''s pedigree should be at least confident about himself. And yet, he cowered over everything.


    "Don''t mind our elder brother. You know how he is," she said to Vale gently.


    Vale shook his head, giving her a weak smile. "I-I d-don''t mind. I know I-I could be a-annoying at times."


    Noelle just sighed and decided to just look back at the Duke of Hanover. There was power in the way he carried himself that people couldn''t help but give him a second nce. Then she looked at the girl walking beside the duke. She was intimately holding the duke''s arm. Somehow, Noelle felt a bit disappointed because she knew she probably doesn''t have any chance to get close to him like that.


    On the other side of the ballroom, the first princess was apanying the fourth prince of Xing.


    Li Jun was wearing a dark blue suit that perfectly fits his slender frame. His long hair was neatly tied behind his back. He looked very much like a fine gentleman from Albion. Li Jun was actually unhappy with the suit he was wearing. Aside from the fact that he wasn''t used to wearing one, he also wanted the color to be red. But the tailor vehemently disagreed when he said he wanted a suit in that color. ording to the tailor a red suit would only make him look like one of the royal guards, so Li Jun didn''t have a choice but to choose a different color.


    He nced back at his silent bodyguard who was wearing a simple ck robe. The general was the only one here wearing a different clothing and yet he seemed to not mind it at all. Li Jun suddenly felt envious. Maybe he also should have worn his favorite red brocade robe. Then he noticed that the general''s gaze was glued to a certain direction.


    Li Jun followed his gaze and saw the famous Argent ckbourne who was now currently walking together with his partner towards the dais where the King and Queen were sitting. Even at this distance, he could see how extraordinary the duke''s features were. Even his sixth sister - the girl known as the first beauty of Xing - could barely evenpete. But Li Jun doesn''t really care about how beautiful the duke looked. He only cared about him being the founder of Silver Corporation.


    Li Jun turned to the first princess. "Princess Icelyn, do you think you could make an introduction between me and the Duke of Hanover?"


    There was a slight change in the princess'' expression but that was only for a split second. Because she immediately showed her perfect gentle smile. "Of course."


    Argent made a slight bow to the King and Queen while Ruby curtsied. "Your Majesties," they simultaneously said.


    The Queen didn''t bother to act polite andpletely ignored the two. Being in this party was arduous enough. All her patience were already exhausted by forcing herself to attend this party. So she no longer has the patience to deal with people she doesn''t like. And that included this particr duke.


    The King, on the other hand, weed the two. "I''m d you coulde, Hanover." He turned to the youngdy beside the tall youth. "And this youngdy is?"


    "This is Ruby McAllister, Your Majesty. The niece of Jaxon McAllister," Argent introduced.


    Arthur seriously looked at the youngdy upon hearing that. He knew, of course, of Jaxon McAllister. The current owner of McAllister Chamber of Commerce. The McAllister family was the most sessful merchants in the whole Western continent. Jaxon McAllister was also a good friend of the former Duke of Hanover and his wife. It''s no wonder that he didn''t hesitate to take care of the ckbourne twins. But it seemed that he didn''t really gain a loss from doing that. After all, he received arge share from Silver Corporation. Now, it even seemed that his niece would be the next Duchess of Hanover. Truly, Jaxon McAllister was a good businessman for aplishing such a feat.


    "I hope you''re enjoying your stay here, Miss McAllister," the King said.


    "Thank you, Your Majesty. I am," Ruby answered.


    After that, the two walked towards a corner where not many people were at.


    "Aurum perfectly described your King and Queen," Rubymented once they''re both alone.


    "And how did my sister described them?"


    "A haughty b*tch and a sly fox."


    Well, that''s certainly something Aurum would say.


    A few secondster, the courtier announced the arrival of the birthday celebrant and her partner. Unlike others who entered through the ballroom''s entrance, the two walked down from the grand staircase leading to the ballroom.


    All eyes were on the two. Aurum was wearing a beautiful white dress. Her long golden hair was adorned by small white pearls. The shoes she was wearing almost looked like it was made from ss. She looked like some magical being that descended from heaven. She perfectly matched the second prince who was wearing a white suit. His ice blue hair was swept back, showing his cold pale blue eyes. They truly looked like the perfect match.


    "Now that''s what I call an entrance," Ruby said.


    "Aurum looks so beautiful,"mented by a new voice beside them.


    Argent turned his head to her side and saw Mis Greaves who was also wearing a white suit. But unlike the second prince who was giving off a cold impression, the Earl of Brightmore just gave off a feeling of vitality. When Argent saw him not taking his eyes away from Aurum, she just chose to ignore him. She wasn''t even sure when he walked up to them.


    Mis stared at Aurum. If he wasn''t certain that Winter really didn''t have that kind of romantic feelings towards Aurum, Mis would probably be dying of jealousy right about now. But he was pretty certain. Because everytime his friend looked at Aurum, there wasn''t even a tiny bit of change in those pair of cold eyes. Heck, Winter showed more feelings when he was looking at the Duke of Hanover than when he was interacting with Aurum. But still, he couldn''t help but feel a bit envious.


    Because of the arrival of the second prince, the orchestra started to y music for the first dance.


    Winter bowed to Aurum and raised his hand. Aurum smiled and put her hand on the prince''s palm. Then the two walked towards the center of the dance floor. Winter held Aurum''s waist while she put her hand on his shoulder. Then the two started dancing to the tune of the music.


    Argent bowed to Ruby. "May I have this dance?"


    If Ruby was any other girl, she probably would be blushing by now. But still, she couldn''t stop her heart from skipping a little bit. Because seriously, who wouldn''t? "Yes, you may."


    While the two walked towards the dance floor, Argent smiled as if she was up to no good.All he could think about was;


    [Let the show begin!]

 Chapter 70: a beautiful aria

    Chapter 70: a beautiful aria


    THE KING looked at the pair dancing at the center with satisfaction. Winter and Lady Aurum seemed to be getting along quite well. Arthur really thought that this cold son of his would be more averse to the idea of him purposedly getting close to Lady Aurum. But it looked like Arthur didn''t really have anything to worry about. It seemed his years of educating this son of his didn''t go to waste.


    "Don''t be too happy. Have you already forgotten? That girl is an SS level telepathic monster. No matter how much your bastard try to get close to her, she would surely know that his intentions towards her are not exactly pure," Callista said, reminding this husband of hers that no matter how much he wanted to get a piece of that boy''spany, it wouldn''t be through that girl.


    "Then how about you? Have you forgotten who taught Winter how to use his Gift? I would never let him be defenseless against any mental attack."


    Telepaths could be one of the most dangerous Gift user because of their ability to attack, control, and even read a person''s mind. So one of the first things Arthur taught Winter was how to protect his mind against any mental attack. He has no doubt that that kid hasn''t neglected sharpening his mental defense until now.


    Callista scoffed. "Yes, you must be really proud of that bastard of yours," she said, full of sarcasm.


    "He''s the heir I honed perfectly for the past 12 years. Of course I''m proud."


    Callista clenched her fists when she heard that. "Heir? That bastard will never sit on the throne as long as I''m alive."


    The King only gave her a dismissive nce. "If you gave birth to powerful children, then you have the right to say that. But as it is, only Icelyn is barely eptable. Unless she became a boy, I don''t think you could convince me to give her the throne."


    "You--!"


    Callista stopped and took a deep breath. She slowly tried to calm herself. She couldn''t lose her temper now in front of these aristocrats. But the anger in her heart couldn''t be easily extinguished. She swore, she would do everything to give Icelyn that throne. She wouldn''t stop until she could look into the eye of Arthur and tell him; ''look, one of the children you forsake now sat on your beloved throne''. She would make sure that she would have thestugh.


    The music stopped and the people partnered in the dance floor bowed and curtsied towards each other. Argent lead Ruby back to the corner they''ve just been.


    "I''m going to powder my nose. All that dancing made me slightly sweaty," Ruby said.


    "Do you want me to go with you?" Argent asked.


    "No. I''m not a child, Argent. I''m sure I could find the powder room alone without a problem," Ruby said with a teasing tone. After that, she walked towards the exit of the ballroom.


    A new round of music started and Argent saw Mis practically running towards Aurum. Her sisterughed and allowed Mis to lead her to the center of the dance floor. Argent just shook her head when she saw that. She never really entertained the idea of her sister being together with a man. But seeing the way Mis acted, Argent should probably start thinking now on how she would screen all the men who would want her sister''s hand. Only the best should be given to Aurum. And that included the man she would marry.


    Argent was about to take a ss of drink from one of the waiters walking around the room, when she noticed the first princess walking towards her direction. Beside her was a slender man with delicate features. Based on his rather oriental look, it was easy to assume that this must be the fourth prince of Xing. Besides, the man who introduced himself as a general and acted out that ''I''m lost'' game with her was silently walking behind the two.


    "Lord Hanover," the first princess greeted and curtsied towards her.


    Argent made a slight bow. "Your Highness."


    "This man is the fourth prince of Xing - Prince Li Jun," the first princess introduced, confirming Argent''s guess. "He has been wanting to meet the famous duke who founded Silver Corporation."


    Argent raised her brow and turned to the Xing prince. "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness."


    "Oh no, the pleasure is all mine, Lord Hanover. I''ve always been a big fan of your work. I honestly think you''re the most brilliant person in the world right now," the prince said with obvious admiration and honesty in his face.


    "I''m honored that Your Highness think of me in such a high regard."


    Li Jun observed the young duke. Although he said that he was honored, there was nothing in his face and expression that told Li Jun that he really was indeed honored. Instead, he looked bored and uninterested. The young duke probably didn''t even mean anything he said. Li Jun couldn''t help but smile. Interesting. A person would surely need to work hard in order to gain this young man''s favor.


    Argent suddenly felt a very strong gaze directed towards her. She didn''t need to look far because she knew where it''sing from. She turned to the silent bodyguard standing just behind the prince and just as she expected, he was staring at her. When their gazes met, he immediately looked away. And Argent once again noticed his ear tip turning red.


    Argent felt somewhat amused and curious at the same time. What''s wrong with this guy''s ear tip? Why does it always turn red? Does this guy have some kind of illness or something?


    "I really do hope we could talk after this party. If Lord Hanover is not that busy," the Xing prince said, cutting whatever it was Argent was thinking.


    Argent returned his gaze back to the prince. She was about to say no, because really, after the uing events, who''d have time to have some meeting? But then she noticed the first princess'' expression when the prince talked about a meeting. It looked like she just swallowed a very bitter candy. So just to make fun of her, Argent said, "Sure. I don''t have anything after this, I would be happy to have a talk with Your Highness."


    "What talk?" suddenly asked by Ruby''s voice.


    Then Argent felt her arm being hugged and being attached to something soft. She looked down and saw the owner of the voice. Argent''s brows immediately furrowed.


    "Oh, it seems your beautiful partner is back." Argent''s brows furrowed even further when she heard the prince say that.


    On the center of the dance floor...


    When the music ended, Mis returned Aurum to Winter''s side.


    "Do the two of you really need to stay glued together for the rest of the night?" Mis asked with a hint of grievance in his voice.


    "Not really. Something will happenter so we might not need to," Aurum answered.


    "Oh you mean that," Mis said, understanding what Aurum said. Then he turned to his friend. "Do you really think it would work? I mean, all of this would depend on the King. He might punish you instead, for all we know."


    "It will work," Winter answered with certainty. "I know him. He wouldn''t do something unjustly under the gaze of all these people. Especially if there''s a chance they could record everything using their sPhones. After all, he still has an image to protect."


    Aurum didn''t have any opinion about that. So instead, she just looked around the room and searched for her brother. When she saw Argent, she couldn''t help but frown. Her brother and Ruby were talking to three people, one of them was the first princess. But what made Aurum frown was the expression of her brother''s face. Her brother''s brows were deeply furrowed. That''s the expression she made everytime she encountered a problem with no immediate solution.


    Was it the fault of the first princess? Or maybe the people she brought with her?


    "Hey, popsicle, those two people with your ugly sister, who are they?" Aurum asked Winter.


    Winter just sighed when he heard the moniker Lady Aurum called him. He couldn''t really get used to it. He turned to the direction she was looking at and saw the first princess with the fourth prince of Xing together with that bodyguard. They were talking with Argent and his partner, Miss McAllister.


    "That''s the fourth prince of Xing and his bodyguard," he said, answering Lady Aurum''s question.


    The fourth prince of Xing? Does her brother have some sort of problem with him? Before Aurum could think more, the three were already walking away from Argent and Ruby. But then she noticed that bodyguard giving onest nce towards her brother before following the prince. Was it the bodyguard then? But she didn''t see any hostility with that nce. And even though the three were already far away from her brother, she was still sporting that expression.


    "Popsicle, escort me to my brother," Aurum said.


    Winter agreed because he also wanted to talk to Argent. They both walk towards the young duke. Mis decided to follow. Along the way, many people gave the third prince their congrattions. Which really annoyed Aurum. But then, of course, she still has to smile and act like a shy young girl everytime someone would tease the two of them. By the time they reached her brother, her patience was already running thin.


    "Brother," Aurum greeted, smiling and hugging her brother''s arm.


    Argent''s expression slightly eased with her sister''s arrival. "Are you enjoying yourself?"


    "Not as much if you''re my partner," Aurum honestly answered.


    "Then what if I''m your partner?" Mis interjected.


    "No, I still prefer my brother."


    Mis didn''t know if he shouldugh or cry because of Aurum''s answer. It looked like his biggest rival would be the Duke of Hanover himself.


    Argent turned to Winter. "When will it start?"


    "After the third dance."


    Just when Winter said that, another round of music started.


    "Brother, you still haven''t danced with me yet. Dance with me now," Aurum said, acting spoiled.


    Argent helplessly smiled and just lead her sister towards the dance floor. Then the two started to dance.


    "Brother, I saw your expression earlier. Is there any problem?" Aurum asked what she''s been wanting to ask since earlier.


    Before answering, her brother nced at the ce where Ruby, Winter, and Mis were. "Maybe. I still need time to make sure. Nevermind that, are you prepared for what you have to do?"


    Aurum grinned. "Of course. You don''t have to worry, Brother. I will do my part perfectly."


    When the music ended, they both saw Winter walking towards the stage where the orchestra was. He immediately gathered everyone''s attention.


    "Thank you foring and celebrating this special asion with me today," he said, his voice was not that loud but it was enough to let everyone in the ballroom hear it. "As a sign of my gratitude, I would like you all to hear the best opera singer in all of Albion. Please, let''s all give her a warm round of apuse."


    There was a murmur in the crowd. Guessing who might this opera singer be. But they still raised their hands and pped.


    A woman walked down the staircase. She was wearing a simple blue silk gown. Her long blue-ck hair was freely flowing behind her back. But what took everyone''s attention was the mask she was wearing. It almost covered half of her face. Only revealing a pair of enchanting red lips. She walked towards the stage. She curtsied to everyone.


    And then she sang the most beautiful aria.


    *****


    IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!


    NoGift will go premium anytime next week (if it won''t encounter any problem, that is). Some of you might think, wait- you only have 70 free chapters, how could you go premium now? But you see, my word count already reached 130K. Unlike some novels here, my chapters were never short, i.e. 500-1000 words. My chapters always ranges between 1200-2500 words. I even have some chapters that reached 3000 words. If my chapters only ranges from 500-1000 words, then I already passed 100 chapters. So I really do think that going premium at this point is not really unfair.


    I know, some of you might drop this because of that and I will understand if you do. But to those who won''t, then you have my thanks. Let''s all follow Argent in her adventures and discover all the mysteries alongside her. ()/


    Lastly, a very big THANK YOU to all of you!

 Chapter 71: it was all her fault!

    Chapter 71: it was all her fault!


    THE WHOLE ballroom was suddenly filled by an almost heavenly voice. Every person who heard it felt like their spirits have been uplifted. They couldn''t help but want to listen for more. They wouldn''t mind if this voice would sing for them for the rest of their lives. That''s just how beautiful it sounded. But not all were mesmerized by such a voice. Some have apletely different reaction.


    One of them was the King.


    Arthur clenched the goblet of wine he was holding. His grip was so hard that the cup he was holding showed signs of breaking. All his attention was focused on the woman currently singing on the stage, he didn''t even notice that the wine inside the cup was starting to turn into ice. Showing just how flustered he was.


    How could he forget this voice? This voice was the reason why he allowed his pristine image to be besmirched by a scandal. That he allowed himself to be entranced by a simple country girl. Even forgetting who he was and fighting over anyone who would dare stop him from seeing her. Those days he drowned himself in her sweetness were probably the happiest he''d ever been. Her every smile, her every move, her every touch - he treasured all of it. He protected her, gave her everything she could possibly need, alleviated her standing in society, but what did he get in return?


    She ran away from him.


    It was like Arthur just took his eyes away from her for a second and then she was gone. He mocked himself for his stupidity. The girl he considered a treasure just threw away everything - including him. As if he didn''t matter. That everything that happened between them was just nothing.


    So he did the same. If she could do it, then why couldn''t he? He burried all his memories of her in the deepest part of his mind. Almost forgetting that he was once enchanted by a girl with heaven defying voice. He knew that she must have ran because he wanted to get rid of their unborn child. Knowing how naively kind she was, he should have known that she wouldn''t agree to that. But none of that mattered. The only thing Arthur cared about was the fact that for her that child was more important that what they had.


    And then he heard about the boy. It''s like he was given an excuse to look for her again. So, he took it.


    Arthur went to the small vige where she and the boy lived. He secretly observed them. She was drying some sheets under the sun and the boy was helping her. They were wearing the simplest of clothes, even their home was just a small cottage. But she was happy. They were both happy. And it just broke everything inside him.


    All his memories of her surfaced in his mind. And all he could feel at that moment was anger. Of what? He wasn''t even sure. But one thing was certain, he didn''t like the fact that she could be happy without him. So he took the boy. And put her in one of his private estates. Completely shattering the happiness she built.


    He thought that was enough. But he was greedy. Always has been. He wanted to take everything from her. Her attention, her pride, her own self-respect, and even her love. But everytime he visited her, she couldn''t even be bothered to give him a single smile. So he took it by force.


    It was fine that way. She could just remain in that golden cage he built for her. Never able to leave. Forever remaining by his side. But then, two years ago, she disappeared again. And again, he did not look for her. Because if she left even with him threatening her with their son, then nothing could really hold her back.


    Knowing her, she wouldn''t just appear here without a reason. Especially if she still cared about Winter. Showing herself here, in front of almost all the aristocrats in Albion, it would only remind people of Winter''s origin. It took years for them to erase the stigma of him being a bastard. If this was that brat''s n, then he would only sacrifice all the hard work they made. But for what purpose would Winter do something like this?


    Did the brat somehow find her in Gaul? But that was impossible. Once Arthur heard of that rumor of her singing again, he immediately sent someone to check it. But that was all it was, a rumor. So how did Winter find her?


    Arthur heard Callista chuckled, interrupting his thoughts.


    "Ah, to once again hear that annoying voice, it sure does bring back memories." Callista gave Arthur a mocking nce. "Bringing his whore of a mother here, looks like your favorite son is not so obedient after all."


    Of course, Callista remembered the owner of that voice. How could she forget? Those two years when Arthur did not even bother to hide his affair with that woman were the most humiliating years for her. Everyone - from the lowliest servants to the highest ranking aristocrats - knew about that affair. That the King prefered his mistress over his Queen. It''s like everyone in the kingdom was watching her joke. And the most hateful part was she couldn''t even do anything to the b*tch.


    When she suddenly disappeared, Callista thought that that would be the end of that. But then six yearster, Arthur brought back his bastard. Even adding him to the session line. And if that wasn''t enough, she also knew he took the b*tch to one of his private estates. Yes, he was no longer public about it. But that didn''t lessen the humiliation Callista felt. Because once again, Arthur showed to her how much he prefered that b*tch over her.


    And now, she even dared to appear here. The only satisfaction Callista felt was the fact that Arthur seemed to have no idea that the b*tch would be here. She was happy as long as he''s ufortable.


    When the song ended, a deafening apuse sounded inside the ballroom. Then there was a buzz in the crowd. The younger generations might now know who the woman was, but the older ones do. She could be no other than the long-gone Madame La Chanteuse! Was the rumor of her singing again true then? But that was not the most important matter now. Because Madama La Chanteuse was not just an opera singer. She was the former mistress of the King and the mother of the second prince!


    The second prince walked towards the stage and raised his hand. The singer''s red lips evoked a gentle smile before putting her hand on his palm. Then they both walked towards the dais where the King and Queen were.


    The woman made an elegant curtsy. "Your Majesties."


    None of the two answered. The Queen gave her a condescending look while the King turned to the second prince.


    "What''s the meaning of this?" the King asked, anyone could hear the barely controlled anger in his voice.


    "Father, I''m here to ask for justice for what has been done to my mother," Winter answered, his cold gaze unwavering.


    The Queen''sughter rang in the room. "Justice? Are you sure that... mother of yours has the right to ask for that?" Callista asked, incredulously.


    As an answer, the famous opera singer slowly removed the mask on her face. And almost everyone let out a horrified gasp when they saw her face. Half of it was filled with horrible burn scars. Her former beauty no longer there.


    Winter closed his eyes in pain. He didn''t want to parade his mother''s scars in public like this. But Argent said that showing people his mother''s scarred face would have more effect than showing them a beautiful unblemished face. Because of that, his mother insisted on going through the n without her face being healed. Though he could see the point of that, it didn''t mean that he has to like it.


    Then he felt his hand being squeezed gently. He turned to his mother. She gave her a reassuring smile, as if silently telling him that everything''s going to be fine. As if she was not the one under the judging gaze of these people. And once again, Winter was surprised by her inner strength.


    Arthur''s pupils tightened when he saw what happened to her face. He didn''t even notice that the cup of wine he was holding already shattered like a block of ice. Seeing her face like this, it was like his heart was being cut by a thousand knives. How could this happen? What did she experience for her to end up in this state?


    "Who did it?" he asked, his voice almost a snarl.


    Argent, who was watching everything at the side together with Aurum, raised her brow when she saw the King''s reaction. She smiled inwardly. Well, it looked like things would go much easier than she expected.


    Merissa took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She could do this. For Winter. Then she lifted her gaze and looked straight at the eyes of the man she once loved. "I was kidnapped two years ago by two men. They wanted to use me as a leverage against Winter. With me as hostage, he wouldn''t dare fight for the throne. I fought them, then one of them used his fire Gift and the ce they were holding me burned. I narrowly escaped with my life and this was the result."


    There was a deadly calm in the King''s pale blue eyes. "These men, where are they?"


    "Ohe on, Arthur, are we seriously doing this right now? Since when did a birthday party turned into a judiciary?" Callista said with impatience.


    Arthur nced at the Queen. "Shut up, Callista."


    Whatever else the Queen has to say was stuck in her throat. That was the first time Arthur looked at her like that. As if he wouldn''t hesitate to turn her into ice if she continued speaking. She bit her lip, her heart full of unwillingness. She red at the b*tch. It was all this woman''s fault.


    The King returned his gaze to the second prince. "Answer my question."


    As an answer, the door of the ballroom opened and a muscr blond entered pulling a man with chains on his hands and feet. It was Aspen and the man who caused the burn scars on Merissa''s face. The man almost looked lifeless, as if all the hope has been extinguished inside him.


    "Is this him?" Arthur asked, looking at the man as if he was looking at an already dead person.


    "Yes. But before anything else, I ask that Father provides a veritas stone while questioning him. That way, no one would doubt that he is telling the truth."


    Arthur already had a hunch. There was only one reason why Winter would ask for that. His expression darkened even more at the possibility he thought of. He turned to the courtier at his side and ordered him to bring a veritas stone at once. The courtier immediately obeyed. And soon, a square transluscent stone was brought in front of the man in chains.


    Aspen put the man''s hand on the stone.


    Then Arthur started questioning the man. "Did you kidnap this woman two years ago?"


    "Yes," the man answered and the stone turned green, indicating that he was telling the truth.


    "Why?" the King asked again.


    "Someone paid us to do it. We heard that the woman would be used as a leverage against the second prince who was already starting to gain influence back then." Once again, the stone turned green.


    "Who paid you to do it?"


    The crowds anticipation rose because of the King''sst question.


    "The first prince - Jasper William di Albion."


    The stone turned green.


    Everyone turned to the direction of the first prince who was now backing away towards the exit. Because of the attention of everyone, he stopped moving. He has no choice but to defend himself. "Father, it''s all lies! I''ve never seen that man in my entire life! That''s right, Winter must have put him up to this! He hates me so he''s doing this!"


    Callista abruptly stood up, she could no longer keep her calm. This was her son they were using of kidnapping and attempted murder. He might act unsatisfactorily, but no matter his faults, he was still her son. She couldn''t just sit around and do nothing!


    "Jasper is right. Arthur, you couldn''t possibly believe the word of some man with obvious unsavory background! Especially since your bastard brought him--"


    "Enough!" Arthur bellowed.


    His insides were quivering with so much rage. Everytime he heard the answer of the man, his anger just continued to increase. If Callista continued to yap around him like some annoying bird, he wasn''t sure that he could stop himself from hurting her. He looked at Merissa''s serene face and those scars. His anger just grew even more. Then he turned to his firstborn.


    Jasper''s knees shook when his father looked at him as if he was just an ant he was about to crush. Why? Why would he look at him that way? Because of that bastard''s mother? But Jasper was his son! He''s not just some stranger. Was he really that unimportant to his father?


    Then a sweet voice suddenly rang inside his head.


    [Just tell them the truth. Tell them it was not your idea. Your father would surely understand if you do. He would certainly not punish you. He would punish the person at fault.]


    Yes, that''s right. This was not his idea. It was hers!


    Then, as if out of control, the first prince blurted in front of everyone, "This was not my idea. It was Icelyn''s! It was all her fault!"

 Chapter 72: comeuppance

    Chapter 72:euppance


    "THAT''S right! It was all Icelyn''s idea! She told me that if I kidnap that bastard''s mother, I could use her to make him give up the throne. That she was his weakness. As long as I have her, I could make that bastard do whatever I wanted! Icelyn even told me where to find that woman. She was the one who told me her location two years ago! So, you see, Father? Everything that happened is not my fault. It''s hers!" Jasper shouted hurriedly, as if he couldn''t wait to tell everyone all the contents of his brain.


    Everyone with a speck of brain, as long as they heard what the first prince said, could tell that the first princess only probably used him. So, in the possibility that everything might went south, the first prince would take all the me. Leaving the first princess scathe free. But as things went right now, that would be highly doubtful.


    A new round of murmuring buzz appeared in the crowd.


    "The first princess was really behind such a nefarious scheme?"


    "But how could that be? This is the first princess we''re talking about! The most loved princess of the people!"


    "Hmph! I knew that gentle act she''s been showing was just a facade to hide her dark mind."


    Li Jun who was beside the said princess was watching all these with interest. The princess in question who still appeared to be calm but the increasing coldness in her eyes just told him otherwise, the first prince who''s acting like a hysterical degenerate, the Queen who seemed like she would blow her gasket at any second, the King with a dark expression on his face, and the second prince who''s watching his family members as if he was watching a joke.


    He shook his head. And here he thought his family has problems.


    Callista felt like her head was about to blow off. Just what was this stupid son of hers thinking? It''s bad enough that he was being used of something like this, does he really have to implicate his sister as well? "Jasper, shut up!" she shouted before Jasper could say anything more incriminating.


    "Why? I''m only telling the truth, Mother! Do you think she''s not capable of that? Hah! She''s capable of everything! She--"


    Jasper suddenly stopped talking. Not because he wanted to but because he couldn''t. His insides just felt that it was slowly being frozen. He nced at Icelyn''s direction. She was looking at him and her eyes were full of warning. Like if he continued to speak, she wouldn''t hesitate to freeze him right there and then. Because he has no doubt that it was her who was doing this to him right now.


    Then he noticed their youngest brother walked towards Icelyn. He whispered something to her as if trying to calm her. After that, the freezing feeling Jasper felt suddenly disappeared.


    Icelyn walked calmly towards the dais where the King and Queen were. She ignored all the gazes of the people. Her face didn''t even show a hint of panic.


    "Father, Brother is obviously not in his right state of mind. He would probably say anything that could get him out of this. Even involving an unrted person," she said, her gentle voice wasced with just the right amount of grievance. Making people unknowingly want to pity her.


    Argent sneered when she heard what Icelyn said. This first princess really was good. She didn''t outright defend herself, but instead questioned the state of mind of the first prince. It didn''t only discredit the prince, it also helped in lessening the suspicion people had on her. But it wouldn''t matter even if she didn''t receive any punishment. That was never her goal in the first ce.


    The button camera on her suit already recorded everything that happened here. Once they go back, Argent would ask White to post the video on the [Jiffy] ounts of every citizen in Albion. With that alone, the first princess'' pristine image would no longer be so pristine. The good reputation she worked so hard to build would finally have a crack. And that crack was enough to make the people doubt her.


    "Lies! You clearly told me--"


    "Jasper, I told you to shut up!" Callista shouted, cutting off whatever it was Jasper was about to say. She stood up and walked in front of Icelyn. Then she turned and looked at the King. Whatever might happen tonight, she needed to at least make sure that Icelyn wouldn''t be implicated in any way. "I agree with Icelyn. Jasper is obviously distraught and doesn''t know what he''s saying. You know Icelyn, she''s not capable of something like this."


    Arthur does know this daughter of his. Because out of all his children, she was the most simr to him. That''s why he knew she could do something like this if it meant achieving her goal.


    "And Jasper is just being Jasper. He didn''t know what he was doing. You know how he could be childish sometimes. He''s probably just jealous of all the attention you''ve been giving to Winter that''s why he did this. I''m sure he never meant any harm," Callista continued, trying her best to defend her firstborn.


    Arthur stared at the Queen. He should probably aud this woman for even trying to salvage the situation. But they all knew this night couldn''t end without anyone getting punished. He turned to Winter who was standing beside his mother in a defensive posture. He was also staring at him, as if waiting for his decision.


    If this was the brat''s n all along, then he must admit that it was indeed a very good n. using his brother of kidnapping his mother might not yield any result if he did it in a private manner. But doing it in a room full of people would certainly bring the result he wanted. Because this was not just a simple case of kidnapping. Now Arthur wasn''t sure if he should be proud or angry.


    Arthur was tantly endorsing Winter as the next heir to the throne and everyone in the upper circle of Albion''s society knew that. All that wascking was a proper ceremony to announce him as the heir. Kidnapping the mother of his chosen heir to use against the said heir was clearly a conspiracy against the throne. If Arthur ignored what Jasper did, then that would only make him appear like a joke to everyone. Something that he could never allow.


    He stood up, his decision already made up. "As everyone is my witness here, I hearby stripped Jasper William di Albion of his title for the act of conspiring against the throne. And he would henceforth be detained in the royal estate located in the southern region. The first princess would also be detained in the pce while being investigated of her involvement in this conspiracy. She wouldn''t be allowed to leave until her name is cleared or until proven otherwise."


    "No, Father! You can''t do this!" Jasper shouted hysterically. Everyone knew there was nothing but barrennds in the southern region. What could he possibly do in that ce? Was stripping him of his title not enough? Was he about to be cut off from the world too?


    Arthur signalled the courtier beside him. The courtier walked out and soon a couple of royal guards entered the room. They took the first prince who was thrashing around and refusing to leave. Two others went to the first princess. Icelyn gnashed her teeth but soon retained her calm expression. She went outside the ballroom on her own, her chin high up.


    Callista watched as her two children were taken by the royal guards. How could something like this happen? She knew she could no longer convince Arthur to take back the punishment he gave. Not when he said it in front of all these people. That would be the same as going back on his words. Which would only make him look bad in front of everyone. But it didn''t mean that she could stay calm just because she knew that. Especially when there was someone she could me for everything that has happened.


    Callista''s gazended on Merissa. Yes, everything was this woman''s fault. If it''s not for this b*tch, her children wouldn''t go through something like this. Why couldn''t she just die?


    At that thought, the Mana surrounding her became unstable. But before she could even make a move, that woman''s bastard son put her behind his back. As if telling her that if she wanted to do something to the b*tch, she had to go through him first.


    Then her arm was suddenly pulled back. Callista looked up and saw Arthur gazing coldly down at her. Then he pushed her, in a not so gentle way, towards one of the courtier nearby.


    "The Queen is tired. Escort her back to her chambers," he announced.


    After saying that, Callista no longer has a chance to say anything back. So she followed the courtier, her heart full of anger and unwillingness.


    Arthur turned his gaze to the mother and son standing in front of him. "I hope this was enough justice for you," he said to Winter.


    No, it would never be enough. But Winter only said, "Yes, Father. I would like to escort my mother back. If that''s alright with you, Father."


    Arthur looked at Merissa who also looked back at him. That moment when their eyes met felt like he travelled back in time. Back to that instant when he first saw her. "I will send a royal healer with you, to heal your mother''s scars."


    "There''s no need. I already contacted a healer to heal Mother."


    This brat. Arthur was certain he doesn''t want him to interact with Merissa. Well, now, let''s see if he has the ability to stop him.


    Merissa looked at the man she once loved. The man who tormented her for years. She could no longer feel anything. Not even a speck of anger. There wasn''t even hate. All there was, was indifference. "Goodbye, Your Majesty."


    With those words, shepletely let herself be free from the chains tying her to the past. Now, she could finally freely moved on. From now on, she would live her life with her son and be the best mother for him. She would never allow anyone to separate them again.


    And with that, the second prince''s birthday party ended.

 Chapter 73: the twins analysis of events

    Chapter 73: the twins'' analysis of events


    "BROTHER, don''t you think things ended up quite anti-climactic?" Aurum whispered to Argent.People around were starting to walk out of the ballroom.Each one was talking about the events that just happened.


    "What, do you expect the King to send them to prison?" Argent asked, teasing her sister a bit.


    "Yes, since they deserved it," Aurum indignantly answered.


    "Silly girl, of course he wouldn''t do that.They''re still his children after all.He might not truly care for them or even love them, but the blood flowing in their veins is still part his.That still says something.Stripping the prince of his title and detaining the princess were the best punishment he could give under such circumstances."


    "But still.I worked really hard to make that stupid prince admit that there was someone who gave him the idea of kidnapping Merissa.Yet the main culprit didn''t get to be punished that much."


    When Winter told Argent about how those two men - who kidnapped his mother - admitted that it was the first prince who ordered them to do it, she was kind of disappointed at first.But then she thought, based on that prince''s character, there was no way he could have thought of that n on his own.Then she remembered what happened during that disastrous tea party.The way the first princess used them to punish that Lady Therese.Argent just knew she was the type to use the hands of other people rather than take action herself.So, there''s a high chance that she was also the one who put that idea in the first prince''s head.


    And what happened tonight only proved that.


    "And what''s with the evidence thing?If the King made the stupid prince use the veritas stone, then that would be evidence enough against the ugly princess," Aurum continued.


    "Because the King knew she was indeed behind it.If he made the prince used the veritas stone, the truth would surely be revealed," Argent simply answered.


    "So the King''s protecting her?" Aurum asked, a bit confused.


    "Not really.It''s more urate to say that he''s protecting the little bit of honor that the royal family still has.Based on the King''s personality, having his firstborn son be disgraced was shameful enough but if his firstborn daughter was also disgraced at the same night, then that would be beyond shameful.That''s why he immediately made the royal guards take the first prince away before he could even suggest to use the veritas stone.The King probably realized that the prince was not really in the right state of mind," Argent exined in length.


    Aurum scratched her nose."Yeah, I think I kind of fried his brain a little."


    "And since the King already handed out the punishments, no one would dare suggest to use the veritas stone to prove that the princess was really connected to that kidnapping incident.This way, everyone could be satisfied."


    "Except for popsicle, that is."


    "Well, that''s no longer our problem."Argent already aplished what she wanted to do - to mess with the royal family.And what a mess it was.She no longer cared about the follow up.It''s not as if anyone would easily connect her to the events that happened here tonight.


    With the things that''s happening right now, Argent doubted if the royal family could even focus their attention elsewhere - i.e. her family and herpany.It''s the best case scenario for her.


    "True.But I''m just curious about one thing.The King seemed to really want popsicle to be his heir, then why not just get rid of the ugly princess?Since, you know, she''s the biggest threat to him."


    "Why would he do that?Getting rid of problems for Winter would just be spoon-feeding.He would face a lot more problems in the future, if he couldn''t even fight against the princess on his own, then what right does he have to be the next king?I''m pretty sure that sly king wouldn''t help him in any way on that regard.Because probably, in his opinion, doing that would only make Winter useless.Winter might have his support but that doesn''t mean he would do everything to solve all his problems.Well, that''s only based on my opinion of the King anyway."


    If Winter wanted to get rid of the first princess, then he better rely on his own ability.If he asked for help, Argent might assist.It all depended really if she could get something out of the situation.


    "I think you''re spot on actually," Aurum agreed.


    "On a different note, you really did a good job tonight.So, as a reward, you can ask me of anything," Argent said, changing the topic.


    "Really, Brother?Then can you make me a pet cat, you know something that could talk.Just like ck."


    "Do you think of ck as a pet?" Argent teased, a bit amused.


    "Of course not.I''m just making an analogy.Brother, you know what I mean," Aurum said, pouting."Will you make me one?"


    "Yes, yes, I''ll make you one once we return to myb."


    "Yay!Thank you, Brother!"Aurum hugged her brother''s arm."Should we go home now?"


    She saw her brother nced at a certain direction.Aurum followed her gaze and saw that she was looking at the area where Ruby and Mis were.


    "There''s still something we need to do first."Argent leaned down on Aurum and whispered something in her ear.


    Aurum''s eyes rounded when Argent finished whispering to her."Seriously?"She looked back at where Ruby and Mis were standing, both seemed to be enjoying chatting with each other."Are you sure, Brother?"


    "Yes. She''s probably still somewhere in here. Can you find her?Take Mis with you, so you can have protection."


    "Then how about you, Brother?"


    "I''ll deal with the problem myself."


    "Wouldn''t it be dangerous?" Aurum asked worriedly.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t overdo it.Let''s go?"


    Aurum nodded.Then the two walked over to where Ruby and Mis were.Once they were there, Ruby immediately went and hugged Argent''s arm.It took a lot of effort in Aurum''s part just not to frown and pull the girl away from her brother.


    "The both of you are finally back," Ruby said, smiling at them.


    Aurum turned to Mis."Mis, could youe with me, please?I forgot to say something to the prince."


    Mis wondered what Aurum has to say to Winter.But if it meant that he could spend more time with her, then he''d dly go with her anywhere."Sure, no problem."


    "Should we wait for them?" Ruby asked when the two walked away.


    "No.Mis would bring Aurum back home," Argent answered.


    "Hmm..."


    Argent noticed her looking around until her gaze finallynded on the body of the prince of Xing who''s currently walking outside the room.Argent smiled inwardly.Because that was not the first time she noticed her looking in the prince''s direction, secretly observing him.This girl probably never even thought that someone would notice her actions.That''s probably how much she''s confident about her Gift.


    If she really wanted to meet with the prince that badly, then Argent would be kind enough to fulfill her wish.

 Chapter 74: ruby or not ruby

    Chapter 74: ruby or not ruby


    "THAT was entertaining. It certainly wouldn''t lose to the the schemes being yed at the Imperial Pce," Li Junmented while walking. Honestly, he was tempted to add chaos to the already chaotic event. But he stopped himself. Because making the King of the country he''s trying to make a treaty with irritated was certainly not the best of ideas. Then he nced back at the general silently walking beside him. "Don''t you agree, Lei Feng?"


    Zhang Lei Feng didn''t really care much about the events that has transpired this night. He has no interest in schemes and intrigues. That''s why he volunteered to be sent to the Northern borders, because he wanted to be far away from all the schemes in the capital. If he couldn''t be bothered with the imperial family of Xing, then he certainly wouldn''t care with the royal family of a foreign country.


    But what bothered him was the person at the helm of this particr incident was the second prince of Albion. ording to An Si''s earlier reports - when he still hadn''t ordered him to stop his surveince of Argent - the second prince was often seen visiting the Hanover manor. The reports said that he and the duke were somewhat friends. Based on An Si''s report and Lei Feng''s own observation, being friends with the current Argent was not some feat that could be aplished by just anyone. That''s why when he first came here and saw the prince, he couldn''t help but observed him.


    The question he has now was just how much was Argent''s involvement in the things that happened tonight? Because just as everyone was watching the show of the royal family, Lei Feng was secretly watching Argent. Based on the subtle expression showed on her face, he could immediately tell that she was having fun. There was even a hint of gloating in those indifferent purple eyes.


    His thoughts was cut off because of the sudden call they heard from behind.


    "Your Highness," called by a familiar husky voice.


    Both the prince and the general turned around and they saw the Duke of Hanover walking towards them, his partner for the night - Miss McAllister - was beside him.


    "Lord Hanover, do you need something?" asked Li Jun when the young duke finally reached them.


    "Yes. That talk you wanted to have, can we do it now? Because I don''t think I would have another free time in the future to aodate Your Highness," the duke said. "If you don''t mind, that is."


    Li Jun was pleasantly surprised when he heard that. Of course he doesn''t mind. One of the things he wanted to aplish in his trip here in Albion was to have a serious talk with the founder of Silver Corporation. The more benefits he could get from that talk, the better.


    The used of sPhones in Xing was booming. Although it''s only currently avable in the big cities. If Li Jun could somehow partner up with Argent ckbourne to have more sPhone shop built in Xing, that would only be advantageous to the country and also to the older brother he wanted to support. The gold coins they could get from that venture would certainly be a good addition to his brother''s campaign for the throne.


    "It would be my pleasure," Li Jun answered. "Where do you want to have this talk?"


    "Your ce of residence would be good."


    Li Jun nodded. Talking there would certainly give them more privacy than doing it in a private box of a restaurant. "Do you want to ride with us, then?"


    The duke grinned. "Yes, that''s certainly a great idea." He looked down at the girl he was with. "Don''t you think so too, Ruby?"


    The girl, Ruby, smiled charmingly. "Yes, it is."


    Li Jun felt a bit weird because of the interaction between the two. It''s like he was missing a very big joke that he has no idea about. And that grin the duke made was not from someone who''s happy but more like from someone who''s up to no good.


    Lei Feng had the same thought. But that didn''t stop him from staring at Argent. Because that mischievous grin just made her already beautiful face even more beautiful. He immediately looked away just in case he started seeing roses around her.


    They all walked towards the fourth prince''s carriage. The carriage was big so having four people inside was no problem at all. Then the carriage ride started.


    "Until when are you staying here, Your Highness?" Ruby asked, smiling towards the fourth prince.


    "In another four days time," Li Jun answered.


    "So soon? And here I thought the time of your stay here would be longer," she said, her tone a bit dejected. "Do you mind if I visit you during your remaining days here?" she asked, looking at him with hope in those big hazel eyes.


    Li Jun was sure this girl was flirting with him. He doesn''t mind forward women, but this particr woman was the duke''s partner for the night. Was it really alright to flirt with another man in front of your partner? He nced at the duke. Argent''s eyes were closed and he seemed to not hear the conversation just now. Or it''s more urate to say that he just didn''t care.


    Li Jun tried to give the girl a polite smile. "I''m sorry, I''ll be busy during thest few days of my stay here. I don''t think I could entertain Miss McAllister."


    "I see. That''s too bad then. And here I was thinking I could spend time with Your Highness."


    Li Jun only smiled and nced outside the carriage''s window just to end the conversation. Ruby seemed to take the hint because she no longer spoke.


    After a while, Li Jun nced back at the general sitting beside him. Then he was slightly shocked by what he saw. Lei Feng was stealing nces at the duke. Like some teenager in puberty who''s afraid that their crush would discover that they were staring at them. Then Li Jun suddenly remembered that there were quite a number of times tonight that he saw the general looking in the duke''s direction.


    An impossible idea suddenly popped up inside his head. Could it be possible that the general was actually ying for the other team? And he was now ensnared by Argent ckbourne''s beauty? No wonder they never heard of any rumors of him and other women. It turned out that he was a broken sleeve!


    Not that Li Jun mind. He''s not that averse in the idea of a man loving another man. People should have the freedom to love anyone they wanted regardless of gender. But the problem here was the identity of the target of Lei Feng''s affection. An aristocratic duke who needed to marry a woman so he could have an heir to pass the title. Not only that, he was also the founder of a very wealthypany. There''s no way someone like that would agree to be someone''s male wife.


    Li Jun sighed. Maybe he should gift the general with a beautiful male courtesan once they''re back in Xing. Maybe that would divert his attention from the duke.


    The residence provided to the fourth prince was just near the royal pce. It was not located in the crowded area of the city. Thend surrounding it wasrge. Once you enter the gate, you have to travel half a kilometer more before reaching the main house.


    The carriage just entered the gate when it suddenly swivel to the side, as if the coachman lost control of the horses. It stopped and they heard the scream of the coachman.


    Lei Feng''s first thought was to protect Argent but when he looked at her direction, she was still sitting calmly. "Stay here," he told the three before going down the carriage.


    What he saw made him tightened his muscles. There were ghoul-like beings starting to sprout from the ground. There were more than ten. No, maybe even more than 20. Their skins were in a state of decay, but the odd thing was, there was no smell of decay around. But the greatest mystery of all was how the hell did these things appear here? Lei Feng didn''t even know that things like these actually exist in this world. He thought all mysterious beings should be lost together with the Mythos continent.


    He nced at the coachman who already lost conciousness because of shock. Then three of his dark guards appeared beside him.


    "Do you know when these things appeared?" he asked.


    "No, Master. They just suddenly appeared from the ground," An Si answered.


    "Protect the carriage. Don''t let any of these thingse even a bit close from it," Lei Feng ordered.


    "Yes, Master!" the three answered, immediately surrounding the carriage.


    Lei Feng released his killing intent, making the atmosphere tense. And bolts of lightning just started descending from the sky.


    Inside the carriage, Li Jun was not worried because he knew just how powerful Lei Feng was. This was probably an assassination attempt towards him. He was thinking of who might be the one behind this when a skeleton with decaying skin and eyes protruding out of its sockets suddenly went through the roof of the carriage.


    Li Jun''s eyes widened. He didn''t know if he should scream or what. Then he happened to nced at the two people in front of him. Ruby appeared as scared as he was. But the duke, he was still as calm as a waveless ocean.


    Argent opened his eyes. Then the silver bracelet he had on him suddenly turned into a sword. When Li Jun thought that he would attack the skeleton, he pointed the sword instead at Ruby''s neck.


    "Stop whatever it is you''re doing before I sh your throat," Argent said coldly.


    "Argent, I-I don''t k-know what you''re talking about," Ruby said much more scared than earlier.


    "I know you''re not Ruby. So stop." Argent pressed the sharp edge of the sword on her throat, blood started dripping from it. "Because if you don''t, I won''t hesitate to cut off your head."


    Ruby stopped shaking. Her scared expression also turned into an amused one. "You really are good." Her body was suddenly surrounded by a shimmer, then Ruby disappeared. Instead, in front of them was a woman with long ck hair that reached the carriage''s floor. His blue eyes were filled with banter. The smile on her face was the epitome of seductive charm. "My name is Vixen. Pleasure to finally meet you, Argent ckbourne."

 Chapter 75: the pros and cons

    Chapter 75: the pros and cons


    LI JUN was so shocked by the sudden transformation of the girl that he didn''t even notice that the skeleton hanging on the ceiling of the carriage has disappeared. Aside from the change in appearance, the former red dress she was wearing was now changed into a tight-fitting ck overalls. It almost looked like a second skin because of the way it hugged her curves.


    If the fourth prince was shocked, the duke, on the other hand, didn''t even have a change of expression. As if none of what happened bothered him.


    Vixen stared at the beautiful face of Argent ckbourne. She was quite surprised to not even see the slightest bit of change in that indifferent expression of his after she revealed her real appearance. The fact that she took the identity of his friend should have bothered him a little, right? But no, there was none of that. Vixen couldn''t help but smile. Maybe her decision to check this contract was not so bad after all.


    "How did you know I was not that red-head girl?" she asked, genuinely curious.


    How? Argent knew from the start that this woman named Vixen was not Ruby. The moment when she appeared by her side during the party, what Argent saw was her real appearance and not Ruby''s. That''s why she was a bit confused when the fourth prince referred to her as her partner for the night. Add that to the fact that no one seemed to notice that she was not Ruby at all. Argent could only assume that it had something to do with the woman''s Gift.


    It was probably rted to conjuring up illusions or something. The reason why the coachman suddenly stopped the carriage and why she could hear the sounds of fighting outside were probably also rted to this Vixen''s Gift. And because of Argent''s ''special constitution'', she couldn''t seem to ''see'' these illusions.


    "Let''s just say, your impersonation of her was not that perfect," Argent answered. She couldn''t really say that her illisions didn''t really affect her, now could she?


    "Really? Hmm... Looks like my acting has be rusty if you could easily see through me," Vixen said, a hint of teasing in her blue eyes.


    Li Jun felt like his head was about to explode. What''s with this conversation? If not for the duke still pointing a sword to this Vixen woman, Li Jun would have thought that they were old friends chatting. Why were both of them so damn calm?


    Then the door to the carriage suddenly opened. Li Jun felt like he saw a savior when he saw Lei Feng standing there. But of course, instead of paying attention to him, the general''s eyes automaticallynded on the duke. [Hey, I''m the one you''re supposed to protect, you know?]


    Lei Feng stared at Argent who was holding a sword and currently pointing it to an unknown woman. Miss McAllister was nowhere to be found. If he pieced everything together then it''s not hard to guess what''s happening right now.


    Vixen nced at the young general. "Oh, are you already done? That was fast. And here I thought you would take more time. I spent a lot of Mana creating those ghouls, you know? And you just destroyed them in a matter of minutes," she said, acting as if she waspletely heartbroken.


    Lei Feng ignored her and just focused his gaze on Argent. "Is she a danger?"


    "Are you?" Argent asked Vixen instead.


    Vixen slowly curved her lips upward, the action full of seductive charm. "Let''s talk about it over tea, shall we?"


    ----------


    Li Jun was wondering how suddenly things turned into this situation. The woman who, as he understood, tried to attack them earlier was now sitting in his drawing room. As if she just came here for a visit. She looked sofortable, drinking tea and eating snacks. There wasn''t even a hint of panic or fear on her face. Clearly, she doesn''t think that they could detain her here.


    She lifted her face and looked at Li Jun as if she noticed his gaze. Then she yfully winked at him. Li Jun felt his whole face flushed because of that. He immediately averted his gaze. What''s with him? Acting like some teenage boy with uncontroble hormones? It was clearly this woman''s fault! She might not have the same level of beauty as Aurum ckbourne, but she certainly has that extra something that could make any man want her.


    Li Jun cleared his throat before looking at Vixen again. "What''s your purpose?"


    "I received a contract to kill you," she answered honestly, pointing the fork she was holding towards the prince''s direction.


    "You''re from Dreich Gallere," Argent said, more of a statement rather than a question.


    She was sure of her guess. That''s why she asked Aurum to look for Ruby in the pce. She was certain that Ruby was still alive, probably only left unconcious somewhere. After all, assassins from Dreich Gallere don''t kill without contracts. And it was quite obvious that Ruby was not Vixen''s target.


    From all the information Argent has of that famous assassination group, all the high-ranking members has a code name rted to some sort of animal. As proven by the other two assassins she met. With that thought in mind, Argent suddenly remembered Viper. It has been seven years since shest saw that crazy assassin with an unusual attachment to her. If not for the appearance of this Vixen, she might not remember that she still hasn''t paid Viper back for that head he sent to her.


    Whatever could that psycho be doing now?


    "Correct," Vixen admitted, not even bothering to hide it.


    Lei Feng instantly stood on guard when he heard that. He knew this woman was powerful. When he asked Argent earlier, she said that the woman''s Gift was probably being able to cast illusions. Those things he fought earlier were not just mere illusions. He could feel his lightning bolts going through each and everyone of those things. Being able to make her illusions manifest, having a high level Gift was not enough for that. One should also have great control and understanding over their Gift. And now, this woman turned out to be not just an ordinary assassin but also a member of the infamous Dreich Gallere. That made her even more dangerous.


    He turned to Argent. She didn''t even seem daunted by the woman''s admittance. Like meeting an assassin was an everyday event for her. But despite that, he could tell that she hasn''t let her guard down. As evidence of the sword she was still holding.


    After Li Jun got over his initial shock, he turned towards the young duke after realizing something. "You knew from the start that she''s a Dreich Gallere assassin and yet you still brought her with you?" he asked incredulously.


    "Yes. I have to know whether her target is you or me." Argent shrugged. "Guess it turned out to be you, after all."


    "And you suddenly wanted to have a talk with me because of that?"


    "Yes," Argent answered, not even bothering to lie.


    Li Jun let out a frustrated sigh. "You really have talent to piss off people."


    "Hey, don''t ignore me here," Vixen suddenlyined, cutting off the conversation between the two. "Aren''t you guys supposed to interrogate me or something?"


    Li Jun turned his attention back to the woman. "Are you even going to tell us the truth?"


    "I haven''t lied yet, haven''t I?" Vixen said with a teasing tone in her voice. "We could even use a veritas stone if you want," she added, then ate a piece of cream puff.


    "Why would you even want to tell us the truth?" Li Jun asked, totally confused by the woman''s attitude.


    "Because I just decided not to kill you," she answered. "You see, the contract issued for your head was not a formal one yet. Contrary to popr beliefs, we don''t just kill anyone even if someone paid us millions of gold to do it. Especially if the target is a royalty or a leader of a famous organization or even the head of a country. If we agree to kill those types of target readily, there probably won''t be any royal families and leaders left in the world.


    "Before epting a contract like that, we scout the situation first and analyze the pros and cons of killing the target. In your case, dear prince, I find that there are more cons in killing you than pros. For one, that bodyguard of yours is really powerful. If I tried to kill you now, there''s a chance that I might lose to him in a one on one fight. And second, I don''t really like the one who issued the contract for your head. So, you''re safe. For now, at least."


    After exining all that, Vixen ate the remaining cream puff.


    "Geez... I should probably thank you, then," Li Jun said sarcastically.


    "Who wanted him dead?" Lei Feng asked.


    "Now, I couldn''t tell you that. That would be totally unprofessional," Vixen said, acting all affronted by the general''s question.


    "And telling us all the things you just said was not unprofessional?" Li Jun asked, unbelieving.


    "Nope. It''s not as if what I said was a huge secret."


    "Based on what you said, can I take it that I was also found as an ''unsuitable target''?" Argent thought of asking after hearing Vixen''s exnation.


    It has already been closed to two months since she revealed to the world her identity as the owner of Silver Corporation. And yet, no assassins havee for her head. She doesn''t believe that no one would want her dead. Especially those businessmen that went bankrupt because of herpany. And we shouldn''t forget the Temple of Gaia who just hated herpany''s very existence.


    "It''s true that there has been contracts for your head for years now. But since we really don''t know who the founder of Silver Corporation was, those contracts never really got anywhere. But since you revealed who you are, our Master issued a ban from epting any contracts rted to you." Vixen smiled meaningfuly at Argent. "Aren''t you just lucky?"


    "Why?" Lei Feng asked, he didn''t like the idea of a master assassin giving some kind of special attention to Argent. Because that could only mean a lot of trouble for her.


    Argent wanted to ask the same question. The only possibility she could think of was because of Viper. But was that guy''s attachment to her really enough for Dreich Gallere''s master to make an exception for her?


    "I''m not at liberty to say," Vixen answered before drinking the remaining contents of her tea cup. Then she stood up. "Onest thing before I leave." She started walking towards Argent but the young general immediately got in her way. "Hey, rx big guy, I''m not going to hurt him. Or else, a certain snake would surely bite me."


    Before Lei Feng could react, the woman already passed by him.


    "Can we take a picture?" Vixen asked the young duke.


    Argent didn''t even have the time to move before she heard a familiar click from an sPhone.


    "Oh, Viper would be so envious," Vixen said gleefully while looking at the picture. Then she looked at the three men in front of her, each has varrying degrees of handsomeness. "Well, it''s time for me to leave. I hope we could see each other again. Bye-bye!"


    She smiled that seductive smile and then threw a smoke bomb at them. When the smoke subsided, the beautiful assassin was no longer there. Disappearing in a puff of smoke.

 Chapter 76: the day after the party

    Chapter 76: the day after the party


    A SIMPLE ck carriage entered the dense forest located in the eastern region of Albion. This region was known for its beautiful scenery. That''s why many health spa could be found here. It''s a favorite vacation spot of aristocrats tired of the city. The carriage continued to move through the forest. It only stopped when it reached a smallke.


    The man driving was wearing all ck and has a severe atmosphere around him. He got off from his seat and opened the door of the carriage. The first one to go down was a young man with ice blue hair and pale blue eyes. He turned around and helped a woman wearing a hood go down the carriage. They stood in front of a two-storey cottage built beside theke and surrounded beautiful wildflowers.


    The woman removed her hood. Her long blue ck hair fell down like waterfall behind her back. The morning sun shone on her beautiful face as she looked around in wonder. She turned to the young man. "This ce is lovely."


    The young man was, of course, the second prince of Albion and the woman, his mother.


    Winter looked at his mother''s wless face, her burn scars no longer there. "I''m d you like it, Mother."


    On their way here, they met the healer who healed his mother''s scars. It was a young woman acquianted with Niki. He assured Winter that the healer wouldn''t talk to anyone about the healing that she did. Winter hasplete trust towards Niki''s judment, so he didn''t worry that the healer would reveal to everyone she knew that she healed the mother of their bastard prince.


    They had to meet the healer halfway because once they left the party, they immediately started travelling towards this ce. They even have to do it stealthily. Winter was worried that the King would interfere and that he wouldn''t be able to get his mother out of the capital if they didn''t leave immediately. Just in case the King sent his men to follow them, Winter nted a decoy.


    They hired a woman with the same build as his mother, they even prepared a human skin mask for the woman to use. As he, his mother, and Robin were travelling through the night, Niki and Aspen were guarding the woman posing as his mother in his town house. To add to the ruse, once morning came, the three left in the capital would head to the port and enact a y. Niki would act as Winter while and the woman as his ''mother'' with Aspen guarding the two.


    Right about now, those three were probably already at the port. All people would see was the second prince bidding farewell to his mother who''s about to board a ship that would travel to the Northern continent. Once she arrived at her destination, the woman impersonating as his mother would remove the human skin mask she has on and would continue living there using the fake identity Niki prepared. Thuspleting their ruse.


    The woman they hired was a struggling actress working at a small theaterpany. Having no better prospects, she readily agreed to the deal Niki offered her once she found out how much money she would receive. She didn''t even mind that she had to migrate to another country.


    "Of course I will like it. This ce is perfect," Merissa said, inhaling the fresh air. It''s like smelling the scent of freedom.


    Winter smiled, the coldness in his expressionpletely thawing out. He had this cottage built two years ago with his mother in mind. Now, his mother could finally live here. The only downside was he couldn''t live with her permanently.


    "I''m sorry, Mother. I could only visit you once a month from now on," Winter said apologetically.


    Merissa shook her head. "Don''t worry, I understand the situation. Seeing you once a month is already more than what I had for the past 12 years. And besides, we could talk everyday using our sPhones. I won''t be greedy and ask for more. It''s enough that you know that from now on, I will be here for you."


    Still if he could, he still wanted to spend more time with his mother. But something like that would be impossible for now. Especially when he remembered the kind of gaze the King gave to his mother the moment she revealed her face to everyone. That gaze was not normal. Instead of looking at a person, it''s like the King was looking at a long lost possession.


    Winter was not certain about the particrs of the rtionship between his mother and the King. But there was no doubt that the King treated his mother horribly. So there was no way he could just let the King interact with his mother again.


    He was not familiar with the emotion called ''love''. But Winter was at least sure about one point. If you love someone, you wouldn''t want to be the cause of that person''s pain. You wouldn''t hurt them just because you could. That''s why if he ever did fall in love with someone, he would pamper that person. Bringing her nothing but happiness, never sadness and pain.


    At that thought, a certain person''s image suddenly shed inside his mind. But it was just a sh that instantly disappeared. Like the wind that couldn''t be catched.


    Winter stopped thinking about it and just continued talking to his mother about her stay here.


    ----------


    Argent walked down the stairs and went straight to the dining room. Once there, she saw Aurum and ck huddled together, giggling while looking at something on her sister''s sPhone.


    "What are you twoughing about?" she asked.


    Both raised their head at the same time and immediately greeted her.


    "It''s because of this, Brother," Aurum answered her question, showing her the screen of her sPhone. On it was a picture of Ruby sleeping soundly inside one of the stalls of a powder room. In fact, she slept so soundly there was saliva literally flowing down from one corner of her mouth. "She looks funny, right? We''re going to tease her once she wakes up."


    "Yes, we''re going to tease her!" ck agreed.


    Just like what Argent thought, Aurum and Mis found Ruby unconcious inside the powder room closest to the ballroom. After making sure that she was only unconcious, the two immediately brought her back to the manor. Ruby still hasn''t regained conciousness until now. The thing used to make her faint was probably pretty strong.


    "Just don''t overdo it. She''s still a patient, after all," Argent reminded the two.


    "Yes," both almost said at the same time.


    Argent picked up a toast from the table. She was about to leave when Aurum stopped her.


    "Aren''t you going to eat breakfast, Brother?"


    "Later. I''m going to do my morning sword exercise first."


    She bit the toast and walked outside the manor. When she arrived at the garden, she took a wooden sword from her space ring and started swinging it.


    Even though the second prince''s party was a sess, the ''Vixen'' incident after that only left Argent with questions. She still couldn''t wrap her head around the fact that the master of Dreich Gallere banned any contracts against her. No matter how much she tried to think about it, she just couldn''t think of a reason why that master assassin would do that.


    Yes, that decision would certainly be to her advantage. But Argent just couldn''t feel the least bit grateful about it. Because she hated the feeling of being in the dark about something. Especially if it has something to do with her.


    She shook her head and just cleared her mind. Thinking about that would only affect her morning exercise. Just like what her master often said, ''a clouded mind could only dull the edge of a sword''. She just continued swinging the wooden sword.


    Then Argent suddenly felt a very intense gaze. After experiencing that gaze quite a number of times, she already has an idea who the owner of such a gaze was.


    She stopped what she was doing and looked at a certain direction. "Come out. Entering a private property without permission is illegal, you know?"


    Just as she expected, the young general jumped down from one of the trees in the garden. He was wearing his usual ck robe. His long ck hair was tied in a high ponytail.


    "What are you doing here, General? I thought I told you that I hate being spied on," she said.


    "My apologies. After the incidentst night, I just want to make sure that you''re safe."


    Zhang Lei Feng was still worried about the incident with that Dreich Gallere assassin. She might have not seeded in killing the fourth prince, but the things she told them afterwards really bothered him. Especially the part about the master of Dreich Gallere. How could he sit back and rx when he knew that a very dangerous person took an interest on Argent? That''s why he''s been staking out here sincest night.


    Argent stared at the young general''s upright face. She basically has some idea on what''s going on in his mind right now. He''s probably thinking that an assassin mighte to attack her that''s why he''s here. To protect her. She smirked. Thinking so high of himself, it only made her want to mess that face of his.


    "I just want to make something clear to you. You and me have nothing to do with each other. So I''m quite baffled as to where you get the idea that protecting me is your job. And besides," Argent used [Mizukodo] to dash quickly in front of the general then she swung the wooden sword she was holding but stopped before itnded on the side of his neck, "I''m not as weak as you might think I am. I don''t need anyone''s protection." She put down the wooden sword. "So stop, before you really start to piss me off."


    There was a surprised expression on the general''s face, then it slowly turned into a lost one. As if he was no longer sure where to go from here on out. Then he looked down,pletely averting her gaze. "You''re right. I''m sorry for being presumptuous."


    He took a step back and just disappeared. No, it was more urate that he ran at a very fast speed. Argent could still see the electricity he left on his wake. She whistled. That was certainly an amazing feat. Argent remembered what Vixen said about the generalst night. That he was powerful. Now she couldn''t help but wonder just how powerful he might really be.


    She was still immersed in her thoughts when she felt the vibration from the stud on her right ear. It meant that someone was trying to connect to her. She turned her light brain and epted the call. She soon heard White''s voice.


    "Master, I just recorded a video of the first princess of Albion using her sPhone and judged it as important. I''m sending it to you now."


    Not even a second passed and a video file was sent to her light brain. "I''m going to look into it now. Good job. Have you already done what I asked youst night?"


    Last night after she went back to the manor, she sent the video she took of what happened during the party to White. Before sending it, she edited it in a way that would make the first princess appear more guilty. Then she asked White to spread it to every citizen of Albion that has a [Jiffy] ount. Probably all those people have already watched it by now.


    "Yes, Master."


    "Good."


    After that she cut their conversation and opened the video file White sent.


    The first thing that appeared was the first princess sitting on the bed, a defaro crystal in her hand. Based on the angle, her sPhone was probably ced somewhere perpendicr to where she was. After a moment, the face of a man with long gray hair appeared, half of his face was covered by a domino mask.


    "Oh my. This is a surprise. Why did the princess suddenly contact me?" the man asked, though there wasn''t even a hint of surprise in his voice.


    "Stop acting like you still you don''t know," the first princess said, not a trace of gentleness could be found on her face. "I''m pretty sure you already know what happenedst night. And now this! There''s a video going around that will no doubt make me look bad in the eyes of the people here in Albion. Do something about it! If this situation continues, then how could I do the things that that person asked of me?"


    "Princess, I think you have a slight misconception. You see, I''m not your servant. I only follow the orders of one person. And that person is not you. So if you want to clean up your mess, then you have to do it yourself. And you better do it quickly before he thinks that you''re no longer useful to him."


    Then the image of the man in the defaro crystal disappear. Which meant that he cut off the connection.


    Thest image on the video was of the princess turning the crystal into ice and crushing it.


    Argent was not surprised by the attitude of the first princess nor was she particrly curious about the conversation of the two. What really caught her attention was the man. He might be wearing a different mask and his hair might be a little longer but Argent could not mistake that voice for anyone else.


    That man was the same masked man who was involved in that kidnapping incident they experienced seven years ago. How could Argent forget the person who tried to make her fight with a group of adult men just so the audience could offer the highest bid?


    Just what the heck was the connection between him and the first princess? And who was the ''he'' they were talking about?

 Chapter 77: a certain mans melancholy

    Chapter 77: a certain man''s mncholy


    LI JUN let out a happy sigh. He finally signed the trading treaty with the King of Albion today. If he ignored the fact that the King seemed to be in a very bad mood, then he could say that the signing went smoothly. Now, all Li Jun had to do was to go back home alive and his mission foring here in Albion would be aplished.


    He sessfully evaded an assassination attempt from a Dreich Gallere assassin. But that was probably only because the assassin they sent was a bit entric. He couldn''t say the same for the next assassin that mighte their way. Li Jun already has an idea regarding the identity of the person who bought a contract for his head. Since there''s really only a handful of people who would benefit from his death. It was really a good thing that he brought the young general to this trip.


    Speaking of that general, Li Jun nced at the man sitting in front of him inside the carriage. Lei Feng still has that listless look on his face. Ever since he came back from wherever he went to yesterday, he started to look pretty absent-minded. It''s like his head was on the clouds. No one could even speak properly to him. No matter what Li Jun said to the general, Lei Feng would only answer with a ''hmm''. It''s really starting to get on his nerves.


    If he continued to be like this, what would happen if another assassin did attack them?


    Li Jun shook his head. Since yesterday, everytime he looked at Lei Feng, it felt like he was looking at an abandoned puppy. It might not show on the general''s face, but that was just the kind of atmosphere surrounding him right now. Li Jun would never really have thought that there woulde a time when he would see the outstanding general like this. It was almost as if Lei Feng received some kind of emotional injury.


    Wait- emotional injury? A wild guess suddenly came inside Li Jun''s mind. [Don''t tell me...]


    "Did you go to Hanover manor yesterday?" he asked.


    After a day of looking like he had lost his soul, there was finally a wave of emotion in the general''s dark eyes. His reaction only confirmed Li Jun''s guessed.


    Li Jun stared at the general in amazement. Did this guy go to the duke''s ce and confessed to him? How brazen! Li Jun never thought that the general would be so bold as to confess his feelings to the duke. And based on his emotional state right now, it was obvious that it didn''t go well. He was definitely rejected.


    "Are you perhaps heartbroken right now?"


    Zhang Lei Feng was startled by the prince''s question. Heartbroken? Yes, his heart definitely felt like it has been cut into two. He was not even sure why he felt like that. But it was no doubt rted to the conversation he had with Argent yesterday morning.


    When she said that the two of them has nothing to do with each other, it felt like his chest had been trampled by an elephant. He couldn''t even describe how much it hurt. He just knew it did. But what did he expect, really? That once they met again, everything would just magically fall into ce? That she would immediately recognized him? He should have known when he found no recognition in her gaze that something like that would never happen.


    Even during that explosion, she didn''t manage to recognize him.


    It was different for him. It only took one second for him to recognize who the genius they were supposed to apprehend that night really was. She was Xia Yin. His Xia Yin. But he was a second toote. Because she chose to end her life. He didn''t even have the chance to protect her. Again. Just like all those years they were separated.


    But they were given a new life in this world. And once again, he immediately recognized her. Even with apletely different face, he just knew it was her. The excitement he felt when he saw that interview was unlike anything he had ever felt before. Because he only felt truly alive at that moment. It''s like he was once again given a reason to live. As if he found the meaning of his existence.


    Lei Feng thought that once they met, he could finally fulfill his promise to her. That he could just stay by her side and protect her. But his expectation was truly different from reality. What happened yesterday proved that. It''s like a bucket of cold water was poured down on him. Making him face the reality he never expected.


    What they have now was apletely different life. She was no longer that genius who was forced into a corner by the government nor that child crying for someone to help her. She was now Argent ckbourne. An aristocratic duke and the founder of one of the richestpany in the world. She now has a family whom she loved, something that she always wanted.


    She might be a NoGift but just as she showed to him yesterday, she could definitely protect herself. Lei Feng could tell by the way she moved and the way she handled that wooden sword that she underwent a very harsh training. Probably even taught by a very strong swordsman. Because that was not something anyone could just do by just practicing swinging their swords every morning. With a sword in hand, she could probably take down most men.


    Was there even really a need for him then?


    No. She didn''t need him. Maybe then. But definitely not now. And that''s why he felt like this. Because he had to face the truth that there was no longer a ce for him in her life. Staying by her side was just a fanciful dream he had. And if he forcefully inserted himself into her life right now, it would just backfire. She might even end up hating him. Something that he never wished to happen.


    But does that mean he has to give up?


    Lei Feng clenched both his fists. No. He couldn''t even if he wanted to. But he wouldn''t act as a protector any longer. He would act like arade who would fight side-by-side with her. Acting otherwise was equivalent to him not recognizing all the hard work she put into her training. And he didn''t want to give her that kind of disservice.


    Argent was no damsel-in-distress. She was a warrior. Just like him. She deserved that kind of respect and recognition.


    Lei Feng looked outside the carriage''s window. "Yes, maybe I am heartbroken," he answered the prince''s previous question.


    Heartbroken because the girl he once knew was probably long been gone. And he could only me himself for that.


    Li Jun stared at the general''s mncholic face and felt sympathy for him. Seeing him like this only ironed out Li Jun''s former decision. Yes. Once they were back at Xing, he would definitely send a beautiful male courtesan to Lei Feng''s bed. One night with a professional would certainly make him forget about the duke.


    With that decision in mind, his mood lifted up. They really needed to go back to Xing as soon as possible.

 Chapter 78: distress signal

    Chapter 78: distress signal


    THE WHOLE capital of Albion was brimming with gossip. The talk of the town was of course the royal family.


    Today was the day that the first prince - or should they say the former first prince - would be exiled to the southern region. Manymoner born women were happy to hear the news. A lot of them fell victim to the prince''s perverseness. But since he''s the prince, they couldn''t do anything about it. They couldn''t even file ain because it would only be pushed under the rag. They might be happy that he would be gone in the capital but they still think that the punishment he got was not enough for all the things he had done.


    There were some people talking about the sudden reemergence of the famous opera singer - Madame La Chanteuse. They never expected that she would show herself in such a public manner. Or that she suffered a lot of wrongdoings under the hands of the first prince. On another note, the song she sang during the party was posted on [Jiffy] by an anonymous user. A lot of people saved that on their sPhones. Because who wouldn''t want to hear again such a heavenly voice?


    After the party, the second prince''s good reputation also rose rapidly. Many praised him for bravely introducing his mother to the aristocrats of Albion. He didn''t care if he suffered a bacsh, he just did it to give justice to his mother who suffered. Many were touched by the scene of him standing beside his mother like a loyal guard trying to protect the most important person to him. Commoners who saw that felt a sense of cameraderie towards the prince. Maybe because his mother was amoner just like them. Seeing him being close to his mother made them want to support him even more.


    But the most talked about was the first princess. It''s no secret that among the royal children, the first princess was the one most loved by the masses. She''s also the one who interacts with themon people the most. With all her charity events and wonderful projects, the people couldn''t help but feel close to her. They always saw her as the gentle, kind, and sweet princess. That''s why it was a shock to them when they saw that video of her being used as the one who''s really responsible for the kidnapping of the second prince''s mother.


    Although nothing has been proven yet, the people''s hearts already produced doubts against the first princess. They couldn''t help but think that if the usations against the princess were true, then wouldn''t all the kind things she did in the past be nothing more than an act? If so, then how could they support such a princess? If she became the Queen, would the people of Albion really be alright?


    If the capital was brimming with gossip, then at the royal pce almost everyone was suffocating from the tense atmosphere.


    The former first prince was being escorted to a carriage by a group of guards. No, escorted should not be the right term. It should be more urate to call it being dragged. Because the prince was fighting off the guards and refusing to leave, the guards had no choice but to force him to go with them. He kept shouting and calling for the King but no one seemed to hear him. The guards continued to drag him and then pushed him inside the carriage. It was rather unsightly.


    Jasper still couldn''t believe what was happening. Justst week he was still a glorious prince, and now he was being stuffed into a carriage like some unwanted baggage. He didn''t even know how things turned out this way. All the things that happened during that party were blurred to him. It''s like his memory of that night had been jumbled up. Then he was suddenly told that he was being exiled and that he''s no longer a prince. How the hell could hee to terms with that?


    But what could he do? He was being exiled and yet his father didn''t evene. Even his mother was not there. Jasper stopped struggling. It''s like all the fight in him just left him. He couldn''t help butugh out loudly. But soon thatugh turned into tears that continuously flowed down his eyes.


    Near the entrance of the pce stood the second princess and the third prince. They watched as the carriage carrying their brother drove off the long driveway of the pce. They were the only ones there to say goodbye to the former first prince. The King couldn''t be bothered. The Queen was banned from leaving her chambers because the King was sure that she would certainly stop the first prince from leaving. While the first princess was locked inside her chambers.


    Noelle sighed sadly. What was happening to their family? She knew they were different from ordinary loving families but at least there was still a semnce of order. But now? Now they''re falling apart.


    "S-Sister, d-don''t be s-sad," Vale suddenly said beside her. "I-I''m sure everything will be alright."


    Noelle tried to smile and stroke her brother''s hair. "Thank you for cheering me up, Vale."


    Vale shook his head. "Sister is al-always kind to me, so I sh-should cheer up Sister."


    This time, Noelle truly smiled. "I''m going to check up on Mother, do you want toe with me?"


    Knowing their mother, she was probably destroying everything in her chambers right now.


    "N-no. I-I think I''ll pass," Vale readily said.


    Noelle did not force her brother to go with her. She knew how Vale disliked violence. He would only panic if they saw their mother in such a state. "Then I''ll go first."


    Vale watched her second sister walked away. The timid expression on his face was no longer there. Instead it was reced by mockery. His pale blue eyes filled with a certain crazed glint. "Idiot."


    Then he walked towards the opposite direction.


    ----------


    In Hanover manor, a different kind of farewell was taking ce.


    Ruby just received a call from the servant of the master painter she''s supposed to apprentice with. Apparently, her soon-to-be master suddenly came out of his retreat. He ordered her, yes, ordered, to meet him at his mansion tomorrow. Since that master painter was known for his strictness, she has to follow what he said. If she didn''te back to Gaul at once, then she could probably say goodbye to her apprenticeship.


    So now, even if Ruby still has a splitting headache due to what happened during the prince''s party, she still has to go. She was in the driveway of the Hanover manor saying goodbye to the twins and to ck as well. A carriage was waiting behind her that would take her to a gryphon station. Riding a gryphon would be the fastest way for her to go to Gaul.


    "Are you sure you don''t want us to send you to the gryphon station?" Argent asked.


    "It''s fine. Just promise me that you will take revenge for me against that assassin who impersonated me." Ruby was still pissed off about that. Aside from the headache she got, the humiliation she received was even worse. Especially with Aurum and ck constantly teasing her.


    "Yes, yes," Argent said just to appease Ruby. She couldn''t really truly promise it since she doesn''t know if she could meet that assassin again.


    Ruby turned to Aurum. "And you, don''t you dare post that picture on [Jiffy]."


    "What picture?" Aurum asked innocently.


    "Stop acting, it''s giving me goosebumps," Ruby said with a shudder. "Just promised me you won''t."


    Aurum cluck her tongue. "Fine."


    Ruby finally let out a sigh of relief. "Bye you two. You too, ck."


    "Bye-bye Ruby," ck said.


    Then Ruby went inside the carriage. And it immediatelty drove off.


    The three were about to walk back inside the manor when Argent suddenly felt a vibrationing from her ear stud. It was three short vibration, followed by three longer vibration, then another three short vobration. That was a distress signal. There were only two objects that could produce that signal. One was the signal from Aurum''s limiter. And the other was from the bracelet she gave their mother. Which could only mean one thing.


    Their mother was in trouble.

 Chapter 79: business proposal

    Chapter 79: business proposal


    AURUM noticed that her brother stopped walking. She nced back and saw that her brother has a grave expression on her face. "Brother, what''s wrong?"


    "Let''s go inside first," Argent answered. Then she walked inside the house and went straight to her study. Aurum and ck followed immediately.


    Once inside the study, Argent immediately opened her light brain to check the location of her mother''s bracelet. She gave that bracelet to her mother four years ago when she went back from her travels for her and Aurum''s tenth birthday. Just like Aurum''s limiter, it has the function of sending distress signal. When she told about that to her mother, she justughed and asked her if Argent woulde to her rescue immediately. But her mother still put it on happily.


    Of course, Argent couldn''t magically appear beside her mother. But at least, once she activated the distress signal from the bracelet, the signal would automatically ry her mother''s position to Argent''s light brain. A map appeared on the screen of her light brain. A red dot kept blinking somewhere on the Eastern continent. The signal wasing from one of thergest country in the world.


    The Xing Empire.


    Then the blinking red dot suddenly disappeared. Which could only mean one thing; the bracelet was broken or destroyed by someone. Because there''s no way that their mother would break something Argent gave her.


    "Brother, what''s happening?" Aurum asked, seeing the serious expression on her brother''s face made her feel worried.


    "Something might have happened to Mother."


    Aurum was startled when she heard that. Her first thought was her brother must be joking. But then, Argent would never joke about something like this. Her worry just intensified because of that. "W-what do you mean, Brother?"


    "Let me check something first." Argent connected to White.


    "Do you need me for something, Master?" White''s sweet voice floated in her ear.


    "Connect me to my Mother''s sPhone."


    "Yes, Master." After awhile White''s voice sounded in her ear again. "There seems to be a problem, Master. Lady Anthea''s sPhone seems to be no longer in working condition. In my estimate, it was probably destroyed."


    Argent already thought as much but hearing it still made her frustrated. "Send me thest scene recorded by her sPhone before it got destroyed."


    "Yes, Master."


    It only took a few seconds before a video was sent to her light brain. Argent expanded the size of the virtual screen so that Aurum and ck could also watched it.


    There was nothing but a ck screen which meant that the sPhone was hidden, probably in her mother''s pocket. Because if it was in her space ring then they wouldn''t hear anything. Right now they could hear the sound of someone running. It was probably her mother. Based on the speed of her footsteps, she was running really fast. As if she was trying to get away from someone. Then they heard her grunt and they heard the sound of someone falling. She probably stumbled into something and lose her bnce.


    Then something appeared on the screen. Which meant that the sPhone was thrown to the ground. As evidence of the sudden image that appeared. The image was almost blurry as if there wasn''t enough light avable to make it clearer. But Argent could see the vague silhouette of her mother lying on the ground. She felt like all her muscles tightened when she heard another set of footsteps getting closer and closer.


    Thest thing they saw was a figure wearing a white cloak. Then the video abruptly ended as if the sPhone was purposely broken.


    Argent felt her arm being clutched tightly. She looked down and saw her sister gazing up at her. The tight set of her brows and her quivering lips just showed how worried and scared she was.


    "Brother, Mother, she--"


    "It''s going to be okay," she assured Aurum even though she, herself, was equally worried.


    This was the first time she felt this kind of agitation. Not knowing whether the person she cared about was alright or not. During moments like this, she truly missed the days when she didn''t give a shit about anyone or anything. Then she wouldn''t feel anxious during situations like this. But she already let a lot of people inside her heart. If something were to happen to those people, then she wasn''t sure what she would do. She might go berserk for all she knew.


    "I know where Mother disappeared. All we have to do is investigate the hows and the whys. Then we''ll definitely find her," Argent continued. "I''ll save her, Aurum. I promise."


    Aurum stared at her brother''s purple eyes which were filled with determination. Argent''s promise gave her strength. Making her fears and worries gradually lessened. She believed in Argent. Because when did her brother ever let her down? "I''ll help too, Brother. We will both save Mother."


    "ck will help too!" ck interjected, raising his hand.


    "The ce on the video, do you know where it is, Brother?" Aurum asked.


    "It''s somewhere in Xing."


    "Xing? Then we have to go there immediately!"


    "It wouldn''t be that easy," Argent replied to her sister. "Xing isn''t like a backwater country like Shandra. We couldn''t just enter there recklessly. Even if we used a disguise and made ourselves looked like citizens of Xing, it would still be painfully obvious that we''re foreigners. With Xing''s strict rules against outsiders, our range of action would surely be limited. Which in turn would just hinder our search."


    "Then what should we do?"


    "We can go there on an official business and use my identity as the founder of Silver Corporation to its best advantage."


    Aurum gave Argent a questioning look, clearly not understanding what she meant. Instead of exining further, Argent once again talked to White. "Connect me to Prince Li Jun''s [TalkUs] ount."


    "Yes, Master."


    A little whileter, the face of the fourth prince of Xing appeared on the screen. "Lord Hanover?" he said, clearly confused by this sudden call.


    "Good morning, Your Highness. Are you perhaps interested in doing business with me?"


    ----------


    Li Jun went down the carriage and stared at the majestic manor in front of him. It was even much grander than the residence he was staying at. Well, that''s not really surprising considering that this was the house of one of the few dukes here in Albion.


    The sudden call made by the Duke of Hanover really surprised Li Jun. He thought after that assassination attempt, the two of them would no longer have any chance to talk again. Though he was actually nning to visit the duke and try his luck before he left for Xing. But who would have thought that the duke would contact him first?


    A stern looking butler and a couple of servants weed Li Jun at the entryway of the manor.


    "Your Highness," the butler greeted, making a perfect bow. "His Grace is waiting in his study. If you could follow me please."


    He nodded and followed the butler. The butler stopped in front of a room and knocked on the door. When they heard the voice of the duke allowing them toe in, the butler opened the door and gestured for Li Jun to enter. So Li Jun did so.


    The young duke stood up once he entered. "Your Highness, please do sit." Li Jun sat on the seat in front of the duke. Argent looked around and seend to notice something. "You didn''t bring your bodyguard with you?"


    [Of course not. The guy is still suffering from heartbreak. Bringing him here to see you just right after you reject him will just open his wound even further.] So Li Jun left Lei Feng and just brought the general''s three dark guards with him. But of course he couldn''t tell those things to the duke.


    "He''s busy with something. Regarding the call you made, are you serious?" Li Jun asked, changing the subject and immediately getting to the point of the reason he went here.


    "Of course. I never joke around when ites to money."


    Li Jun suddenly felt excited. It would really help a lot if he could partner up with Silver Corporation. "Then what do you have in mind?"


    "Silver Corporation is nning a big project and I think Xing Empire would be perfect for it. But I have to check the condition of your country first to be sure."


    "You mean... you''re going to Xing yourself?"


    "Yes. If it''s not too much of a hassle to Your Highness, I''m nning to travel back with you."


    "Of course not. You''re very wee to travel back with us." Although Li Jun still found it weird that the duke would go to Xing himself. Li Jun just guessed that he''s the type to check first the things he nned to invest on before really putting his money into it.


    "Good. If I find Xing satisfactory, then we will proceed with the project. I''m willing to give 40 percent of the project''s future revenue to Your Highness." Li Jun''s heartbeat sped up when he heard that. 40 percent would certainly be a lot - defnitely a lot - of money. "But Your Highness has to do something for me first."


    And there''s the catch. "If it''s within my ability, then I will do it."


    "I want Your Highness to make sure that I can freely move in your country without anyone hindering me. Can you do it?"


    That was an odd request. But certainly not that hard. If he told his Emperor father about the benefits their country would gain by working with Argent ckbourne, then Li Jun was sure that his father could make an exception for the young duke. But still. "You''re not nning to do any crime once you''re there, are you?"


    "It all depends. But don''t worry, if ever I domit a crime, I''ll make sure that no one will find out."


    "I appreciate your consideration," Li Jun said sarcastically because he''s not really sure if the duke was serious or not. At the end, he could only sigh. He couldn''t really let this oppurtunity pass, right? "Then I promise you."


    Argent grinned like a satisfied cat. "Good."

 Chapter 80: bon voyage!

    Chapter 80: bon voyage!


    "WHAT big project? We don''t have a big project n up!" Finn said through the screen of his sPhone. He just suddenly got a call from Feliciast night, telling him that Argent wanted him to prepare a business n for a big project.


    "Don''t shout. You''re making my headache worse," Argent said.


    She was in her study, just waiting for Aurum to get ready. Then they could go to the port where the ship brought by the fourth prince of Xing was waiting. Today was the day that the prince and his entourage would be leaving for Xing. And of course that also included her, Aurum, and ck.


    It''s almost been two days since the talk Argent had with the prince of Xing. Since then, she hasn''t left her study. Nelly had to bring her food just so she could eat. Argent has been looking through the data of her mother''s sPhone sent by White. But no matter how much she looked it through, she couldn''t get much information. Showing that her mother didn''t use her sPhone to store any relevant information regarding her search for the missing duke. Knowing her mother, she probably used a more traditional pen and paper. Nothing important were also recorded. Most of the recordings were of her calls to Argent and Aurum. Which meant that she mostly only took her sPhone out of her space ring during those calls.


    The only source of information Argent had was the bracelet she gave to her mother. Since it had a built-in GPS system, she could trace her mother''s movements since thest time she called her which was more than a month ago. ording to the data she retrieved from the bracelet, her mother stayed at the same country in the Northern continent for ten more days. Then all of a sudden, the signal of the bracelet appeared at Xing. Argent could only assume that a person with a teleportation Gift took her mother.


    Then after that, her mother stayed in one ce. As if she was imprison by whoever teleported her to Xing. She only had movements two days ago when she sent that distress signal. But then she was immediately captured again as was shown from thatst video. Due to the fact that her mother didn''t contact any of them or even pressed that distress signal during that 20 plus days she was imprisoned, Argent could only assume that her mother was in a state where she couldn''t call or do anything. Argent''s guess was that she was unconcious. If she was not, Argent was sure that her mother would do everything to fight.


    The only good news she got from all of these was that those people who took her mother probably wouldn''t kill her immediately. They kept her alive for three weeks for a reason. They needed her for something. Which meant Argent has time to save her. She just hoped that that time would be enough.


    Argent couldn''t help but clenched her fists. If she just checked her mother''s situation from time to time, then something like this might have been prevented. But no, she was too confident that nothing would happen to her mother. The seven years that her mother safely traveled around the world made Argentcent. And thus, this situation.


    "And why does it have to be in Xing? Do you know how hard it was to get permission just so we could built that measly five shops there? And now you want me to think of a big project we could do there?" Finn added.


    "Aren''t you good at that? Just do it okay, please?"


    Finn wanted toin more but then he noticed the dark shadows under Argent''s eyes. Which meant that he probably hasn''t been sleeping. Finn only noticed now the exhaustion on Argent''s face. Seeing him so tired, Finn couldn''t help but soften. "Fine. I''ll do it. Just try to take a rest, okay?"


    "Yeah. Thank you, Finn."


    Argent ended the call. She closed her eyes and leaned on the back of the chair she was sitting on. She already called Jaxon and told him about the situation. She knew he has men in Xing. It would be good if those people could investigate ahead. That''s why Argent sent to Jaxon the two locations showed by the bracelet. So his men could look into it. They were people who worked for Jaxon, so she trust that they would be discreet about it.


    Now, all she had to do was to go there and investigate the situation herself.


    The door of the study suddenly opened and Aurum peeked inside. "Brother, I''m ready. Let''s go."


    Argent stood up. "Yes."


    ----------


    The twins and ck went down the carriage they were riding. They already arrived at the port. Argent didn''t tell Gregory and Nelly about what happened to her mother. All they knew was that she and her sister would go to Xing for business. It wouldn''t really help anyone if she told them the truth. At least, they could stay here in Albion with no worries.


    "Wow... Look, Master. The ship is so big!" ck eximed. "Are we going to ride there?"


    "Isn''t that already obvious?" Aurum said, flicking ck''s forehead.


    "Argent!" a familiar voice suddenly called.


    They all looked back and saw the second prince of Albion riding a white horse. The horse stopped in front of them and he jumped off. He was sweating. As if he went here in a haste.


    "I heard you''re leaving," Winter said. He just heard about it from Niki. It looked like the Duke of Hanover didn''t really want to make it public. So the news hasn''t spread yet.


    "I have business in Xing," Argent said as an answer.


    "How long are you going to be there?"


    "Depends. But hopefully not that long." Because leaving that ce much sooner would also mean that they managed to save her mother much sooner. Argent was about to tell Winter that they have to go when she remembered something. Because of the situation with her mother, she almost forgot about that other important thing. "That sister of yours, she''s connected to someone in the underworld business. If you don''t deal with her now, she will destroy you sooner orter."


    Argent has been searching for information about that masked man for years. Gecko might be the main culprit to what happened to her and Aurum in that fighting pit, but that masked man had his share of me as well. She wanted to pay him back for all the scars she received that day. That recording of his conversation with the first princess was the first lead Argent got in years. But she couldn''t do anything about it now. Because rescuing her mother was infinitely much more important.


    Winter was really not that surprised by what he heard. He knew the first princess was not really a kind person just like how she wanted to project herself. She''s theplete opposite of her public image. So her, having a connection to shady people was understandable. He didn''t question where Argent got that information. Because he has no reason to lie. But for the most part, Winter just believed in him.


    "Thank you, for telling me that," Winter just said. "Does that mean that you already consider me as a friend?"


    Aurum rolled her eyes. She couldn''t believe this popsicle could be this cheezy. "Brother, I''m going up ahead."


    Argent nodded and Aurum walked towards the ship. She returned her gaze back to the prince. "Why are you so fixated on that?" she asked, pertaining to hisst question.


    The prince became silent for a moment. Then a small smile appeared on his lips,pletely warming the cold expression on his face. "Let''s just say it''s one of my childhood wishes."


    Argent raised her brow because of his answer. But then she thought about it. There really wouldn''t be any disadvantage in befriending the prince. On the other hand, if he did became the next king, there would only be advantages. And besides, she doesn''t really find Winter that annoying.


    "Then let me fulfill that wish of yours." She reached out her hand towards Winter. "Friends."


    Winter looked like he was he was shocked by thunder. But then he immediately returned to god and shook Argent''s hand. "Friends."


    The small smile on his lips was now a full-blown smile, making him even more handsome.


    Up on the deck, Li Jun and Zhang Lei Feng were watching everything that''s happening.


    Li Jun nced at the young general who couldn''t take his gaze away from the pretty duke. The prince suddenly felt guilty. He didn''t really ask for Lei Feng''s opinion when he agreed to that business deal. "Are you really okay with the duke travelling with us?"


    "Yes," Lei Feng simply answered, still staring intently at the duke.


    Li Jun just shook his head. Maybe he should make sure that the two wouldn''t be alone during their voyage. That''s the best thing he could do for this friend of his.


    Unlike what the prince was thinking, Lei Feng was actually not staring at Argent but at the kid she''s with. No matter how long he stared, the kid really does have the same face. Does this mean that, somehow, no matter how small, there''s still a memory of the past left in her subconcious?


    For the first time, in a while, the young general smiled.


    ----------


    Eastern continent, Xing Empire.


    At a small town, a young man with a in face that wouldn''t really be noticed by anyone passing him was eating lunch in a noodle stand. He was wearing a simple white robe that was made of fine material, indicating that he''s from a well-off family. The only thing that was probably eyecatching about him was that he was wearing a pair of gloves.


    "Are you new in town, youngd?" the old man selling noodles asked. This was a small town, so he had seen most of the people here.


    "Yes, grandpa. I''m actually a travelling writer," the young man answered, smiling. "I heard that there''s a famous legend around this area. Would you mind telling me about it?"


    "It''s really no big secret. It''s said that under the sea of Leng Jing lies the Temple of Tian Long. Only a child with the blood of Tian Long could open the gates of the temple and get his treasure," the old man said. "But people all know it''s just a legend. There wasn''t even a sea called Leng Jing."


    The young man nodded. "Thank you for telling me, grandpa." He finished his noodles and paid.


    He was about to go when the old man called him. "Be careful, youngd. Don''t go alone where no one could see you. There''s a lot of thieves roaming around here."


    The young man smiled. "I know."


    He started to walk. But despite what the old man told him, he still went to a dark alley. Just as he expected, the two men who''s been eyeing him since earlier followed him there.


    "Give us your money if you don''t want to die," one of the two said.


    The young man turned around. "What if I don''t want to?" he asked innocently.


    "Then we just have to get it the hard way," the other sneered, immediately attacking him.


    The naive smile on the man''s face instantly disappeared. He swiftly dodged the man''s attack and put his ungloved hand on his face. The man immediately screamed in pain because his face was starting to rot in an incredible speed.


    The other man stepped back, his expression full of fear. "N-no, please, please do-don''t k-ki--"


    "Toote."


    The man didn''t manage to finish what he''s saying because in just one blink the young man was already in front of him. The young man grasped his neck, he could feel his skin rotting at a very fast speed. Before he could even scream, his head was no longer on top of his shoulder.


    Viper looked uninterestingly at the two dead men. He brushed the invisible dust on his shoulder before putting on his glove. He took his sPhone from his space ring and smiled brightly when he saw the picture of a teenager with silver hair and purple eyes on the screen.


    His Argent grew up to be so pretty and so amazing. Building his ownpany and inventing this device. Viper couldn''t wait to see him again. But he has to finish this mission first.


    There was a sudden notification from his [TalkUs] ount, indicating that someone sent him a message. It could only be from one of the assassins with coded names in Dreich Gallere. He opened it and he almost crushed the sPhone when he saw the picture inside.


    It was Vixen. With his Argent!


    Viper gritted his teeth. "That bitch!"

 Chapter 81: fifteen days on board

    Chapter 81: fifteen days on board


    AURUM was on the deck of the ship watching ck y with a falcon. If she''s not mistaken, it was a bird owned by one of the guards here. ck was jumping around and running after the falcon. Aurum couldn''t help but be envious. She wished she could also be as carefree as ck. But of course that wasn''t possible. Because unlike ck, she''s a human with real human problems and worries.


    It has been 15 days since they sailed from Albion and Aurum''s worries haven''t lessen one bit. She wished they could just flew towards Xing using one of her brother''s flying vehicles. So they could immediately begin searching for their mother. So they could save her. But as Argent said, they couldn''t just waltz in there hoping that no one would notice. So all she and her brother could do right now was to wait.


    Although her brother hasn''t been doing any waiting as far as Aurum knew. Argent has beenmunicating with Uncle Jax and reading reports sent by Uncle Jax'' men. Aurum wished she could help her brother with those things. But if she insisted on helping, she might just end up hindering her brother. So to do her part, all she could do was give her support and make sure that her brother ate on time.


    She looked up to the blue sky that was starting to get cloudy. Looked like it would rain soon. She closed her eyes. [Mother, please, please, be alright.]


    Aurum looked back at ck who was still ying with the falcon. He was jumping around trying to catch the bird, he looked rather silly really. Then she happened to see the prince''s bodyguard - Zhang Lei Feng - walked towards the deck. She now knew that the guy was a general back in Xing. Which makes the prince kind of special if a general was the one personally in charge of his protection.


    Zhang Lei Feng was also watching ck. But unlike her who thought ck''s antics were funny, the general looked like he felt the opposite. He has this constipated expression on his face. As if he didn''t like what he was seeing. Aurum noticed from time to time that he would have that look whenever he''s looking at ck.


    She decided to walk up to the young general and greeted him with her signature smile. "Do you find ck annoying?" she asked straighforwardly. Aurum loved to bully ck. But that didn''t mean that she would like it when other people gave ck the kind of look the general was giving him.


    The guy nced down at her, his normal serious expression back. "No."


    "Really?" She knew ck could be hyper sometimes, but that''s not really enough reason to be annoyed at him. "Silly me. I''m just probably seeing things. Because I''m sure the general, as honorable as you are, wouldn''t be annoyed at a boy for no reason. Am I right?"


    Lei Feng looked at Aurum ckbourne''s smiling face. She might be smiling like an angel at him, but he could still hear the sarcasm in her voice. She was just probably protecting the boy and she probably found the expression on his face antagonistic. But he really couldn''t control it. Everytime he saw the boy act silly or spoiled or even cute, it just gave him goosebumps. Doing all those actions with that face was just simply unbearable to look at. But he couldn''t exactly tell that to this girl. So he just nodded at her and walked back inside the ship.


    "Weirdo," Aurum muttered. Then she felt her arm being grabbed. She looked down and saw ck. "What is it?"


    "It''s lunchtime! Let''s go eat with Master," ck said still as hyper as always.


    She flicked his forehead. "You''re only good at telling when it''s time to eat."


    ck immediately pouted. "That''s not true. ck is also good at fighting."


    "Yeah, yeah." But what ck said was right. It''s really time to eat lunch. "Let''s go get Brother."


    ----------


    Argent looked at the man on the screen of his light brain. Jaxon McAllister with his blond hair and green eyes still looked the same as that time she first met him. But the carefree atmosphere he usually has was nowhere to be found now. The expression on his face was full of seriousness.


    "My men already searched the two positions you gave. The first one was an abandoned shack in the middle of the mountain. The other one was a forest not far from that shack. So far, they haven''t found anything suspicious or even remotely helpful."


    Argent already expected as much. It only showed that the people who took her mother were not careless. But she still couldn''t help but feel disappointed. "Please ask them to continue searching. They might find something useful if they do."


    "I already told them to do that," Jaxon said. He stared at the exhausted face of the teenager. "You should try to rest. Don''t exhaust yourself before you even arrive at Xing."


    Though Jaxon couldn''t really me the kid. Because he was also feeling as exhausted. Anthea''s abduction just reminded him of that year when Dorian and his crew disappeared. Jaxon couldn''t do much then because that was also the first year he was taking over as the head of the McAllister family. His position was still not stable. If he so much as leave, his greedy family members would surely swoop in like starving vultures. So he wasn''t really of much help to Thea then.


    But this time, it''s different. Finn was already 18. He was now capable of holding the fort while Jaxon was away. His nephew was not some soft persimmon that anyone could just push around. Now, Jaxon could go and help with the search for Thea as much as he could.


    "I know that. It''s just so frustrating. That I couldn''t even do a single thing," Argent said with a bitter smile on her lips.


    "It''s normal to feel frustrated. But don''t forget to take care of yourself. If you get sick, that would only affect your investigation in Xing. Or do you want me to go to Xing as well?"


    Argent shook her head. "There''s no need. I''ll take a proper rest and not sleep sote."


    "Good. By the way, I''m already near Sarmatia. I''ll probably arrive there by tomorrow."


    The country Jaxon mentioned was a country in the Northern continent. It was also thest known location of her mother before she was teleported to Xing. During theirst talk, her mother mentioned something about finding a clue about his father''s disappearance. And then, just right after that, she was abducted. Argent figured that the reason she was taken probably has something to do with that clue. And since she couldn''t really be at two ces at once, she asked Jaxon if he could sent someone to investigate there. Argent just didn''t expect that he would go there himself.


    "Thank you, Uncle Jax. For doing all these."


    "There''s no need for thanks. Thea is one of my closest friend. I would do everything in my power to find her."


    "Still, thank you."


    "Then you better make sure to take care of yourself."


    "Yes, yes," Argent just said helplessly.


    "I''ll contact you again when I have news."


    They both ended the call. Argent just turned off her light brain when Aurum entered her cabin.


    "Brother, let''s go eat lunch," she said.


    Argent stood up and walked towards her sister. Together with ck, they went towards the ship''s dining hall. The dining hall has a lot of tables avable to all the ship''s crew and the prince''s guards. The foods were arranged in a buffet table. The table was insted by a magical tool that kept the food warm. The set of foods changed during breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The buffet table was always filled with different food but despite that, its quality never decrease. Showing the skill of the ship''s chefs cooking it.


    When they arrived at the dining hall, there were only a few people there. They all looked in their direction but soon resumed eating. During their first few days on board, the people here kept gawking at them. Argent guessed that, aside from her and her sister''s identity, they were also not used to foreigners. But now, they don''t stare that much anymore. They probably already gotten used to their presence.


    The three of them lined up holding a tray and chose the food they wanted to eat. Then they sat on an empty table. The only thing that Argent probably enjoyed in this trip was the food. It has been so long since shest ate this kind of food. She never really thought that she missed it until her first dinner here. She started to eat.


    Then she heard her sisterined. "Brother, how can you be so good at using these chopsticks? I could barely pick anything with these. I''ll probably lose weight by the end of this trip."


    "I told you you could ask for some spoon and fork," she said.


    Aurum sighed. "I might as well take this opportunity to practice using these. So by the time we arrived at Xing, I won''t make a fool of myself in the dinner table."


    They were halfway in finishing their meal, when Aurum noticed that the general was walking towards their table. Then the prince suddenly appeared and intercepted him. After that, he pulled the general towards another table. Aurum couldn''t help but frown. Because that was not the first time the prince did that.


    "Brother, I think that prince Li Jun is gay," she whispered to Argent.


    Argent almost choked on the rice she was eating when she heard what her sister said. "What makes you say that?"


    "You see, everytime that serious looking general tried to talk to you, he would always appear and take the general away. The prince was obviously preventing him from getting close to you. That prince is probably jealous of your beauty and is afraid that you would take the general away from him," Aurum said quite resolutely. "But then, why doesn''t he prevent the general from talking to me? I''m pretty sure I''m a very good subject for jealousy. Could it be that... they''re both gay?"


    At that point, Argent couldn''t help butughed. Because out of all the possible reasons, Aurum thought of that. Herughing expression made the people in the dining hall stop what they''re doing and just stared at her. Because at that moment, they truly understood how beautiful this foreign duke was.


    Aurum was of course happy seeing her brotherughed.


    "Silly girl. Don''t let the prince hear what you said," Argent onlymented.


    And for the first time since they found out about their mother''s abduction, Argent felt her mood lightened.

 Chapter 82: thunderstorm

    Chapter 82: thunderstorm


    A LOUD thunder was followed by a huge lightning that shed across the already dark sky. The heavy rain poured down like a torrent, one could even hear the loud rustling of the wind. The angry waves smacked againts both sides of the huge ship. It was, no doubt, a big thunderstorm.


    Argent was inside her cabin looking through the project n that Finn sent to her just now. But she couldn''t focus because of the booming thunder. Everytime it sounded, her body couldn''t help but tensed up. As if it was telling her that the thunder was a sign of something bad happening. Argent took a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves. Then she continued reading the n. The longer she read, the calmer she became. Once she''s done, she couldn''t help but smile.


    That Finn. He really had some great ideas in that head of his.


    She closed the n sent to her light brain. Then she contacted Finn. Her call immediately connected.


    Finn stared at her, looking at her face intently. "Your face look pale, are you okay?"


    "I''m fine. It''s this stupid weather, it''s getting on my nerves."


    "Uncle Jax told me about what happened to Aunt Thea. It''s the reason you''re going to Xing, right? If you have told me, I would have thought of a n much sooner. Or am I that unreliable?"


    "Stupid. If I think you''re unreliable, then I wouldn''t have asked you to make a n for a big project. Telling you would just cause unnecessary worry. You didn''t tell Felicia about this as well, right?" Finn shook his head. "Because you know she would just needlessly worry. It''s the same principle."


    Finn just sighed and no longer argued with Argent. Because with this guy''s character, Finn knew the argument would just go nowhere. "Have you read the n I sent you?"


    "Yes. It''s perfect. Good job, Finn."


    The n involved the best-selling novel in [Quill&Ink] - The Revenge of the Reborn Fifth Miss. It''s a story filled with drama, revenge, stupid viins, and countless men falling in love with the female lead. It''s filled with cliched tropes and yet the audience still loved it. The setting of the story was a made up country called Qin. But anyone who read it could tell that the author used Xing as the model for that made up country. It was probably because the author grew up in Xing but then moved to Amexem during her teenage years. That''s why even though the setting was in a country modeled from Xing, the author used themon tongue to write it. Which gave the author a muchrger audience.


    So in Finn''s n, Silver Corporation would invest in making a live-action adaptation of the said story. An idea like that would be a first in this world. Sure, some ssic literature works in this world had been adapted as theater ys and operas. But an adaptation that could be watched by everyone in the world was a first. Because Finn nned to make a recording of that adaptation where actors and actresses would y the characters in the novel. And of course, Xing would be the setting.


    Once the recording was done, the people would be able to watch it on the Silver Corporation''s [VideoFlix] channel. But since the novel was too long, it would be divided into a few parts. The people who wanted to watch it would have to pay a certain amount of cyber coins.


    If it was done right, then it would definitely be a huge source of money. The problem was the equipment that would be used for recording. But that could be easily solved by her. Argent could just tell White to program the robots that mechanically manufactured the sPhones to make a camera based on one of her blueprints stored in theb.


    Then the reason why Argent woulde to Xing herself was to search for locations for the adaptation. It would be the perfect cover for her to go around Xing without anyone suspecting that she was up to something. As for why the founder of the Silver Corporation would search for the location herself, let''s just say that they''re being careful with their investment.


    "Is it feasible though?" Finn asked.


    "Yeah. A special camera will be made in myb. Once it''s done, I''ll ask Felicia to take it to you along with a manual on how to use it. Then you just have to train people on how to use the camera."


    "Okay. Then what should we call it? I''m not really good with names. So..."


    "Let''s call it a series and then each part would be called an episode."


    Finn nodded. "I think that''s perfect."


    They talked a bit more before ending the call.


    Argent leaned back on the chair she was sitting on and let out a tired sigh. She could still hear the rumbling thunder and rain outside. Just when would this thunderstorm end?


    ----------


    Argent walked towards the ship''s deck. It was already the middle of the night. The storm already passed but there was still light rain falling from the sky. When she arrived at the deck, she noticed that there wasn''t even a hint that the ship just went through a huge thunderstorm. It''s probably because during that storm, a huge barrier surrounded the whole ship. She heard it was the Gift of one of the prince''s guard.


    She raised her hand and felt the raindrops on her palm. [Cold...]


    Then she felt a warm cloak suddenly wrapping around her shoulders. Argent looked up and saw the serious face of the young general. She didn''t even feel his approach.


    "You should go inside or you might get a cold," Zhang Lei Feng said in that baritoned voice.


    She was about to talk when she noticed something. The rain was still falling and yet none of it was dropping on her body. She looked back at the general. "Are you doing this?" she asked, referring to how the rain seemed to avoid her. The general nodded. "I thought your Gift is lightning?"


    "I can also control the wind."


    Argent was kind of surprised when she heard that answer. She was just not sure if she was more surprised by the answer itself or that the general didn''t even hesitate to answer her. "A double Gift user. That''s rare." Almost as rare as her special constitution. Or rather than rare, it''s better to say that it''s unheard of. "Are you sure it''s alright to tell me that? I might used that against you, you know."


    "I won''t give you a chance to do that."


    She smirked. "Why? Because you''ll silence me before I do?"


    "No. Because I won''t ever let the two of us be enemies."


    Argent was startled by that answer, especially once she saw the determination in those obsidian ck eyes. She remembered that the general has a tell when he lied, but he wasn''t showing that now. Meaning that he really meant what he just said. Somehow, she didn''t know how to react to that. So she just chose to be a smartass about it.


    "Then you better hope that that time would nevere."


    "It won''t," he said with equal decisiveness.


    She just shook her head and gave the cloak to the general. "Well then, I think I''ll take your advice and go inside. Good night, general."


    Argent was about to walk inside when the general spoke and stopped her.


    "Lei Feng. Please, call me Lei Feng."


    She turned around. Even with the spar lighting on the ship''s deck, Argent still noticed the reddening of the general''s ear tips. Was that weird disease of his acting up again? Argent just shrugged and chose topromise. It''s not really a big deal to call someone by their names.


    "Good night then, Lei Feng."


    "Good night, Argent," he said with a small smile on his lips.


    Argent wasn''t sure if it was just her imagination but she literally felt that the guy was suddenly emitting happy bubbles. Even though the expression on his face didn''t really change. She just ignored it and continued to walk back inside the ship.

 Chapter 83: welcome to xing

    Chapter 83: wee to xing


    "MASTER! Master! Look! ck can see thend! Are we close to Xing already?" ck excitedly said, jumping around Argent.


    "Pipe down, will you? We can see as well as you do, you know?" Aurum said, stopping ck from jumping around.


    "Wrong! ck can see much far, far away than you Aurum."


    "Yes, yes, you''re great," Aurum said sarcastically.


    Argent stared at thend that kept getting closer and closer. After more than a month of sailing, they finally arrived at Xing. She could finally start the search for her mother. Argent just hoped that it wasn''t toote or she didn''t really know what she would do.


    She felt her hand being gripped. Argent looked down and saw her sister staring up at her.


    "It''s alright, Brother. Mother is surely still alive. We''re definitely going to find her," Aurum said with conviction, as if reading what she was thinking.


    For the first time, in a long while, Argent suddenly felt useless. She should be the one reassuring her sister, and here she was, the one being reassured. She should clear her head. Starting the search with a doubtful mind would only affect the result. She wouldn''t be able to analyze things properly with negative thoughts filling her mind. If she second-guessed the current safety of their mother, then Argent might not really find her.


    Argent took a deep breath and smiled down at her sister. "Yes. We''re going to find her."


    Not far from them, Li Jun''s gaze inadvertentlynded on the twins. He was again taken aback when he saw the small smile on the young duke''s face. He once again remembered that day in the dining hall when the duke suddenlyughed. Li Jun finally understood why Lei Feng was so smitten with Argent ckbourne. Because at that moment, he also found the duke quite mesmerizing. That smile should be illegal. Good thing the duke usually had an ''I don''t care'' face and didn''t smile that often.


    He nced at the general. Lei Feng was also looking at the vast sea, but then after just a few seconds, he removed his gaze from the sea and looked at the duke''s direction. Compared to looking at the sea, he stared at the duke much longer. The he regained his gaze and looked at the sea once again. But it didn''t evenst two seconds before he once again stared at the duke.


    Li Jun shook his head. This friend of his was already hopeless. He wondered if it''s really a good idea to bring the duke to Xing. But then he remembered the project n that the duke showed him. It was quite ingenius. It was the first time he heard of something like that. He didn''t even think that it was possible. But then, the duke assured him that Silver Corporation had all the equipment to make it possible. Li Jun, of course, didn''t doubt him. With Silver Corporation handling everything, Li Jun had no doubt that it would be a sess. Which meant a lot of money. And 40 percent of that money would go to him.


    So in the face of that much gold, the only thing he could do was to prevent Lei Feng and the duke from interacting too much with each other. That way, Lei Feng wouldn''t be reminded of his heartbreak. But then thesest few days, the general seemed to be in a very good mood. Especially after that thunderstorm. Even with a serious expression on his face, it was easy to see how happy he was. Li Jun wondered if something happened between the two that he wasn''t aware of? And could that something possibly renewed Lei Feng''s hope?


    Li Jun sighed. Why the heck was he so worried about someone else''s love life? It''s like he didn''t have a life at all. He''s starting to feel rather silly. But who made him such a great friend?


    After thirty more minutes, the ship finally docked on the capital''s port. There were guards on the port wearing armors with dragon symbol on their chesttes. On the forefront of those guards was a rather outstanding figure. It was a tall man wearing a white brocade robe. His long ck hair was tied on top of his head by a jade crown. His pair ck eyes were shaped like crescents that made him looked like he was always smiling. Making people think that he was easy to get along with.


    It was the first prince of Xing - Li Shen.


    Li Jun and the others went down the ship. As soon as he saw his first brother, Li Jun became excited and immediately ran towards him. "First Brother!"


    "Wee home, Ah-Jun," Li Shen said patting his younger brother''s head.


    "I''m home," Li Jun announced, smiling from ear to ear. Xing''s air was definitely still the best.


    Li Shen turned to the general who was just walking behind the fourth prince. "Thank you, General, for protecting Ah-Jun." The general only nodded as affirmation. Then he turned next to the two beautiful teenagers. One was a tall youth with silver hair and purple eyes and the other was a graceful girl with long golden hair and a pair of amber eyes. Truly, there probably wouldn''t be any twins in the world more outstanding than these two. "Wee to Xing, Lord Hanover and Lady Aurum," he said in perfectmon tongue.


    Argent made a slight bow while Aurum made an elegant one, almost as perfect as a princess of Xing would.


    "We''re happy to be here, Your Highness," Aurum said using the Xingnguage, her intonation was perfect. You could only hear her foreign ent if one would listen closely.


    Several people there were surprised when they heard her talk in the Xingnguage. Because they never heard her talk in anything but themon tongue during their travel.


    "My, I didn''t expect Lady Aurum to speak ournguage so well," the first prince said, reverting back to the Xingnguage.


    Aurum smiled. "I learned a lot of foreignnguages during my primary school years." Foreign Languages was her chosen elective during herst three years in Starlight Academy. She continued to study it because of her being the official face and spokesperson of sPhones. She had to do a lot of promotions in differentnguages after all. "But my brother speak the Xingnguage much better than me. Isn''t that right, Brother?"


    Argent just shrugged. "Your Highness, I don''t mean to be rude, but could you already take us to the ce where we would be staying? We''re starting to gather attention, as you can see."


    Argent was right. Some passersby were already taking out their sPhones and recording everything that''s happening here.


    Li Shen raised his brow when he heard the young duke speaking the Xingnguage. It was just as Lady Aurum said. He spoke like a true native of Xing. Was he really just that talented? Or was there another reason behind it? "My apologies, Lord Hanover. But a problem has ured regarding the ce I''ve chosen for you."


    "What problem?" Li Jun immediately asked.


    He had told his brother about the dukeing here to Xing with him since that day the duke offered that business deal with him. So he knew his brother had already prepared the ckbourne''s recidence as early as a month ago. So what was this problem then? His brother gave him a look, silently telling him that he would tell the answer when they''re alone. Meaning it''s not appropriate to say it here in public.


    "If that''s the case, then they can stay at the Zhang family''s house," the general suddenly interjected. "We have a lot of unupied courtyards. I''m sure my mother wouldn''t mind if the duke and his family would stay there with us."


    [What''s this? Is Lei Feng actually making a move right now?], Li Jun thought. As much as he wanted to support his friend in this love of his, Li Jun knew it could only end up hurting him. So as a good friend, he had to put a stop to it. But before he could even offer an alternative, the duke already spoke.


    "I think it''s a great idea," Argent said.


    She was not sure what problem this first prince was talking about. Argent just knew it was good for them. Because as much as possible she didn''t really want to deal with Xing''s imperial family. The less interaction she had with them, the better. It''s already enough to deal with the fourth prince regarding the business.


    Argent had no doubt that the imperial family here probably had the same number of problems as the royal family of Albion. They''re probably even worse considering that the Emperor had his own harem. Just thinking of those harem intrigues were already enough to give her a headache. Not to mention, the different princes who were fighting for the throne. Argent didn''t want to be a part of any of those dramas.


    She didn''te here to be tangled in those after all. She came here to search and rescue her mother.


    "If Lord Hanover and the General both agree, then that''s good," the first prince said. "And by the way, our Imperial Father invites you, Lord Hanover, and your sister, Lady Aurum, to the pce tomorrow. I''m sure the General wouldn''t mind escorting you there."


    Argent only nodded. "We''ll be there, Your Highness."


    They all said their goodbyes. Argent''s party rode on one of the carriages parked there. While the two princes rode on the other one.


    Inside the carriage, Li Jun asked his brother again about the problem regarding the ckbourne''s residence.


    "It''s Li Ran," his brother simply said but Li Jun immediately understood.


    "I knew it has something to do with that shitty brother of us."


    "Now, now, it''s not right to refer to the crown prince as that," Li Shen said, but there wasn''t really any reprimand in his voice.


    "So, what did he do?"


    "He made a fuss, saying that the residence was already his and I have no right to use it. With the help of the Empress, as usual, he ended up having his way," Li Shen answered. "He probably heard of the business deal you have with the founder of Silver Corporation. He''s probably hoping that you would offend Argent ckbourne by doing this. And thus, making a crack to your rtionship."


    Li Jun snorted. "How childish. Too bad for him, his n won''t go anywhere."


    "Are you sure? For all we know, that ckbourne is already offended."


    "You don''t have to worry, Brother. Because the duke couldn''t be bothered about things like that."


    "Is that so? Hmm... but it''s really quite a surprise that you managed to make a deal with the famous founder of the Silver Corporation," Li Shen said, changing the subject.


    "Honestly, I''m quite surprised too. I haven''t mentioned this during our calls, but he''s actually the one who reached out to me for this business deal."


    Li Shen gazed down, his expression unreadable. "I see."


    "What do you think of him, Brother? Argent ckbourne, I mean."


    Li Shen slightly raised the corner of his lips and looked outside the window of the carriage. "He''s exactly what I expected."

 Chapter 84: the zhang household

    Chapter 84: the zhang household


    "BROTHER, is it really alright for us to stay at that general''s house?" Aurum asked, they were inside a carriage travelling towards the said house. "I''m not reallyfortable living with strangers."


    "You don''t have to worry about that. Houses in Xing, especially those that belong to the upper echelon of society,posed of a number of buildings called courtyards. Instead of rooms, they have those. Being a general, I''m pretty sure his family is pretty well off. They will definitely give us separate courtyards. Which is enough to give us privacy. We don''t even have to interact that much with the people there. Since, traditionally, wealthy families in Xing only ever eat together during dinner. Sometimes they even don''t and just order servants to bring food to their courtyards. That''s especially the case when the family is quite big," Argent exined in length.


    "I see." As expected of her brother, Aurum thought. Her brother probably investigated a lot of things about Xing beforeing here. Unlike her who only focused on the etiquette. "Ah, right, Xing practiced polygamy. So it''s understandable to have a big family. Then would we encounter some concubine born daughters there? I heard they''re terrible."


    Argent looked interestingly at her sister. "And where did you hear that?"


    "I read that number one best-seller on [Quill&Ink] since you told me that it would be ourpany''s big project. All the concubine born daughters there are horrible. There''s this one sister of the female lead who tried to sell her off to a brothel. Then there''s another one who hired bandits to rape the female lead and destroy her face. Horrible, right?" Aurum said with a matching shudder.


    Argent chuckled. Sometimes, her sister could really be so silly. "Don''t use that story as a basis. And besides, if there really is a horrible concubine born daughter at the General''s household, I''m pretty sure she would be no match against you."


    "Yes, you''re right, Brother. No bitchy concubine born daughter could bully me," Aurum said, raising her chin in a proud way. "By the way, Brother, ording to Xing''s etiquette, the two of us couldn''t be in the same courtyard, right? Since Xing is kind of stiff in regards to men-women rtionship. Even though we''re siblings, since, technically, in their eyes your a guy, it would be bad if we share the same courtyard, right?"


    "I guess so."


    "Then Master, ck could stay with you since they would think we''re both boys," ck said happily, sticking close to Argent while looking at Aurum with a gloating expression on his face.


    "This kid, are you actually showing off right now?" Aurum asked, narrowing her eyes at ck.


    "Not really. ck is just happy that he could stay with Master and Aurum couldn''t."


    "See? You''re really showing off!"


    "Now, now, stop bickering you two. We wouldn''t stay in that ce anyway. As soon as I have permission to go around the country in the guise of searching for locations, we would leave the capital immediately," Argent said.


    "Eehh... Then ck couldn''t show off to Aurum some more," ck said, pouting.


    Aurum flicked ck''s forehead. "Stop acting so disappointed about it."


    After 30 more minutes of travel, the carriage stopped. The coachman immediately opened the door and the three inside went out. They immediately attracted the attention of some servants waiting outside the huge gate. The general went down the horse he was riding. The servants immediately greeted him. Then one of them took the reins of his horse.


    "Mother?" Lei Feng simply asked.


    "Madame is waiting for you inside, young master," the servant answered.


    Lei Feng walked towards the twins and ck. "Let''s go."


    The servants opened the gate and the four walked inside.


    Inside the main hall of the Zhang household, Madame Lin was drinking tea. Earlier, she received a call from her son saying that he was already back and that he brought the fourth prince''s guests with him. He told her that there seemed to be a problem with those guests supposed residence so he volunteered to let them stay in their house.


    So Madame Lin immediately told the servants to prepare two courtyards for theiring guests. Her son said there were three but the other one was a child and most likely would stay with one of the two other guests. Madame Lin had no problems weing them to her home. It''s rare for that son of hers to actually invite other people to stay here. He must have approved of them in some way if he didn''t even hesitate to invite them here. So Madame Lin couldn''t wait to meet them.


    Then a servant entered and told her that her son already arrived with the guests. She immediately stood up and went out of the main hall to wee them. When she walked outside, she saw a group of servant girls huddling together. She couldn''t help but hear what they were talking about. Because they all sounded so excited.


    "Are you sure it''s them?"


    "Yes! I just saw them enter the main gate with young master!"


    "Is it really the ckbourne twins?"


    "What you should say is that they''re here with the young master!"


    "I heard that Madame ordered some servants to clean two courtyards. Could that mean that they''ll stay here?"


    The older servant with Madame Lin cleared her throat and the group of servant girls immediately stopped talking. "Stop loitering around. Don''t you all have work to do?"


    "Yes! We apologize, Madame!" almost all simultaneously said and then they immediately scattered.


    "Don''t be too harsh on them, Zi Yu," Madame Lin said, this servant had been with her ever since she married into the Zhang family so she''s quitefortable with herpany.


    "You''re too kind, Madame. They would getzy if you don''t scold them from time to time."


    Madame Lin only smiled. "By the way, do you know what those girls were talking about?"


    "I think they''re talking about the one who created those sPhones as well as his sister."


    Of course, Madame Line knew about sPhones. She had one herself. But she only used it for the call function. She thought it was more convenient than using a defaro crystal. But aside from that, she didn''t really used the other Apps so she''s not familiar with the things being posted on [Jiffy]. Madame Lin was about to ask why those servant girls knew what the inventor of sPhones looked like when she saw her son walking towards the main courtyard. And just behind him was a pair of teenage girl and boy with a child of about ten walking beside them.


    Madame Lin couldn''t help but be amazed when she saw the pair of teenagers. Not because she was not used to seeing foreigners but because of just how amazing their appearance were. The boy has silver hair and a pair of purple eyes while the girl has long golden hair and a pair of amber eyes. Both have delicate white skin and pinkish lips. They''re like a pair of dolls.


    "Mother," Lei Feng greeted his mother.


    "Wee back, Ah-Feng," Madame Lin greeted her son warmly before turning to the three foreigners. "These must be the guest you were talking about."


    Argent observed the woman in front. She was wearing a coat with hibiscus embroidery and a matching purple dress inside. Her long ck hair was tied behind her back in a simple style. The only thing decorating it was a silver hairb. She was very petite. Having her son stood in front of her only made it more apparent. She had this quiet beauty, the kind that one wouldn''t notice at first but once one do, it would be hard to look away.


    "Mother, these are Argent ckbourne, his sister, Aurum ckbourne, and--" Lei Feng stopped when he was about to introduce ck. Because he didn''t really know how to introduce him.


    "He''s my apprentice, ck," Argent said finishing Lei Feng''s introduction. "It''s our pleasure to meet you, Madame," she added, bowing to the woman in front.


    "Thank you so much for letting us stay here," Aurum followed, making a perfect bow.


    Madame Lin was immediately delighted. Because the two just spoke using the Xingnguage. And so perfectly too! Add that to their perfect manners and she really couldn''t help but feel happy while watching them. "Oh my, wee you two. Please treat this as your own home while you''re here in Xing."


    ----------


    General Zhang Qian Yu''sugh reverberated over the dinner table. He was a robust man. The ck robe he was wearing couldn''t hide his big and muscr build. His long ck hair was tied in simple knot behind his head. There wereugh lines at the corner of his eyes, showing that the older general really loved tough.


    "But still, I couldn''t believe that a kid like you made that esufon. All the younger soldiers under me seemed to have one of those."


    "Dear, it''s called sPhone," Madame Lin corrected her husband.


    "Isn''t that what I said, esufon?"


    Aurum chuckled. This older general was really funny.


    "Ah, are youughing at me, littledy?" the general asked.


    Aurum showed an embarrassed expression.


    Madame Lin immediately came to her rescue. "Dear, you''re embarrassing Aurum," she scolded before turning to Aurum. "Come Aurum. Let''s leave the men here and take a walk."


    Aurum has no choice but to agree because not doing so would be rude to the Madame. The two of them stood up and went out of the main hall.


    "Your mother seemed to take a liking to that littledy. If you don''t watch her, she might just convinced the girl to be your wife," Zhang Qian Yu teased his son. Then he turned to the silver haired teenager. "How about it, kid, want to marry off your sister to our Zhang family?"


    "Father," Lei Feng said in a disapproving tone.


    Argent looked at the older general. "If my sister fancies your son, then sure, why not. But as I can see it, something like that is highly improbable."


    "Oh, are you telling me my son is not good enough for the littledy?"


    "No, he''s just simply not her type."


    The older generalughed again. "I like you, kid." He poured wine on a cup and put it in front of Argent. "Here, have a drink."


    "Father, Argent is only 14. You shouldn''t be offering him wine," Lei Feng said while taking the cup away.


    "Xiao Feng, you''re always no fun. That''s probably the reason you''re not the littledy''s type," the older general said, shaking his head.


    "Yes, I''m not. And please, don''t call me Xiao Feng."


    Instead of replying back, the older general turned back to Argent. "You practiced swordsmanship, right?" he asked, changing the subject. Since earlier, he already noticed the lean muscles on the youth''s arms and also the calluses on his palms. Those muscles could only be formed if one was training intensively. And those calluses on his palms were prettymon to those who practiced the sword.


    "Yes, General."


    "Are you any good?"


    Argent smirked, making her look proud and yful at the same time. "I''m more than good."


    "Oh-ho, then you should go to the army barracks tomorrow after your visit to the pce. My men could definitely use a good sparring partner. Xiao Feng would take you."


    The older general didn''t wait for any of their answers and just stood up and walked out of the main hall.


    Lei Feng sighed. "You can just ignore his invitation."


    "It''s fine. I think it would be fun," Argent said. She wouldn''t have anything to do after her pce visit tomorrow anyway.It''s a good way to clear her mind.Especially since there''s still no relevant news from Jaxon and his men."Your father doesn''t have any concubine?" she thought of asking.


    She''s been wondering about that ever since dinner started. Since, aside from her and Aurum, the only people on the dinner table were Lei Feng and his parents.


    "No. His and mother''s marriage was a love match. Even though myte paternal grandmother wanted Father to take more concubines so he could have more children, my Father vehemently refused. Swearing that Mother would be the only woman in his life."


    "And thus, you be the only child of the family. It''s a miracle you didn''t grow up a spoiled brat."


    Lei Feng stared at Argent, a small smile on his lips. "Yes. It is indeed a miracle."


    Because if that explosion didn''t send him to this body, then the original ''Lei Feng'' would surely be nothing but a spoiled brat. He''s already that way even before Lei Feng took over the body. So yes, being able to exist in this world was indeed a miracle.


    Argent was slightly confused. Because she just had a feeling that the ''miracle'' she was talking about waspletely different from his ''miracle''.

 Chapter 85: one calm morning with the twins (and black)

    Chapter 85: one calm morning with the twins (and ck)


    ARGENT woke up because of the cluttering noise outside. She reluctantly sat up from the bed and stood up. She walked towards the screen door of the bedroom and opened it. Just outside, in the outer room, three servant girls were there. One was holding a wash basin and the other two were arranging different dishes on the small table. So these three were the source of all the noise.


    The three servant girls automatically stopped their action when they saw Argent ckbourne leaning on the side of the screen door. The tall youth''s silver hair was disheveled, giving him a somewhatzy atmosphere. His purple eyes were a bit watery due to him just waking up. The inner shirt he was wearing was loose, showing his delicate cor bones.


    It was such a feast for the eyes that the three servant girls couldn''t even speak, let alone, move. If they could, they really wanted to take a picture of the beautiful founder of Silver Corporation right now.


    "If you''re done, then please get out. And next time, do try to be quiet while doing your job," Argent said.


    Even though the three were scolded, they didn''t feel sad at all. The three even blushed. Because the Argent ckbourne just talked to them! They couldn''t really wait to post this on their [Jiffy] ount. They all bowed and excitedly walked outside the courtyard.


    Argent sighed and just walked to the wash basin to wash her face. After that, she sat in front of the small table to eat breakfast.


    At that time, ck entered the outer room. He was eating some sticky rice cake. "Master, ck saw those girls typing on their sPhones just now. They''re probably posting something about you. Is that okay?"


    "Don''t mind that." Argent already told White even before they sailed to Xing to filter any post about her or Aurum being here. If those people who abducted their mother actually knew her identity as the mother of the famous cknourne twins, then it wouldn''t be good if they knew that she and her sister were here in Xing. It might alert them in some way and even endanger her mother. "That aside, didn''t I tell youst night not to let anyone enter here while I''m still sleeping? So how did those girls manage to enter here?"


    "But they offered ck a lot of delicious cakes. ck just couldn''t say no."


    "I see. So you let yourself be bribed." She looked at ck. "Then you better ask those girls to continuously give you food while we''re here because I''ll certainly not give you one."


    ck immediately ran to her side. "ck is sorry, Master. Please, don''t be mad. ck won''t definitely do it again," he said, showing her his big puppy eyes.


    Argent ignored him and just continued eating. Then ck started to bawl like a baby, even though he didn''t really have any tears to produce. Argent sighed. She really sometimes wondered if she''d done something wrong when she was programming ck that''s why he turned out this way. "Okay, stop. Just make sure that next time I gave you an order, you won''t get sidetracked by food."


    "Yes," he said while wiping his non-existent tears.


    After eating breakfast, Argent cleaned herself up and went to Aurum''s courtyard together with ck.


    "You look exhausted," Argentmented once they entered the courtyard and she saw her sister.


    Aurum let out a tired sigh. "It''s the servant girls. Last night they wanted to bathe me, this morning they even wanted to help me dress up. It took all my acting skills just to politely decline them all and make them leave."


    Truth to be told, Aurum really wanted to shout at those girls and tell them to leave her alone. But because she had an image to maintain, she couldn''t exactly do that. She might be born in an aristocratic family and had a lot of money in her hands, but she''s not used to people waiting on her hand and foot. Even when Felicia was still their maid, her job didn''t include dressing her and her brother. If she didn''t allow anyone to dress her up when she was young, then she certainly wouldn''t allow anyone to do that now that she''s already a teenager.


    "It''s part of their culture. Every girls in wealthy households here in Xing has maids to help them with everything," Argent said. "If it''s tiring you, I could tell Madame Lin to not let the servant girls here bother you too much."


    "It''s fine, Brother. I can tell the Madame myself," Aurum said, it might appear rude if she let her brother do that. She didn''t want Madame Lin to have a bad impression of her brother. Especially since Aurum really liked Madame Lin. "By the way, Brother, are we going now to the pce?"


    "About that, I think it''s better if I just go there without you. Just stay here with ck."


    "But why?" Aurum asked, a bit confused. "Wouldn''t we offend the Emperor if we do that? Since, you know, he''s the one who invited both of us?"


    "I''ll just tell him that you don''t feel well. It''s not like he had any reason to doubt me. But just to be sure, stay in your courtyard for the day and act like you''re sick."


    "Okay. I don''t mind doing that. But, Brother, may I ask why?" She still couldn''t understand why she couldn''t go with her brother to the pce.


    "It''s because you''re too pretty." Aurum only showed a more confused look because of Argent''s answer. "If one of the princes or even some court officials identaly saw you and took a liking to you, they might want you as a concubine. Or worse they could just n to kidnap you and make you their pet. Then there are those princesses and imperial concubines. One look at you and they would definitely be envious. If some of those women happened to be brainless, they might try to scheme against you. Of course, I wouldn''t allow any of those to happen. But right now, we shouldn''t be tangled in any of those dramas. Because if we do, then our search for our mother would only prolong. You understand, right?"


    "Yes." Of course, Aurum understood. She just didn''t know whether tough or cry with her brother''s reasoning about her being too pretty. "But Brother, if we''re talking about prettiness, then your beauty definitely won''t lose to mine."


    "It''s alright for me since, technically, in the eyes of other people, I''m a guy."


    Aurum raised one of her brows. "That''s double standard, you know?"


    Argent only shrugged. "Well, that''s why I love dressing up as a guy."


    "Then what if one of those princesses took a liking to you and wanted you to be their husband? What would you do then?"


    "Xing is still a very conservative country. A respectable woman here, especially a princess, wouldn''t just throw themselves at a man they like. They might scheme to get what they want. But I wouldn''t allow things to get to that point. Besides, didn''t I tell you? Once I got the permission today to search for locations for ourpany''s so-called ''project'', we''ll immediately leave the capital."


    Aurum stretched her arms. "Then I''ll obediently stay here for today." Aurum looked down at ck who''s nibbling some kind of pastry. "Hey, kid, you better entertain me today."


    ck looked up at Aurum. "Why should ck be Aurum''s entertainment?"


    "Because I said so," Aurum said, grinning while pitching ck''s cheek.


    Argent stood up. "Well then, I think it''s time for me to go."


    She said goodbye to the two and walked out of the courtyard. Once outside, she immediately saw Lei Feng walking towards her direction. He was still wearing a ck robe, but unlike the simple ones he usually wore, the one he had on now had an embroidered pattern on it. Even his long hair that he usually left untied was properly tied on top of his head. Looked like he still had the sense not to apear sloppy in front of the Emperor.


    Though Argent was not wearing an extravagant robe, she''s still wearing a very proper suit. She''s not reallyfortable wearing Xing''s traditional clothes. She still preferred her own. Besides, a silver haired foreigner wearing a traditional Xing robe, she would just stick out like a sore thumb.


    "Are you ready to go?" Lei Feng asked when he finally arrived near the courtyard.


    "Yes," Argent simply answered.


    And they set off towards the Imperial Pce.

 Chapter 86: a talk with the emperor

    Chapter 86: a talk with the emperor


    ARGENT looked outside the carriage window. The streets were filled with food vendors and different kinds of shops. It''s only the middle of the morning and yet there were already a lot of people walking about. This busy street was only a part of the big capital of Xing - Kou. Just to show how big it was, they''ve been travelling for over 20 minutes already and they still haven''t arrived at the pce yet.


    "In Xing, there''s a court assembly every morning, right? Would it be done by the time we got there?" Argent didn''t really want toe in contact with any court officials.


    "It should be over by now."


    "You don''t attend court assembly even though you''re a general?" Argent thought of asking.


    He''s been away for almost three months because he apanied the fourth prince to Albion as his bodyguard and yet on the first morning he''s back, he didn''t even attend a morning court assembly. That got Argent a bit curious.


    "I became a general three years ago and was stationed at the Northern border. I never took part in the morning court assembly." And Lei Feng probably never would. He''s not interested in politics after all. And since he''s not a court official, he''s not really required to attend one. Not unless the Emperor summoned him, of course.


    "Heh... you became a general at quite a young age," Argentmented. With his double Gift, achieving that at such a young age wasn''t really impossible. "Why did you choose to be in the military anyway? You could have had a veryfortable life with you being the sole heir to your family."


    "Military life is all I''ve known." Lei Feng looked outside the carriage with a distant look on his face, as if remembering something. "I don''t really know any way of life besides that."


    Was it because his father was a general? But somehow, Argent felt that Lei Feng was talking about apletely different thing. Well, what did she care anyway?


    "Do you have any advice for me, before we go and meet the Emperor?" she asked, changing the subject.


    "The Emperor looks like an amiable man. Someone who''s fairly good-tempered. But don''t let that fool you. He could be really cruel if he wanted to. I heard my father once said that his way to the throne was particrly bloody. When the former emperor was bringing the country to an economic downfall because of all his wrong decisions, his youngest son - the current emperor, poisoned him to death.


    "Then he put himself to the throne and killed anyone who opposed him - including some of his brothers. There may be people who disagreed with his methods. But once his reign started, they all shut their mouths. Because no one could argue that he indeed has the ability to be a great emperor. He lead Xing to a prosperous new era. Andst important thing, you have to be aware of his mind games."


    In short, the Emperor would not be easy to handle. Aside from that, it was also quite obvious that the Emperor was confident with the power he had over the imperial court and the people. Because if he''s not, then he wouldn''t allow a powerful man such as the older General Zhang to retain his power over the military. An insecure leader would immediately want to get rid of someone like that. But seeing that the General and his family were living quite well, there was definitely none of that issue.


    Shortly after, they arrived at the Imperial Pce. It''s not like the pce of Albion. Because the Imperial Pce of Xing was made up of different pces and buildings, each having their own roles. The Emperor has his own pce, as well as the Empress, and the other concubines. The princesses also have their own pces. Then there were also the buildings for different offices. It''s probably more urate to call it an Imperial ground than a pce.


    The head eunuch greeted them and led them to Jin Long Pce - the Emperor''s own residence. On their way there, they encountered a few maidservants. And of course, those girls couldn''t take their eyes off Argent. Even some of the guards tantly stared at her. Oddly enough, everytime someone stared at her, Lei Feng would immediately move and block their views. That continued until they reached a white building that seemed to bepletely carved out from jade - Jin Long Pce.


    The head eunuch led them inside to the Emperor''s study where two guards were standing outside. But Argent was pretty sure there were many more others hiding in the shadows.


    "Your Majesty, General Zhang and Lord ckbourne have arrived," the eunuch announced.


    "Let theme in," a very pleasant voice called inside.


    The two guards opened the door and Argent and Lei Feng entered. When the young general kneeled, Argent gritted her teeth before following along. She didn''t really want to kneel in front of anyone. But not doing so would only offend the Emperor. And she didn''t want that to happen before she could even begin her search for her mother. Because offending the Emperor could only lead to a lot of problems she didn''t have the time to deal with. So she held in her pride and kneeled.


    "You may rise," said the same pleasant voice.


    Argent immediately stood up and raised her head. She saw a man behind the imperial table. He was wearing a ck robe with a golden dragon embroidered on it. His long ck hair was tied atop his head with a golden crown. Just like what Lei Feng said, he looked very amiable. There was a certain delicateness to his features that''s quite simr to that of the fourth prince. But unlike the fourth prince who still had an undisguised innocence in his eyes, this man in front of them had eyes full of canniness.


    This was the Emperor of Xing - Li Wei.


    The Emperor first looked at the young general. "General Zhang, you have this Emperor''s gratitude for sessfuly escorting back the fourth prince."


    "This general only did his job. There''s no need for Your Majesty to thank me." Although Lei Feng said that, his tone was nothing remotely close to humble. In fact, it was so emotionless it''s like he''s just stating the weather.


    The Emperor seemed to be used to that because he didn''t even berate the general. Then he turned to Argent. "Wee to Xing, Lord ckbourne. This Emperor hopes that you''re enjoying your stay so far."


    [I''ve only been here a day. How the heck should I enjoy a ce in that short time?] But Argent still answered as politely as she could, "Yes, Your Majesty."


    "Your sister seemed to not be with you. As this Emperor remembered correctly, you and your sister were both invited by Shen-er to visit the pce today."


    "My apologies, Your Majesty. My sister is currently not feeling well. The long travel on the ocean took a toll on her body. She isn''t in a healthy state to see Your Majesty," Argent apologized, not really meaning it.


    "That''s too bad then. This Emperor would ask the head eunuch to send herbal supplements to the Zhang household so your sister could get better much faster."


    "Thank you, Your Majesty."


    After that, the Emperor nced back at the young general. "General Zhang, this Emperor has something to discuss with Lord ckbourne. Do wait outside."


    It took all of Lei Feng''s willpower just to remain expresionless and not nce at Argent. If he showed even the slightest of emotion, the Emperor would surely noticed that. He''s aware of the Emperor''s love for mind games. Lei Feng didn''t want his emotion to be used against him or Argent. So just to make sure, it''s better to act like he didn''t care. At least just in front of the Emperor.


    "Yes, Your Majesty," he said and walked out of the study.


    "This Emperor really does admire your genius, Lord ckbourne," the Emperor said once they were alone. "Creating a device that managed to capture the interest of almost everyone in the world and in such a very young age too. Not many men could aplish what you have done in their lifetime. But don''t you think monopolizing a single industry would sooner orter bring you a great deal of trouble?"


    So basically this guy was telling Argent to share how to create sPhones to the world. If this conversation continued in this direction, he would probablyter on suggest that she should share it with him. "I don''t mind the trouble. I could handle anything that would be thrown at me. Besides, even if I do tell someone how to create an sPhone, they wouldn''t understand the procedure or even just the gist of it. Not everyone could have the same brain as me, after all. That''s already quite evident, considering the number of people who tried to copy it and yet failed miserably."


    Li Wei felt a muscle on his face twitched. This brat might have thought that he disguised it quite well, but Li Wei could still hear the hidden mockery in his voice. It was true that when the boom of sPhone started here in Xing, he saw the explosive market it has. So he asked the imperial artisans and alchemists to make a copy of an sPhone. But those famed inventors couldn''t even make heads or tails on how it exactly worked.


    So in a way, Argent ckbourne was right. If he was not there to supervise anything, a copy of an sPhone wouldn''t be produced.


    Li Wei looked at the kid in front of him. One could immediately feel the indifferent atmosphere around him. But there was also the underlying confidence that showed his faith in his own ability. Something a NoGift - even if he''s a genius - would not easily have. In that regard, Li Wei does admire him.


    He did want for Xing to have their own version of sPhone. But it looked like that would not happen anytime soon as long as they didn''t understand the principle behind it. In that case, for now, it would be best to have a good rtionship with Silver Corporation. His fourth son did a good job on that front. The only problem was he did it for his brother and not for the betterment of Xing. Easily showing that that son of his still had a lot to learn.


    "Now, let''s talk about that business deal you made with Ah Jun," the Emperor said, suddenly changing the subject. "This Emperor already read the n and heard of your request. What you proposed was indeed great and could help Xing in a lot of ways. This Emperor only wants to have a few change in the contract. Instead of Ah Jun, the 40 percent that was promised would go to the royal treasury of Xing. Don''t worry, Ah Jun already agreed to this change."


    Argent would just bet that the fourth prince did not agree on his own ord. But she didn''t care about that. As long as she could search Xing freely, the money could go to anyone for all she cared. "It would also not be a problem for me, Your Majesty."


    "Good. About your request, when you go out, the head eunuch will give you a seal that would allow you to enter any town and ce in Xing. But you have to do it under supervision. Not that this Emperor doubts you, but it''s not safe for you or your sister to go around the country without anyone at least acting as your guide. You understand, right?" the Emperor said, smiling.


    "Of course, Your Majesty. If that''s the case, then could I request for the younger General Zhang to go with us?" If it''s Lei Feng, Argent had a feeling that he wouldn''t really be much of a hindrance. In fact, if she asked, he might even help them. "Having him would be much better than aplete stranger."


    "General Zhang is indeed a good choice."


    Then they proceeded in signing the new contract. When Argent thought that that would be the end of that, the Emperor suddenly started a very unexpected conversation.


    "Do you know why this Emperor wanted you to visit the pce today?"


    "Wasn''t it to sign the new contract?"


    "That was one. But the bigger reason was for this Emperor to have a clear look at your face." Argent showed a confused expression. "You see, 15 years ago, a thief tried to sneak in in one of my summer vis. Coincidentally, this Emperor was there at that time in disguised for an inspection. This Emperor tried to stop him and we exchanged blows. But he still managed to escape with the thing that he stole. During our fight, the half-mask he was wearing was destroyed and this Emperor had a glimpsed of his face.


    "As time went by, this Emperorpletely forgot about that incident. Maybe because what he stole was really not that much of import. But when this Emperor saw a picture of you, that incident returned once again to this Emperor''s mind. So this Emperor wanted to take a closer look at your face. And it was really indeed simr. Your face to that thief''s, that is," the Emperor finished, looking at her with a meaningful smile.


    Argent was shocked by what she heard. Because there could only be one person who could have a simr face to Argent''s. That missing father of hers.


    But she immediately calmed her mind. Because she remembered what Lei Feng said to her earlier about the Emperor - that he loved mind games. It''s possible that he found out about her missing father and made up this story just to mess with her. Probably to get back for the little impertinence she showed earlier.


    "Do you not believe this Emperor?" the Emperor asked after quite sometime when he didn''t receive any response from Argent. His ck eyes were filled with amusement.


    "That''s not it, Your Majesty."


    "That''s alright. If you don''t believe this Emperor, you could search for that courtesan who was with me at that time. Like this Emperor, she also saw the face of that thief." He looked at Argent. "This Emperor believes that Lord ckbourne would surely want to meet that thief. But clearly, this Emperor was wrong."


    "What makes Your Majesty think that I would want to meet a thief?"


    "Two people having simr features is quite rare. So this Emperor just thought that it would interest Lord ckbourne."


    Argent clenched her fists. Although there was a chance that the Emperor was just ying her, there was also a chance that he was telling the truth. Especially if she managed to talk to that courtesan he was talking about. If Argent could talk to her, then she would know. And if that thief really was her father, then what he stole might even be connected to her mother''s abduction.


    "Your Majesty is right. It was indeed interesting. Could I have the name of the courtesan you were talking about, so I could talk to her?"


    The Emperor smiled at her. "This Emperor no longer remembers her name. After all, it happened so long ago."


    At that moment, it took everything in Argent just not to turn her bracelet into a sword and stab this annoying Emperor.

 Chapter 87: at the barracks

    Chapter 87: at the barracks


    ARGENT yed with the jade seal on her hand. It was oval in shape and had the same size as an adult''s palm. A dragon soaring in the clouds was intricately carved on it.


    It was almost noon when they got out of the pce. The carriage she was riding was currently parked at the side of the street. They were supposed to be on their way to the army barracks right now. But Lei Feng proposed that they eat lunch at a restaurant first before they went there. Argent refused. She wasn''t really in the mood to eat after that conversation she had with the Emperor. After she refused, Lei Feng suddenly made the carriage stop. And here she was, waiting for the guy.


    She looked down once again at the seal she was holding. And once again remembered what the Emperor said about the thief he encountered 15 years ago. Argent was still not sure if he was telling the truth or just ying with her. Maybe she should have reigned her impudence a bit. She just couldn''t stop herself from talking back. If she did, then that Emperor probably wouldn''t y mind games with her. Then again, if he happened to be telling the truth, then annoying him was probably a good choice. Because now, Argent might have obtained a clue to her father''s disappearance. Something that might even connect to her mother''s abduction.


    Of course, that''s under the assumption that the Emperor was telling the truth. Then Argent just had to find someone who could be familiar with that incident. But who to ask though?


    Just then, the door of the carriage opened and Lei Feng went in with a paper bag in his hand. He handed the bag to her and that''s when she saw its content. It was full of hot meat buns. Argent looked confusedly at the young general.


    "Eat. It''s not good to skip a meal." Lei Feng knocked on the carriage''s roof and it started to move again.


    Argent looked down at the meat buns. Well, they certainly looked appetizing. And truthfully, she''s really starting to feel hungry. She picked one. But instead of eating it immediately, she handed the bun to Lei Feng. "Then you should eat one too."


    "But I bought it all for you."


    "You''re joking, right? I couldn''t possibly eat all of these." She didn''t wait for him to refuse again so when he was about to speak, she immediately put the meat bun in his mouth. "Eat. It''s not good to skip meals, right?"


    His ear tips did its usual routine and turned red. Then he looked away and started eating the bun she gave. Argent also started eating one. She was on her second bun when she once again remembered that conversation she had with the Emperor. Then she happened to nce at the young general who was still silently eating his bun like a squirrel. He was doing it with such a serious expression. The gap between his expression and his action was almost kind of... cute?


    Argent shook her head and just asked what she wanted to ask when she nced at him. "Hey, Lei Feng, where was your father stationed 15 years ago?"


    Lei Feng finally looked at her. "Father? 15 years ago... if I remember correctly, he just aplished suppressing rebels in the South and maintaining peace there."


    Maintaining peace, huh? If she remembered correctly, the Emperor said that he was out for an inspection when he encountered that thief 15 years ago. It''s possible that he went to inspect the ce in the South where a rebellion had ured. If that''s the case, then the older general might know about that incident.


    Looked like Argent had no choice but to ask the older general then.


    ----------


    The atmosphere at the army barracks was full of vigor and excitement. Because General Zhang just announced that his son would visit the barracks today. They couldn''t help their excitement because this was the first time that the younger general would visit the barracks after he''s been away for more than three years.


    Almost all the soldiers in the barracks were of the same generation as the young general. So almost all of them admired him and considered him as their idol. After all, they''re the same age and yet they''re still just a part of an infantry while Zhang Lei Feng was already a famed general. Most of them haven''t even had their first campaign and yet the young general already fought off the barbarians in the North. And won against them, no less. So what''s there not to admire, right?


    The older general even told them that they could spar with the younger general. If they could spar with him, then they would surely learn a lot.


    "Everyone, I just saw General Zhang enter the gate!" one announced as he came running in.


    The excitement of everyone was immediately ignited again when they heard that. When the young general entered the barracks everyone immediately arranged themselves in rows.


    "We''ll be in your care today, General!" almost everyone said enthusiastically.


    Argent raised one of her brows when she saw such a greeting. This was the first time that no one paid attention to her. What a novel feeling. It seemed Lei Feng was really popr with this group of young soldiers.


    "At ease," Lei Feng said, making the posture of the soldiers rxed.


    "General, is it true that you''re going to spar with us today?" one asked.


    "General, please spar with me first," another one courageously said.


    "Oh-ho, when did I say that he''s the one you''re going to spar with?" a booming voice said behind the soldiers. They nced back and saw the older general standing there. Then General Zhang walked towards his son, no, it''s more urate to say the he walked towards the back of his son. Then he pulled a tall teenager. "He''s the one you''re going to fight."


    The soldiers first gaped at the youth. He had silver hair and a pair of indifferent purple eyes. He was wearing western clothing and looked like a beautiful porcin doll. The soldiers had never seen such a beautiful boy in their lives!


    "Wait- isn''t that... Argent ckbourne?!" one eximed, even pointing at Argent.


    "No way! You mean the creator of sPhones?"


    "He''s definitely it! I''ve seen countless photos of him on [Jiffy]. And they looked exactly the same!"


    "But what is he doing here? Is he here on vacation?"


    "Then why would he be here in our barracks?"


    The older general cleared his throat, making all the soldiers there shut their mouths. "Just as I''ve said, you''re going to spar with this kid today. Aren''t you d you''re going to have the chance to exchange blows with the famous maker of esufon?"


    Then countless murmurs filled the ground.


    "But isn''t he a NoGift? Wouldn''t it be like we''re bullying him if we fight him seriously?"


    "And wouldn''t his fans be mad at us if we injured that pretty face of his?"


    "Maybe the General only wanted us to act like we''re seriously sparring with him?"


    [Hey, hey, I could hear you, you know?] Argent sighed and walked towards the weapon''s rack. She picked one of the training swords and tested its weight. She was satisfied with it so she started swinging it. Then she stretched her arms and legs for a warm-up.


    She nced at the soldiers there. "Don''t worry, I won''t hurt you guys that much. Or are you perhaps afraid that this NoGift would beat the crap out of all of you?"


    Yes, beating them would surely ease the frustration Argent was feeling due to her conversation with the Emperor.


    The older general suddenlyughed. "Did you hear that? You don''t want our guest to think that the young soldiers of Xing are nothing but scaredy-cats, don''t you?"


    "Then I''ll go first," one said, walking at the center of the barracks'' ground. "You can have the first move."


    Obviously, this soldier still didn''t believe that Argent had the ability to fight him. Argent just grinned and walked towards the center as well. "Then I''ll dly take you up on your offer."


    Argent dashed forward. It was so fast, the soldier didn''t even have the time to react. Before he knew it, his knees were already hit by the training sword and he found himself already kneeling on the ground, the sword pointed at the side of his neck.


    "I- I lost."


    "Hey, what are you doing, losing like that?"


    "Did you even try?"


    [I tried, you know? But I really didn''t see his movements just now. Let me see you defend if you were in my ce.] - the soldier who fought Argent thought.


    Argent turned to the other soldiers. "Who''s next?"


    "Let me fight next," said another soldier.


    This time, the soldier didn''t give Argent the chance and attacked first. But it was no use because she easily dodged it. Then she spun around and hit the soldier on his back. Before the soldier could even try to regain his bnce, Argent''s training sword was already pointed at his nape.


    "Next," Argent said.


    The third one tried harder than the first two. He first circled around Argent. When he thought that he found an opening, he immediately attacked. But he didn''t know that Argent purposedly showed that opening. So she easily dodged it. Then she hit the soldier''s stomach. When he doubled-over, she hit his back. Easily winning the match. That winning streak continued for another six more fights. When Argent took her tenth consecutive win, the soldiers there could no longer deny the fact that this tall youth really did have the swordfighting skill to defeat them.


    Zhang Qian Yu let out a low whistle. "This kid is definitely as good as any master swordsman out there." His movements were fluid. All his actions were very concise, showing no extra movements. He could even properly control the strength he put in his every swing and thrust. If he''s already this good at such a young age, his future as a swordsman would definitely be limitless. "I wonder who his master is. I certainly would love to fight him. Don''t you think so as well, Xiao Feng?"


    Lei Feng immediately bowed his head before his father could see the expression on his face. Because he was pretty certain his face was filled with excitement and wonder. He knew Argent was good. But he only now understood just how good she really was. Everytime she dodged and swung her sword, Lei Feng couldn''t take his eyes away from her. She was so dazzling. It was almost as if she was sparkling.


    "Yes," Lei Feng just said, answering his father.


    The group of soldiers suddenly surrounded Argent.


    "Wow. I didn''t expect the founder of Silver Corporation to be this good at fighting."


    "Where did you learn to fight like that?"


    "Maybe you could teach us a move or two?"


    Before Argent could even answer, Lei Feng already stepped in front of her, blocking the sights of all the soldiers. "Run a hundredps around the barracks."


    The soldiers groaned but they didn''t protest. After all, it''s their idol who gave the order. They started running around the barracks.


    Argent and Lei Feng walked towards the older general.


    "You''ve shown great swordsmanship back there," the older generalmented. "Can you tell me who your master is?"


    "I''m sorry, General, but I can''t tell you that. He''s a pretty private person. He wouldn''t want me telling his name to other people."


    "I see. Then you should tell him to visit Xing. I''d really love to cross swords with him."


    "I will try." But Argent doubt that her master would try to go here. After all, Xing was pretty close to Kano - the country her master was trying to avoid. Then she thought of the thing she wanted to ask the general. "Ah, General, could I ask you something?"


    "Sure. What is it?"


    "I had this talk with the Emperor and he mentioned a certain incident that happened 15 years ago. It''s about his encounter with a thief during one of his inspection. Are you, perhaps, familiar with that event?"


    Qian Yu immediately remembered something when the kid told him those details. But he just didn''t understand why the Emperor would tell the kid about that incident. He shrugged and just answered the kid''s question. "Yes, I remember that incident. He came to the South to check the state of the towns there affected by the rebellion. But because he did it in disguise, I wasn''t aware that he encountered a thief. I just found out about it when the thief already managed to sessfuly escape from the Emperor."


    So it was true. Argent couldn''t help but feel excited. "Was the Emperor with a courtesan back then?"


    "Yes, he was indeed with a woman then." Qian Yu still couldn''t forget how frustrated he was back then. Because instead of travelling with a group of guards, the Emperor went there with just one courtesan.


    "What''s the name of the woman, if you don''t mind me asking?"


    "Her name? Hmm... what was it again? If I remember correctly it was... Ying Ren? No... Mei Hua? Not that. Ah! Ying Hua! Yes, it''s Ying Hua."


    "Do you know where I can find her?"


    The older general shook his head. "I was not really interested with her. It''s already a big miracle that I still somehow remember her name."


    Before Argent could feel disappointed, Lei Feng suddenly spoke and called one of his dark guards.


    "An Er."


    A man wearing all ck suddenly appeared at Lei Feng''s side, immediately kneeling. "Master."


    Argent was slightly surprised. She knew there was at least two guards shadowing them. Since Lei Feng was not reacting, she easily assumed that they might be the young general''s guards. She just didn''t expect for them to move this fast. If she was not paying attention, she might have not saw the guard''s movement.


    "Do you have any information about this Ying Hua. She''s probably quite a well-known courtesan."


    Lei Feng asked An Er because he was the dark guard he left here in the capital while he was fighting the barbarians in the North. That way he could still get informations about the things that were happening here in the capital.


    "Yes, Master. Ying Hua is the owner of Zhi Qing Hua - currently the most famous brothel in the capital," An Er didn''t hesitate to answer.


    "You can go." An Er almost instantly disappeared. Lei Feng turned to Argent. "Is that helpful?"


    Argent grinned. "Oh, it definitely is."

 Chapter 88: zhi qing hua

    Chapter 88: zhi qing hua


    IT WAS almost night time when Argent and Lei Feng left the army barracks. After their run, the young soldiers requested to have a guiding match with Lei Feng. The stronger one would guide the other during the fight. It''s a good method to not only improve their skills but also learn what their weaknesses and strengths were. Argent just didn''t expect that Lei Feng would fight each and everyst one of those young soldiers. She doubted if she could have that much patience if she was in his ce.


    "Are you nning to go to Zhi Qing Hua?" Lei Feng asked once they''re out of the gate of the army barracks. They''re waiting there for the carriage.


    Lei Feng had no idea why Argent suddenly made those inquiries earlier but it probably had something to do with the talk she had with the Emperor. The way she asked, it seemed to be a really important matter. Although he didn''t really want Argent to go to that kind of ce, if she really had to go there for some important reason, then all he could do was to apany her and make sure that no one would act inappropriately towards her.


    "Yes," Argent answered. "You''re not going to stop me, are you?"


    Lei Feng shook his head. "But you have to let me apany you."


    Argent shrugged, she didn''t really mind. She still needed a guide to go there after all. And since Lei Feng had a dark guard that could lead the way, then going there would be easier.


    Just as they were waiting, a magnificent ck carriage suddenly stopped in front of them. The door opened and the fourth prince came down, wearing his signature red embroidered robe. He immediately walked in front of Lei Feng, totally ignoring Argent.


    "So this is where you are! Come, apany me to drink so I could drown all my sorrows," the prince said. "Of course, a certain someone who didn''t even hesitate to sign a new contract is not invited," he added, definitely pertaining to Argent.


    Argent raised her brow. This prince was probably throwing a tantrum because the deal he was so excited to make was suddenly taken by his father. And since he couldn''t exactly retaliate against the Emperor, he was taking his frustration on her. How childish. "It''s not my fault Your Highness couldn''t say ''no'' to your father. I''m just here to make sure the deal will pull through. I don''t really care who I have to sign a contract with."


    The muscles on Li Jun''s face twitched. This guy. Li Jun was still a bit mad about that. He should have known his shameless father would swoop in and stole that deal from him. The money he should get from that project was supposed to go to his brother. Now all his ns went down the drain. But as this annoying guy said, he couldn''t really exactly say ''no'' to his father.


    "You really are hateful, aren''t you?" Li Jun only said.


    "I do try sometimes."


    "Argh... that''s it! To help me heal my heartbreak and frustration, you have to treat me to unlimited food and alcohol for tonight."


    "Sure. I''ll even add women to the equation," Argent said.


    "Women?" Li Jun asked, confused.


    "Yes. Food, alcohol, and women, I think we can all get that in Zhi Qing Hua." Going there with a prince would surely make things a lot easier.


    Of course Li Jun knew about Zhi Qing Hua. If you''re a man and you''re living in the capital, there''s no way you couldn''t have known about it. It''s a very famous brothel after all. But howe this guy knew about that? And even proposed to go there? He stared at Argent. Aside from the natural indifference, he''s also releasing this excited vibe. Was it because he''s going to a brothel? Heh... so this guy also had a perverted side. A man, no matter the age, was still a man after all.


    Li Jun never really enjoyed going to brothels. But Zhi Qing Hua was a bit different. Because the courtesans there were really professionals. They were good at singing, dancing, ying musical instruments, even writing poems. It''s evident that they were all trained. The way they carried themselves wouldn''t lose to any nobledies out there. Especially those who served at the third floor. They were trained to serve nobilities and high ranking officials. The ones in the second floor were usually reserved for merchants. And those on the first floor were formon citizens who wanted to enjoy a night at the famous brothel.


    Going there was no problem for Li Jun. He often went there for entertainment after all. But was it okay for the ever serious Lei Feng? He nced at the young general and saw no resistance on his face. Was he just taking it in because the duke was the one who requested it? On that note, wouldn''t he be feeling ufortable right now? After all, the guy he liked just suggested to go to a brothel.


    Li Jun frowned at the silver-haired duke. This guy could really be a bit thickheaded at times. Then he suddenly thought of something. Yes, if they went to Zhi Qing Hua then Li Jun could finally go through with that n of his.


    "Okay. Let''s go there. But first, you have to change clothes and cover your face," he said to the duke. "If we go there as you are now, you would just surely attract all the attention of the girls there."


    "Fine," Argent agreed. She didn''t really mind. Not being the center of attention suit him just fine.


    ----------


    A ck carriage stopped in front of a magnificent five floor building. It was located at the most profitable area of the red light district. Almost anyone who passed through there would notice the tall building. A huge sign with beautiful calligraphy was on its forefront - Zhi Qing Hua.


    The door of the carriage opened and the first one to go down was a tall man wearing a ck robe. His long ck hair was let down and his obsidian ck eyes were looking at the building with disinterest. Despite the serious expression on his face, it still couldn''t hide his overly handsome features. The next one who followed was a young man wearing a beautiful red robe. Unlike the first one, this man''s features were a bit more delicate. But he surely wouldn''t lose in terms of handsomeness.


    Thest one was a tall youth wearing a silvery white robe that matched his short silver hair. The upper part of his face was covered by a white mask, only showing his pinkish lips. But despite that, one couldn''t still take their eyes away from him. Maybe it was the way he stood or the way he carried himself. Or maybe he just had that certain something that made people gravitate towards him.


    The three entered Zhi Qing Hua. The girls working on the first floor immediately noticed their arrival. When they saw their high-quality clothing and good looks, they didn''t hesitate toe forward and greet the three. They knew it would be almost impossible for them to serve such customers but what if one of three took a liking to one of them? That would be a sure way for them to advance to the third floor.


    They surrounded the one wearing a red robe and the one wearing a mask. Somehow, they just couldn''t get near the one wearing a ck robe. It''s like if they did, they would definitely be thrown out or something. Most of them flocked to the tall youth wearing a mask. Even if most of his face was hidden, just one look at that soft silver hair and delicate white skin was enough for them to know that he''s probably much better looking than his other twopanions.


    "Young Master, would you want Liuli to serve you?" one asked while fluttering her eyshes.


    "No, definitely Young Master would choose Feifei, right?" another one said, trying to hook her arm on the young man''s.


    But before the girl could even touch the masked youth, a cold killing intent was suddenly spread over the group of girls making all of them shudder.


    "Leave," the man wearing ck bit out in his low maic voice.


    The girls didn''t hesitate and scrambled to leave. They felt that if they didn''t, some kind of ferocious beast would bit down on their throats.


    Li Jun sighed. "Look what you just did, you scared them away."


    Lei Feng didn''t answer but he already reigned in the killing intent he just released.


    Then the manager of the brothel came to them - a short middle aged man wearing a green robe. When he was informed that the fourth prince came with the young general Zhang, he immediately came down from the second floor. Hoping that the girls in the first floor hadn''t done anything to offend the two. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw that the prince and the general were alone and no girls were hounding them.


    "Your Highness, General Zhang, wee, wee," he greeted with an amiable smile.


    "Get us a private room and also prepare a meal for three," Li Jun said.


    Hearing that, that''s when the manager noticed that there''s still another one apanying the prince. It was a tall masked youth. He could immediately tell that this one''s identity was definitely not simple. "As you wish, Your Majesty. If you could follow me."


    The manager led them to a private room on the third floor. It was wide and bright with a very tasteful decoration. The three sat down and soon servant girls came in carrying trays of food and alcohol. Once they put the dishes on the table, they all respectfully went out.


    "Mei Ren has been missing Your Highness, would you like this one to call her to serve you?" the manager asked.


    "Sure," Li Jun said. "And also..." he gestured for the manager to bent down. Once the middle-aged man did, Li Jun whispered something to his ear. There was a slight change on the manager''s expression but it onlysted for a second and his normal expression immediately came back.


    "Of course, this one will do as Your Highness asked," the manager said. "Do you need anything else?"


    Argent suddenly spoke. "There is something." She slowly removed the mask she was wearing. "Tell your proprietress that Argent ckbourne wanted to speak to her. Of course, I''m willing to buy the rest of her night if she so wanted."


    The manager suddenly froze. Of course he knew who Argent ckbourne was. Anyone living in the capital and owned an sPhone knew who he was. The manager just didn''t expect that one day he would suddenly appear in this establishment, speaking the Xingnguage no less and even wanting to meet with the madame. But he immediately calmed himself.


    He did hear a rumor that the fourth prince came back from a foreign country with foreigners in tow. He just didn''t expect that one of those foreigners would be Argent ckbourne. If the manager refused his request, the madame would surely kill him. No matter what his reason might be for wanting to meet the madame, it would certainly not be disadvantageous to them.


    "This one will immediately inform the madame of your request. If my lord could wait?"


    "Of course."


    Then the manager hurriedly left the room.


    Li Jun looked at Argent. He should have known this guy wanted to go here for a reason. "Why did you want to meet Madame Ying Hua?"


    "That''s something you don''t need to know," Argent answered, putting back the mask on her face. "But you don''t have to worry, I will still pay for the things you will spend here."


    Li Jun snorted. "Who cares about your money?"


    Argent raised one of her brows. Wasn''t he the one who asked that she pay for his food and alcohol?


    A little whileter, the manager returned. "My lord, the madame is delighted to ept your request."


    Argent stood up and was about to follow when Lei Feng suddenly held her wrist. She looked down on Lei Feng''s serious face. "What?"


    "Be careful."


    "I always am."


    Then Lei Feng reluctantly let go of Argent''s wrist. She walked towards the manager and the two went out of the room.


    "He''s long gone, stop staring at the door," Li Junmented. This guy was really hopeless. Good thing he was about to remedy that.


    The door of the room was once again opened. The first one to walk was a young woman wearing a purple jacket over a flowing pink skirt. Her brown limpid eyes were surrounded by thick ck eyshes. It seemed water could flow out of her skin if one pinched it because of how delicate and soft it was.


    She was followed by a young man wearing a white robe. In terms of beauty, he would certainly not lose to the young woman. His long ck hair was freely flowing behind his back. The neck of his robe was slightly lose, showing his delicate cor bones. His eyes were like a dark pool of deep water. His pinkish lips were curved in a slight smile.


    "Mei Ren has seen Your Highness and General Zhang," the young woman greeted in her melodious voice.


    "Ying Yue has seen Your Highness and General Zhang," the young man also greeted in his soft voice. When he raised his head, all his attention was focused on the young general.

 Chapter 89: the ying siblings

    Chapter 89: the ying siblings


    "MEI REN is really d that Your Highness returned safely," the courtesan named Mei Ren said in her soft voice while pouring wine on the fourth prince''s cup. "If something were to happen to Your Highness, Mei Ren will definitely be sad."


    Li Jun drank the cup of wine. He knew it was just lip service but Li Jun still yed along. "How can I dare make you sad? Of course, I''lle back."


    "Mei Ren is happy to hear that," she said, sweetly smiling. "In the time that Your Highness was away, Mei Ren has learned a new dance. Would Your Highness want to see it?"


    "Mei Ren''s dance is always beautiful, so of course I would love to see it," Li Jun said.


    "Then if Your Highness doesn''t mind, Ying Yue would y guqin as an apaniment to Mei Ren," the young man wearing white robe suggested. Then he shyly nced at the young general. "Ying Yue would also want General Zhang to hear my music."


    But unfortunately for him, the young general just ignored him. Li Jun sighed. Ever since the two courtesans entered the room, Lei Feng hadn''t given them a speck of his attention. He was just silently eating the dishes on the table and ncing at the door from time to time. Probably waiting for the duke toe back. Heck, he probably didn''t even notice that the one beside him was a male courtesan.


    Li Jun shook his head. What''s the use of calling a male courtesan when this guy wouldn''t even look at him? Much less noticed his existence? Especially when the male courtesan just happened to be the younger brother of Madame Ying Hua.


    He told the manager to get the brothel''s best male courtesan. Li Jun just didn''t expect that the younger brother of the brothel owner woulde himself. Especially since he heard that both siblings no longer ept customers. Such luck and Lei Feng was just wasting it.


    "I think hearing you y would be a pleasure," Li Jun said to Ying Yue before turning to Lei Feng. "Don''t you think so as well, Lei Feng?"


    Lei Feng just nodded but it was fairly obvious that he wasn''t listening to their conversation. But Ying Yue still smiled shyly, stood up and walked towards the guqin - a seven-string musical instrument widely popr in Xing. Almost all thedies of noble birth, even some men from schstic families, learned to y one. Ying Yue sat behind the guqin and waited for Mei Ren. Once Mei Ren was in position, he started plucking the strings.


    And beautiful, melodious notes filled the room.


    Mei Ran started dancing with the music. Her pink skirt was swishing like the ocean''s wave while her body swayed beautifully along with each notes. If the one ying the guqin was not Ying Yue, then all the attention would no doubt be focused on the young woman skillfully dancing. But one couldn''t really ignore the presence of Ying Yue. Especially with that serene expression on his face. It just made his beauty more prominent.


    Li Jun listened and watched in pleasure. After the performance, he couldn''t help but apud the two. "What a wonderful performance."


    "Mei Ren is happy that Your Highness enjoyed it," she said in a delighted voice.


    "Ying Yue as well." Then he looked hopefully at the young general, but to his dismay, the general was looking at the door instead of him or even Mei Ren.


    Of course, Li Jun also noticed that. So when the two courtesans went back to their seats and Ying Yue tried to offer a drink to Lei Feng and Lei Feng just ignored him, Li Jun just couldn''t hold it in anymore. Especially after he saw the pitiful expression on Ying Yue''s face.


    Li Jun pushed the cup of wine in front of Lei Feng. "I know you don''t notice anyone right now, but at least be polite and drink this wine he poured."


    Lei Feng looked down at the cup of wine, didn''t think too much about it and drank its content. If he refused, he knew that this prince would just argue with him. He was just not in the mood for one of his tantrums. After that, he went back looking at the door.


    Li Jun naturally saw it. This guy was probably, perhaps, already hopeless. But maybe if he was left here alone with Ying Yue, then he would have no choice but to notice him.


    Li Jun turned to Mei Ren. "I heard that there''s a new viewing tform in Zhi Qing Hua. Why don''t you take me there, Mei Ren?"


    "Mei Ren would love to."


    Li Jun stood up and looked at Lei Feng. "You''re going to stay here, right?"


    Lei Feng nodded. He still had to wait for Argent''s return.


    The prince and the girl went out of the private room.


    "Leave," he said to the person who had been sitting beside him.


    "I can''t do that. Not when we haven''t even yed yet," said a yful voice. If Li Jun was there he would be surprised because the shy expression on Ying Yue''s face could no longer be found. Because now that shy smile was reced by a flirtatious one.


    Lei Feng furrowed his brows. When he turned his head, the air was suddenly filled by a sickeningly sweet smell. His vision suddenly doubled and he felt an unprecedented heat rising up inside him. "What did you--?"


    "I must say, I probably must thank the prince for letting you drink that wine. It helped me a great deal." Lei Feng felt his body being pushed down and someone straddling his waist. "Did you know, the drug in that winebined with my Gift will result to a very potent aphrodisiac?"


    Lei Feng''s vision was still not clear but his breathing was already starting to get rough. It''s like if he didn''t release this heat he was feeling, he would sooner orter suffocate.


    Ying Yue held the general''s chin. "Now, how should I y with you, my handsome general?"


    ----------


    Let''s backtrack a bit in time.


    Argent was led by the manager to the fifth floor. They walked towards a room triple the size of the private room she was just in earlier. The room probably took a quarter of the whole fifth floor. The decorations inside was obviously of the highest quality, even including the smallest ornaments. Showing that the owner of the room loved expensive things.


    Near the window stood a woman. Her long ck hair that almost reached the floor was facing towards Argent''s direction.


    "Madame, I''ve brought Lord ckbourne," the manager said.


    "You can leave now," said the woman''s tantalizing voice.


    The manager bowed and left the room. That''s only when the woman turned around. The gorgeous red robe she was wearing was loose, showing the upper part of her ample breasts. She was not wearing any jewelries or ornaments on her hair, just her natural beauty. But that was enough to tempt any mortal man.


    But sadly for her, the one in front of her was not a man. No matter how beautiful she was, Argent would never be tempted.


    "Wee, Lord ckbourne," she greeted, a sensual smile appearing on her luscious red lips.


    "I guess you didn''t expect me this soon," Argent said.


    "Oh? And why would I even expect the famous founder of Silver Corporation to visit my humble brothel?"


    "Maybe because the Emperor told you that I would being," Argent answered. When she heard what the older general said about the Emperor going to that inspection with just this courtesan with him, she already figured that this Ying Hua was not an ordinary courtesan. Because there''s no way that Emperor would bring a weak woman with him that would only drag his hind leg. Most likely, this woman was some sort of spy that the Emperor personally reared. Being a courtesan would be the perfect cover for a spy. "So, let''s not go through with any boring mind games and just get straight to the point."


    Ying Hua chuckled. This kid was definitely more than she expected. The Emperor just sent her a message this morning, telling her that she should expect a young silver-haired visitor in her brothel anytime soon. Asking her about that incident 15 years ago. She just didn''t expect that the ''soon'' he meant would be tonight. Ying Hua was confused at first by who he meant. But when the manager told her that the founder of Silver Corporation wanted to meet her, she immediately understood.


    So, it was indeed true. That this genius came to Xing. That Li Wei, he could have just told her who she was expecting. But she guessed, finding out this way was also fun. "You mean what I would want in return for the information you wanted?"


    "Precisely."


    "Then I want one million gold coins for every question I will answer."


    "Done," Argent didn''t even hesitate. She then walked towards the woman and took a veritas stone fron her space ring. "Now if you could put your palm on this stone."


    Ying Hua looked at the stone and chuckled once again. "Well, aren''t you the careful one?"


    "I just want to make sure that I''m not making a losing investment. Now, for the first question, what did that thief look like?"


    Ying Hua raised her brow. She thought that this kid would first ask if there was really a thief. "Silver hair, purple eyes. To be more precise, a manlier version of you."


    The stone glowed green. "Second, what did he took?"


    "A map."


    It still glowed green. "Last question, a map to what exactly?"


    "A map towards the Temple of Tian Long that lies beneath the sea of Leng Jing."


    After the stone turned green, Argent put it back in her space ring. Then she took three chests full of gold coins and put it on the floor. Good thing she always kept arge amount of gold coins in her space ring. "Your payment."


    "You''re not going to ask me how to get there?" Ying Hua curiously asked.


    "If someone needed to steal a map in order to get there, then I doubt you would know its exact location."


    Ying Hua was greatly amused by his answer. "You''re right. I wouldn''t know. Because that ce doesn''t exist."


    That caught Argent''s attention. "It doesn''t exist?"


    "Oops, that''s the only free answer you would get." Ying Hua smiled yfully. "Now, don''t you think it''s time you let me see that pretty face of yours?"


    She was about to raised her hand to take the mask from Argent''s face, but before she could do that, they both heard a loud explosion-like sound. Probablying from one or two floors below.

 Chapter 90: argents effortless rescue

    Chapter 90: argent''s effortless rescue


    YING HUA could feel the huge amount of Mana from two floors below. The sheer power of that Mana was terrifying. No doubt that all the people in the brothel or even in the nearby establishments could feel that immense power. If it continued, Zhi Qing Hua might very well be destroyed tonight.


    "You''re not going to check that out? If you''ll just stand here, your brothel might be eviscerated," Argent said in a mocking tone.


    This body might have barely any Mana in it, but it didn''t mean that Argent couldn''t feel the Mana that people and certain objects produced. But it had to be fairly powerful for her to naturally sensed it. Since this body being a NoGift meant that she didn''t have any natural Mana sensitivity. Add that to the fact that something inside her seemed to be cancelling that very small amount of Mana this body had and it just made her Mana sensitivity decreased by tenfold.


    That''s why during the past seven years, aside from learning swordsmanship from her master, he also taught her how to properly sensed any iing attack caused by Mana. That somehow made up for what she''scking as a NoGift with a different constitution.


    But right now, she didn''t need to concentrate just to feel the overwhelming Manaing from below. It was just that powerful. Argent didn''t need to think too hard to guess who the owner of this Mana was. She could only think of one. And based on where it wasing from, it could only be from Lei Feng - someone with a double Gift and based on this amount of Mana, those Gifts were probably both SS level.


    The question now was, what actually set him off?


    Ying Hua no longer paid Argent any attention and just walked outside the room. Argent shortly followed. The moment they went out, they immediately saw the manager running towards their direction. He was catching his breath, a sign that he ran there as fast as he could.


    "What was that explosion?" Ying Hua immediately asked.


    "It''s the younger General Zhang, Madame." So it was that young general. The rumor about him being very powerful had a basis after all. "I- I think Master Ying Yue had done something to him."


    "Ying Yue? How could he be with the general?" Ying Hua asked, confused.


    "T-the fourth prince asked for a m-male courtesan to serve the general and Master Ying Yue volunteered."


    Argent raised her brow when she heard that. The prince asking for a male courtesan for Lei Feng? Then she suddenly remembered what her sister said on the ship, about the two being gay. Could that really be the case?


    Ying Hua had no time thinking why the fourth prince wanted to send a male courtesan to the general. Because all she could think was that her troublesome brother had done something idiotic again. She sighed helplessly. "First, make sure that no customer go near the private room where the general is. Then gather all the brothel guards and then tell them to stop the general''s rampaging no matter what."


    "I already did the first one, Madame. But the second one... there''s a man wearing all ck standing in front of the room. He put some kind of barrier arround it. I think it''s the general''s guard. I don''t think he would allow any of our guards to also go there."


    After the manager said that, a ck shadow suddenly passed by them and knelt in front of Argent.


    "Milord, please help our Master," the man wearing all ck said.


    He and An Wu were the ones in charge of following their master today. There were always one or two of the dark guards who followed the master in case he needed some help. But they always followed him at a distance and never go near him unless he called. That way, they could at least give some privacy to their master. It was the same today. They just never thought that something like this would happen. Especially since they knew how good their master''s control over his Gift was.


    Argent looked at the man kneeling in front of her. If she was not mistaken, this was one of Lei Feng''s dark guard - An Er. But what he requested was just a bit weird. "I don''t think you should be asking me for help. If you couldn''t stop your master, then what makes you think I can?"


    Of course this young duke could. He was the only one that managed to attract their master''s attention. So even if they - the seven dark guards - didn''t know the full detail why their master became interested with the young duke, they knew, at least, that this little lord had a special ce in their master''s heart. So if there''s anyone who could stop their master''s rampage, it''s him - Argent ckbourne.


    The dark guard didn''t exin any further and just said, "Please, milord."


    Argent stared at the dark guard, he certainly looked convinced that she might be able to help Lei Feng. Normally, she would just ignore something like this and not bother to help. But then, if she thought about it carefully, if Lei Feng got into trouble because of this, then the one who was supposed to supervise her during her supposed search for location would change. Argent didn''t really want to travel with a stranger. Her movements might be restricted because of that. It''s still better to travel with Lei Feng who seemed like the type who would cater to anything she wanted to do.


    "Fine. I''ll do it. But don''t expect anything."


    "Thank you, milord."


    The manager and Ying Hua already ran ahead of them. To go there faster, once Argent was near the stairs, she jumped over the railings. Shended on the stairs on the fourth floor. Then she jumped again and immediately reached the third floor.


    An Er momentarily froze when he saw what the duke did. But he immediately copied it and arrived at the third floor just right after the duke. Just like what the manager said, the third floor was almost deserted. It just showed how efficient the staffs here in Zhi Qing Hua were. But even if they didn''t allow any people near here, An Er thought that no one would voluntarilye to an area with such terrifying Mana.


    When they reached the room, they saw An Wu standing in front. His hands were raised to maintain the barrier surrounding the room. But one look at his sweaty face and unstable footing, anyone could easily tell that he was having a very hard time maintaining the barrier.


    Argent looked at the dark guard in front of the room, this was probably the same dark guard who put up that barrier around the ship during that thunderstorm. "Can you make a small opening so I could enter?"


    The guard nodded. Then an opening as big as an adult male appeared in the barrier. Argent entered and opened the door and was almost immediately hit by a passing lightning. Good thing she had good reflexes and managed to dodge it. But the mask on her face still split in half because of it.


    The private room was thrashed thoroughly. Almost all the decorations and furnitures were destroyed. There was even a huge hole on the wall facing the outside of the building. But the most attention grabbing was the man standing at the center of the room. His long hair was floating and lightning was continuouslying out of his body. The sheer amount of Mana he was releasing could make any grown man faint in fear. This Lei Feng. What a fearsome guy.


    One of Lei Feng''s arms was raised and was gripping the neck of another young man. The young man was trying with all his might to make Lei Feng let go, but to no avail, he was still suspended in the air. The clothes he was wearing was scorched, no doubt by lightning. There were even visible wounds on him, especially on his face. If he wasn''t healed on time, he might really remained disfigured. That face was now starting to get paler and paler by the second. If Argent didn''t do something now, this guy would probably really die here.


    Argent sighed. Looked like she really had to deal with this troublesome thing now. She walked towards the two, avoiding any stray lightnings as she went along. When she reached them, that''s when Argent noticed how darker than usual Lei Feng''s eyes were. This guy was probably not even concious right now and was only driven by emotion - particrly anger.


    Argent put her hand on Lei Feng''s hand that was choking the young man. "Lei Feng, let go of him."


    She wasn''t sure that it would work, but his eyes started to clear up when she called his name. Then he slowly turned to her. "Ar...gent?"


    "It''s me."


    Lei Feng threw the man he was choking like a rag doll then suddenly pulled Argent''s body towards him,pletely engulfing her in his arms. Argent''s body immediately stiffened. Before she could try to push him away, she heard him say in a hoarse voice; "Please, just let me stay like this for a little while. I beg you."


    The desperation and helplessness in his voice made Argent stand still, her body no longer as stiff.


    The feel of her body against his, her naturalvender scent filling his senses, immediately made Lei Feng realize that this moment was very real. He was really holding Argent in his arms. This was just not a dream that his subconcious created. Which meant that if he didn''t control his Mana, he might hurt her. Slowly, he calmed himself. As his breath evened out, the Mana around them also started to dissipate. Until none of it was left. And with much reluctance, he also let go of Argent. Because he knew that if he held her longer than nessary, she would definitely hate it.


    "Looks like you''re already back to normal," Argentmented. She didn''t really expect that she would be able to stop him and with no great effort on her part too.


    "Yes, I''m sorry for the trouble I caused," Lei Feng said, trying hard not to look at Argent. Because for fear that he would try to hug her again.


    "Well, as I understood it, you''re not exactly the main culprit for this incident," Argent said ncing at the now unconcious man on the floor.


    Lei Feng also saw the man and his anger was immediately lit once again. Just before he could do anything, the door opened and a woman came in and immediately ran towards the unconcious man. She breathed a sigh of relief once she had checked that the man was just unconcious. Then she turned to Lei Feng and didn''t hesitate to bow.


    "General Zhang, Ying Hua wishes that you could forgive my brother''s foolishness. He''s just an idiotic boy who didn''t know any better," Ying Hua apologized, her face almost hitting the floor.


    "Did you know what your brother did?" Lei Feng asked coldly.


    "Ying Hua is sure that whatever my brother did was wrong. But he was just under the impression that he had to serve you in any way possible. Since that was what the fourth prince instructed. Ying Hua hoped that the mighty general could find it in your heart to forgive him."


    Argent almostughed. This woman was good. In just a few sentences, she managed to put all the me on the fourth prince''s head.


    Lei Feng clenched his fists, he could feel his Mana getting violent again. "Leave," he bit out.


    The manager who was just outside quickly ran inside the room and helped Ying Hua carry the unconcious Ying Yue. Once they''re gone, Lei Feng called for his two dark guards.


    "Escort Argent back to the Zhang household," he ordered.


    "Where are you going?" Argent curiously asked.


    "I need to calm myself down." The effect of whatever that man did to him was still in his body. If he continued to stay in close proximity to Argent, he might really lose his mind and just throw her down and have his way with her.


    Just as he was about to jump through the hole in the wall, Li Jun entered.


    "What the heck happened here? Lei Feng, did you just snapped and--" Li Jun wasn''t able to continue what he was saying because a strand of lightning went straight to him, just narrowly missing his ear. His knees shook and he almost lose his bnce. "What are you doing?!"


    Lei Feng red at the prince. "Don''t show your face in front of me for a while or I might just forget that you''re a prince and strike you down with my lightning." Then he jumped through the wall.


    Li Jun swallowed. That re just now really brought cold sweat down his back. "Is he perhaps mad at me?"


    Argent nced at the prince with an expression on her face saying that he''s ridiculous. "You think?"

 Chapter 91: clues

    Chapter 91: clues


    THE SUN was not even shining yet but Argent was already awake. It was because of the sudden call she received. It was from Jaxon. As soon as she knew it was him calling, she immediately opened her light brain and connected the call. Argent also nned to call himst night. But right after she got back at the Zhang household, she immediately fell asleep. She did not even realize how exhausted she was.


    "Did I wake you?" Jaxon asked.


    "No, it''s okay. I was nning on calling you anyway. Did you find something?"


    "Yes. It seemed like Thea stayed at a small vige in Sarmatia for quite a while. I talked with the people there and they said that she was asking if they remembered someone with Dorian''s description going to that vige. She even showed them his picture. And most of them remembered him. He was not exactly the kind of guy that someone could easily forget. So of course they also remembered a lot of details that happened during that time. They told her that Dorian came to their vige 15 years ago."


    Any sleepiness that Argent was still feeling vanished when she heard that. "15 years ago?" That was also the year that her father stole that map. What exactly had he been up to that year? "So what did he do in that vige exactly?"


    "He was asking around about an old legend. It tells of the favorite jewelry of the Elven queen that she gave to a human before the Mythos continent closed off. It said that the descendant of that human fled into this vige and had been keeping that jewelry safe."


    Because of what Jaxon said, Argent remembered what Ying Hua told her about that map. That it lead to a ce called the Temple of Tian Long. Tian Long when tranted to themon tongue meant ''heavenly dragon''. And now, ording to what Jaxon just said, her father was also searching for a jewelry that belonged to the Elven queen. Argent was sure that that was just no mere coincidence.


    "But that was all a legend, right?"


    Jaxon dropped his gaze. "No, there''s definitely a hint of truth to that."


    Argent stared at Jaxon''s expression. "I also found something here. 15 years ago, that dear father of mine stole a map that leads to a ce called the Temple of Tian Long." There was a slight change in Jaxon''s expression when she said that. "Uncle Jax, if you know what my father was up to 15 years ago, it would be best to tell me. Keeping secrets at situations like this would just hinder our search for Mother. Especially since there''s a high chance that her abduction might be rted to what Father did."


    Jaxon sighed. "It''s not that I''m keeping a secret. I was no longer part of Dorian''s crew 15 years ago so I wasn''t really particr about what he''s been doing that year. But we happened to have a talk when he contacted me using a defaro crystal, it was just about the time when he found out about Thea''s pregnancy. He said he finally found clues to the treasures he''d been searching. That he was about to set off for his final voyage. I told him that he should just wait until Thea gives birth at least. But he said that it might be toote then. That if he wanted to stay with Thea and their unborn child, he should find those treasures as fast as he could. Of course, I told these things to Thea the moment Dorian disappeared. We both thought that his disappearance might have something to do with those treasures he''s searching for. But it never really ounted for anything because we both have no idea what those treasures were."


    "Father never told any of you?"


    Jaxon nodded. "But I knew he started to be an adventurer because he was searching for those treasures. I asked him once about it but he said that it''s much safer for me or for anyone for that matter not to know anything about it. And maybe he had a point. Because if what you''re thinking was right, then Thea found out what those treasures were and this was the result."


    And those treasures were probably connected to those mythical race who closed themselves off in the Mythos continent 500 years ago. Argent had a bad feeling about this.


    "Anyway, I will search more about this Temple of Tian Long. It might lead us to Mother''s whereabouts."


    "I''ll do the same here, then."


    "And Uncle Jax, could you ask your men here to ask around about that Temple of Tian Long as well?"


    "I''ll do that. I''ll contact you again when I find any important information."


    Then they both ended the call.


    Argent stood up and went out of the inner room. She looked out of the window and saw the sun rising. She decided to have breakfast with her sister and tell her everything that she found out.


    ----------


    "So, how was your visit to the pce yesterday?" Aurum asked when all the servant girls left after delivering their breakfast. "It was really boring staying at this courtyard all day. Especially with only this brat aspany," she added while pinching ck''s cheek.


    "Aww... Master, Aurum is bullying ck again," ck said pitifully. "She bullied ck all day yesterday too."


    "How dare youin?" Aurum said while pulling ck''s cheek even harder before turning her attention back to Argent. "So Brother, why did you return sotest night?"


    As an answer, Argent told Aurum everything that happened yesterday. Well, except for that incident involving Lei Feng and that male courtesan. She also told Aurum about the talk she had with Jaxon earlier.


    "Wait- Brother, you went to a brothel?"


    "That''s not exactly the point, isn''t it?" Argent said in a helpless tone.


    "Well, yes, I know. But I have to make sure that you weren''t taken advantage by any of the women there. So, were you?"


    "I was not." Those women didn''t even have the chance to touch her because Lei Feng didn''t hesitate to let out his killing intent. Now that she thought about it, she wondered if no problem resulted from what happenedst night.


    "That''s good then," Aurum said breathing a sigh of relief. "So, Brother thinks that Mother''s abduction had something to do with those treasures Father was searching 15 years ago?"


    "There''s a high chance that that was the case."


    "Then should we ask someone here if they know anything about that Temple of Tian Long? If that Ying Hua woman told you that the map leads to a ce that doesn''t exist, then just like that jewelry of the Elven Queen, it might also be some kind of legend."


    Argent smiled and stroke Aurum''s hair. "That was a good deduction." She also ended up with the same conclusion. So having Aurume up with the same conclusion made her a bit proud of her sister.


    "Of course, I''m your sister after all," Aurum said proudly. "Should we ask Madame Lin then? She should probably know a thing or two about it."


    "Let''s do that after we eat breakfast."


    After they finished eating breakfast, the twins looked for Madame Lin. They found her standing near the lotus pond, feeding the carps there. One of her maidservant was standing beside her.


    "Good morning, Madame," Aurum greeted.


    "Oh, Aurum, are you already feeling better?" Madame Lin asked when she saw the twins.


    Aurum smiled. "Yes, Madame. I think it''s because of the delicious chicken soup you cooked for me."


    "This child, you really do have a sweet mouth," although Madame Lin said that, anyone who could hear her could see that she was really quite pleased with Aurum.


    "Thank you, Madame, for taking care of my sister," Argent said.


    Madame Lin turned to the older twin. She hadn''t spent any considerable time with him yet but with all the stories Aurum had told her yesterday, she felt like she already knew him. Someone who has a sister that adored him so much surely wouldn''t be a bad kid. "There''s no need for thanks. I''m more than happy to help."


    "Madame Lin, my brother heard some people talking on the streets about some legend while he was out yesterday. They mentioned some temple or something. Are you perhaps familiar with a legend like that?"


    "I was quite curious about it. Since I''m also nning on searching for a location that has a prominent legend like that for mypany''s project," Argent added.


    Lei Feng told Madame Lin that the reason why the ckbourne twins visited Xing was because of a coboration project Silver Corporation nned to do with the fourth prince. That''s why she didn''t suspect anything when she heard what the two said. "Hmm... a legend that has something to do with a temple? No, I''m not familiar with that." She turned to her maidservant. "How about you, Zi Yu?"


    "There are many legends in Xing. If Lord ckbourne has more information, then maybe I could give you a more urate answer," the maidservant said.


    "It involves a Temple of Tian Long that was said to be found at the sea of Lei Jing," Argent answered.


    "Ah, if it was that, then it might be a legend from the Southern region. There was a servant girl before that talked about something simr to that. If I remember it correctly, she''s from a small fishing vige called Hangzhou."


    "Thank you. That was very helpful," Argent said to the maidservant.


    Now their search finally had a destination.


    Hangzhou.

 Chapter 92: i wont become your enemy

    Chapter 92: i won''t be your enemy


    ARGENT was walking towards Lei Feng''s courtyard with a servant boy guiding her there. After getting that information about the legend of the Temple of Tian Long possibly originating in a small fishing vige called Hangzhou, Argent wanted to go there immediately to check the ce. Thus she needed to talk to Lei Feng about their travel arrangements since he''s the one who''s supposed to supervise her and her sister during their supposed search for location. So they could leave as soon as possible.


    While walking, Argent''s thoughts were still filled with the new informations she got. The map that her father took that could possibly lead to a ce called the Temple of Tian Long. And when there''s a map, there would definitely be a treasure. Based on the name of the temple itself, it probably had something to do with the dragon race. Then there was the favorite jewelry of the Elven queen. Which directly connected to the elves. If she went with those two points, then, most probably, there was a third one. A treasure connected to the beast kins.


    Three treasures that were potentially rted to the long lost three mythical races, something like those should have been widely known to the world. But in more than seven years that Argent stayed in this world, she''d never once heard about it. Even her mother didn''t think that the treasure her father was looking for were connected to those three races. Because if she did, then she wouldn''t have spent seven years just to track down a single clue. A clue that someway or another lead to her abduction.


    Argent was more sure of that now. Since that clue definitely had something to do with those treasures. The clue that her mother found might be so crucial that it could lead to the location of one of those treasures. So they kidnapped her. But why brought her to Xing? It stood to reason that the clue she found should be connected to the Elven queen''s favorite jewelry. Since she was at Sarmatia at the time. So then why?


    Argent pinched the bridge of her nose. All these spections without any real solid evidence was making her head hurt. She took a deep breathe. For now, they should go to Hangzhou as soon as possible and learned more about that legend. Maybe that could give more pertinent information that would eventually lead them to her mother''s abductors.


    A little whileter, Argent arrived at Lei Feng''s courtyard. She just noticed now that the courtyard was quite far from other courtyards of this household. It''s almost isted. Thinking of Lei Feng''s character, he probably just liked the quiet. After the servant boy announced her arrival, he politely excused himself and left her there. Then she heard footsteps rushing from inside the courtyard. The sliding door opened and Lei Feng came out.


    He was only wearing a loose inner robe, showing a wide expanse of muscr chest. His long ck hair was disheveled, giving him a kind of wild look. If a normal woman was in front of him right now, their face would surely be blushing by now because of the overflowing male hormone he''s spreading. But too bad for him, Argent was not exactly one would call ''normal''.


    "Did you just wake up?" Argent asked.


    "No." Lei Feng actually just returned. Because of what happened at Zhi Qing Hua, he needed to soak himself on a nearbyke for the rest of the night just to lower his body temperature and reduce the effect of whatever that courtesan did to him. It took a long while before he actually calmed down. That''s why he only returned just now. "Please,e in." He gentured for her toe in and both of them entered the outer room of his courtyard. "Please, wait a bit while I change into a more proper clothing."


    Argent nodded and sat down. It didn''t take long before Lei Feng came out of the courtyard''s inner room. He was now wearing his signature simple ck robe.


    "Do you need me for something?" he asked, then sat down ross Argent.


    "Yes, actually. I came to talk to you about our travel arrangements. I decided on our first destination. Hangzhou."


    "Hangzhou?"


    Lei Feng took a map from his space ring and spread it on the table in front. He looked for Hangzhou and saw that it was a small vige in the Southern region, barely even worth noticing. So why did Argent want to go there? No, the more urate question was how did she even know of such a small vige?


    Argent, of course, also saw Hangzhou from the map. Based on the distance from the capital, it might take them weeks to arrive there. Time they didn''t have. They already wasted so much time travelling from Albion to here. She couldn''t continue spending all that time travelling again. Since she already acquired the seal that would allow her to enter anywhere in Xing, it''s probably best to use her flying car to go there.


    She looked at Lei Feng. But would it really be safe to use the flying car with this guy around? Argent was not at the point where she could fully trust him with the knowledge of her other inventions. Should she gamble then? That he would not use it against her?


    Then Argent remembered that talk they had on the ship during that thunderstorm. He didn''t hesitate to admit to her the truth about his double Gift. Even telling her that he wouldn''t let the two of them be enemies. "Hey, those words you said to me on the ship, about you not letting the two of us be enemies, could I trust those words?"


    Lei Feng looked straight at Argent''s eyes. His obsidian ck eyes meeting her purple ones. Instead of answering her question, he said, "I, Zhang Lei Feng, vow to Gaia that under no circumstances would I ever be enemies with Argent ckbourne."


    That actually took Argent by surprised. She never expected him to actually make a vow. Something that he could never break unless he died. Argent couldn''t understand this unfounded confidence he had. But if it''s to her advantage, then who was she toin? "I understand. Then would it be okay to leave for Hangzhou tomorrow?"


    "That wouldn''t be a problem."


    "Good." Then Argent suddenly thought of something. "Was there any bacsh from what happenedst night at the brothel?"


    "None so far. I don''t think the owner of Zhi Qing Hua would dare make trouble for me after what her brother just did."


    "True enough." In this case, it was more urate to say that the people of Zhi Qing Hua would do everything to please Lei Feng than angering him any further. "But why would the fourth prince even ask for a male courtesan for you? Could it be because the both of you really do swing that way?" She was really a bit curious about that.


    Argent saw Lei Feng''s ear tips turning red at a lightning speed. "No! I only like one person. No matter what the gender of that person is, it has nothing to do with my preference. Because I only like that person."


    She stared at those red ear tips and just realized something. The reason why his ear tips turned red sometimes was because he was shy. Just like how he averted his gaze whenever he lied, his ear tips also turned red whenever he''s shy. Argent suddenly felt a bit foolish, not realizing that until now.


    "You must really like this person then," Argentmented.


    "Yes," he answered without hesitation, a small smile on his face.


    Then there was a sudden knock on the screen door. Lei Feng stood up to open it. One of his dark guards - An Er - was kneeling outside.


    "What is it?" Lei Feng asked.


    "Master, a messenger from the pce came. The Empress sent an invitation to Lady Aurum ckbourne, asking her toe to Fenghua Pce tomorrow."


    That made Argent stand up. "What?"

 Chapter 93: invitation from the empress

    Chapter 93: invitation from the empress


    AURUM looked up at the jade pirs and golden tiled roof and she just couldn''t help but let out a long sigh. The building in front was Fenghua Pce - the official residence of the Empress of Xing. Yesterday, a eunuch from this pce sent a personal invitation from the Empress inviting Aurum for an afternoon tea. The eunuch personally saw her happily eating snacks with Madame Lin. So they couldn''t use the same ruse that she wasn''t feeling well to decline the invitation. Thus, this situation.


    She came here with two maidservants lent by Madame Lin, one of them was the madame''s most trusted servant - Zi Yu. Her brother couldn''te with her because men we''re not allowed inside the Imperial Harem. Unless if you''re the Emperor, or his sons, or a eunuch. Aurum was not afraid to meet the Empress on her own. She just didn''t want this to be another repeat of that shitty tea party.


    She just hoped that the Empress wouldn''t turn out to be such a b*tch. Because her brother would definitely not hesitate to offend the royal family if she was bullied here. Something they couldn''t afford right now. At least not until they found their mother. Because as long as they''re in Xing, the Emperor still had the power to limit their movements. Once they''ve rescued their mother, then Xing''s royal family could go to hell for all she cared.


    "Don''t worry, Lady Aurum, if you''re not sure of what to do, this servant will do everything to intervene," Zi Yu assured her.


    Aurum smiled warmly at the older woman. "Thank you, Zi Yu."


    The eunuch who weed them lead them to the pce''s garden. There, in the middle of the beautiful field of flowers was a pavillion. Sitting inside was a woman wearing a magnificent red robe with intricate golden embroidery on them. Her long ck hair was arranged in aplicated manner, on top of her head was a golden head dress. Her face was sically pretty but not overwhelmingly so that she would be considered a devastating beauty. But the grace engraved in her totally made up for that.


    They said that there''s only one woman allowed to wear red in the harem - the Empress. Murong Xue.


    "Your Majesty, Lady Aurum ckbourne has arrived," the eunuch said, announcing her arrival.


    Aurum walked towards the pavillion, along with the two maidservants with her and bowed. "Your Majesty."


    The Empress put down the cup of tea she was drinking. "Wee, Lady Aurum. Please do sit down and enjoy this tea with this Empress."


    "Thank you, Your Majesty," Aurum said with a sweet smile on her face. She walked inside the pavillion and sat ross the Empress. A pce maidservant immediately poured tea for her.


    "This Empress just heard that you were not feeling well. Are you feeling better now? If this Empress have known that you''re not in good health, this Empress wouldn''t have invited you so arbitrarily."


    [Yeah, right. There''s no way you didn''t know that I wasn''t feeling well, but you still invited me anyway.] Aurum smiled. "I''m already feeling better, Your Majesty. It''s probably due to the herbal supplements that His Majesty, the Emperor, sent. And now that I''ve seen such a magnificent pce and drank such a delicious tea, it lifted my spirits even more."


    Murong Xue finally gave a serious look at the youngdy in front of her. What she said wasn''t over the top but it would still evoke a sense of fondness from the listener. Add that to her overly beautiful face and anyone listening would have a good impression of her. This girl certainly knew how to make people like her.


    Her manner''s were perfect, even the way she spoke the Xingnguage was impable. With her family background, she would definitely be a perfect candidate for a wife. Especially since thatpany her brother founded was starting to really gain influence here in Xing. If Murong Xue could marry her off to her youngest son, it would definitely benefit her eldest - the crown prince. Being connected to something like Silver Corporation could only be nothing but advantageous.


    The only problem was Lady Aurum being a foreigner. But oh well, she wouldn''t be the Empress, so that wouldn''t really cause much trouble. Being this beautiful, Li Ren - her youngest - would surely not reject Lady Aurum.


    As soon as she heard that the ckbourne twins would being to Xing, a lot of ns had already been swirling inside Murong Xue''s head. Especially since she found out that the one bringing them, and with a business deal in hand no less, was the fourth prince. A lot of benefits would fall on the first prince''s faction if that deal became sessful. But the Emperor already took care of that by taking that deal himself.


    Now, Murong Xue only had to take advantage of the time this youngdy would be here in Xing. And make sure that before she could leave Xing, she would have no choice but to marry Li Ren. If that n sessfully went through, along with that other deal she made, then that first prince would no longer be a thorn on her side. And Li Ran sitting on the dragon throne would no longer remain as a dream.


    "Did Li Jun not visit you? After travelling that long together, he must have already considered you as a friend. That child is quite sociable after all. He could be friends with anyone from all walks of life," the Empress said.


    Aurum stopped herself from showing any kind of reaction. Because this woman did not only try to gauge her rtionship with the fourth prince, she also low-key insulted him. Because him being able to be friends with all sorts of people meant that he could also be friends with criminals and such. Clearly, this woman wanted her to have a bad impression of the fourth prince. But why? Was she afraid that she would somehow be the fourth prince wife or something? That''s stupid. Who would want to marry in this kind of stiffling society? She''d rather stay at her brother''s ind forever.


    Anyway, there''s really only one answer that wouldn''t offend anyone. "No, Prince Li Jun didn''t visit. We weren''t really that close. As much as possible, I try to keep my distance from other men. Since it would be disrespectful to my fiance."


    The Empress raised her brow. "Oh, you have a fiance?"


    "Yes, it''s the second prince of Albion," Aurum said with the gentlest smile she could conjur. [Sorry, popsicle. I need you to be my fiance for a while.]


    It''s not like anyone here could check if it was true or not. And even if they did, the rumor about them being in that kind of rtionship was still floating around Albion.


    "I see." Murong Xue thought that it wasn''t really that surprising. It would be stupid of the King of Albion if he didn''t even try to permanently attach their royal family to the ckbournes. But so what? That could easily be remedied.


    They chatted for almost an hour. That was until a raven suddenly flew inside the pavillion andnded on the table. Aurum noticed the miniscule change in the Empress'' expression when she saw the ck bird. She took the piece of paper tied to the raven''s w. Then the raven flew away. But instead of reading what''s on the paper immediately, she turned to Aurum.


    "The seventh princess will have her hairpin ceremony next week. This Empress is inviting you to be my personal guess."


    Aurum could barely maintain her smile when she heard that. The way this woman said it, it''s like Aurum had no other choice but to agree. And maybe she really didn''t have any choice. At least not without tantly offending this woman. She clenched her fists. They couldn''t dy any more time in searching for their mother. Which meant they couldn''t just sit around here in the capital until that whatever ceremony was finished. No. Wait. Her brother couldn''t. But she could.


    "I would love to go. It''s an honor to be invited by Your Majesty."


    Yes. This was the only way that would allow her brother to leave the capital without any problem. Although it''s frustrating that she couldn''t help in searching for their mother. At least with her staying here, it wouldn''t give these royals any reason to think that Argent was doing anything other than looking for locations for that project. Because why would Argent do anything suspicious when her twin sister was alone in the capital and under their mercy?


    But her brother would definitely hate this. She could already imagine her reaction.


    After a while, their afternoon tea time ended and Aurum bid farewell to the Empress. Aurum only walked a few steps when she nced back at the Empress. She was currently reading the paper that was attached earlier to the raven and there was obvious joy on her face. No, it was more urate to say that she was ecstatic.


    Aurum became curious. What could possibly be written on that paper? Could she somehow use that against the Empress? You know, just in case the Empress tried to scheme against her. She thought about it and finally made a decision. When they were about to leave the garden, Aurum turned off her limiter.


    She could use and fully control her power for five seconds. Which meant she could be at full SS level for those short seconds. It wouldn''t be enough in most cases, but in this case, it definitely would. Aurum immediately directed her Mana towards the Empress'' position. The moment her Mana touched the Empress, she went through her memory. At least as much as she possibly could in five seconds time. When five seconds were over, she immediately turned her limiter back on.


    Aurum''s pupils dted when she went over the memories she collected. What the--?


    "You did great, Lady Aurum," Zi Yumented once they were out of the garden.


    Aurum smiled. "Yes, I certainly did."

 Chapter 94: temporary separation

    Chapter 94: temporary separation


    "SO, HOW did it go exactly?" Argent asked once they were alone inside Aurum''s courtyard.


    She was in a carriage parked just outside of the pce, waiting for Aurum toe out. The moment her sister did and Argent asked her how her meeting with the Empress went, Aurum said they should talk about it once their back at the Zhang household and alone at her courtyard. Meaning what she''s going to say couldn''t be heard by others. That''s why when they arrived at Aurum''s courtyard, Argent asked ck to guard outside and make sure that no servant woulde near the ce.


    "Well, the Empress invited me to be her personal guest in one of the princess'' ceremony something. It will be held next week. And I agreed. Which means that I can''t go with you to Hangzhou."


    Argent was not sure if she heard it right. Did her sister really just say that she would not go with Argent to Hangzhou and just stay here in the capital? "Wait- what?"


    Aurum knew her brother would have this kind of reaction. Argent was probably thinking right now that she might be joking. "Brother, I''m serious. I really n to stay here in the capital."


    Argent stared at Aurum and finally realized that she really didn''t hear it wrong. "I assume there''s a reason for this?"


    "Yes. But before I tell you, promised you won''t get mad at me first," Aurum said while fluttering her big amber eyes at Argent.


    Argent narrowed her eyes at her sister. Aurum always did that whenever she thought that she did something wrong and wanted to get away with it. "Just tell me what you did and I''ll judge whether to be angry or not."


    "Fine," Aurum said while pouting. "I turned off my limiter and used my Gift on the Empress."


    This was the second time in just a matter of minutes that Argent felt like she''s been having problems with her hearing. But now, she no longer questioned whether what she heard was right or not. Because it obviously was. Argent didn''t know if she should be angry or what. "Do you know how dangerous that was? What if you got caught? What if your Mana got out of control? You should think of the possible consequences of your action before you do something like that."


    Aurum bit her lower lip. "I''m sorry. I just thought it would help so I did it. But you don''t have to worry, Brother. Because I did it perfectly. I made sure that I was far away from the Empress and that the time the limiter was turned off wouldn''t exceed five seconds." She reached for Argent''s hand. "Please, don''t be mad."


    Argent stared at her sister like this and at the end she could only sigh. She gently patted Aurum''s head. "I''m not mad. I couldn''t be mad at you even if I wanted to. I''m just worried."


    "I was really careful, Brother. I''m sure the Empress didn''t feel that I probed her mind. Not unless she''s an SS level Gift user like me. Which I highly doubt. Even if someone felt the fluctuation of Mana, no one would suspect that it wasing from me. Thest thing they would think was me reading their Empress'' mind."


    Aurum being an SS level telepathic Gift user was only known in Albion. Since she became famous, there would surely be people who would post bad things about her online. That''s why Argent made a counter-measure. She made White filter out anything that had something to do with Aurum''s Gift or that ident that happened when she was four. Basically, anything bad that anyone posted about Aurum would be instantly filtered and no one would be able to read them.


    "Then, what did you find out?" Argent asked.


    "I didn''t find that much since I only have five seconds to read her mind. So all the information I found was from the things she thought while we were having tea. First, that shameless woman wanted to trap me into marriage with her youngest son so it could benefit her other son who was the crown prince. The second one is really disturbing though."


    "So, her trapping you into marriage isn''t disturbing enough?" Argent asked, not sure if she should be amused at Aurum or be mad at the Empress for even thinking that she could use her sister for her schemes.


    "That''s child''s y. I could handle any scheme she throws at me. But what''s really important is the next thing I found. Just before I left, the Empress received a letter delivered by a raven. Her reaction to that letter was pretty weird. That''s why I thought of reading her mind. She just read that letter so what was written on it was still pretty fresh on her mind. So I got a pretty good look at it. It says; ''The map you gave was indeed the right one. We found the temple of the heavenly dragon. And ording to the deal we made, we, the Apostles of Gaia, would give our full support to the crown prince.'' That''s what''s written on the letter. Suspicious, right?"


    Argent digested everything that Aurum just said. Map, temple of heavenly dragon, Apostles of Gaia. Could it be...?


    "You''re thinking about it too, right Brother?" Aurum said. "Temple of heavenly dragon when transted to the Xingnguage is the Temple of Tian Long. This map they were talking about could be the same map our father stole 15 years ago. And if we are right that Mother''s abduction has something to do with whatever treasure was in that temple, then these Apostles of Gaia might as well be Mother''s abductors. Don''t you think so as well, Brother?"


    Argent grinned and messed with Aurum''s hair. "Great deduction."


    "I think your smartness is just rubbing off on me."


    "But we couldn''t be sure that that was really the case. It all depends whether there''s really a connection between what Father did here in Xing 15 years ago and Mother''s abduction. That''s why we need to know more about this Temple of Tian Long."


    "That''s why you need to go to Hangzhou as soon as possible. While you''re there, I''m going to obtain more information from the Empress here. Every information I find, I''ll immediately send to you."


    Argent understood her sister''s reasoning. In fact, what she''s suggesting could only be advantageous to them. But Argent still couldn''t help but worry. "Are you really going to be fine, being alone here? You have to deal with those annoying royals by yourself, you know."


    "I''ll be fine, Brother. I''m already a big girl, I can handle myself. This is also a good chance for me to exercise my Gift. If me staying here would help in finding Mother, then I''ll dly do it." Aurum reached for her brother''s hand when she noticed the undisguised worry in her purple eyes. "I won''t do anything that would put me in danger. I''ll be very careful. I promise."


    Argent let out a long breath. Even though she was still worried, she had no choice but to agree with her sister. Because Aurum might really uncover an important information by staying here. Something that could help them find their mother.


    She stared at Aurum, her sister''s beautiful face was full of determination. Argent could see now how much Aurum had grown in these past seven years. If this was before, she would never even suggest to leave Argent''s side. Argent couldn''t help but feel proud of her growth.


    "I understand. But you have to be very very careful. And don''t make any unnecessary action that will threaten your safety."


    "I won''t. I promise."


    "Then I''ll leave ck here with you. I wouldn''t feel reassured if you really remained here all on your own." Argent then called ck inside. She faced ck. "ck, I''m going to leave for Hangzhou tomorrow. You will stay here with Aurum and protect her. Do you understand?"


    "Eh? ck won''t be with Master?"


    "Don''t look so disappointed, kid," Aurum said while pinching ck''s cheek. "Starting tomorrow, you''re going to be my little maid."


    "But only a girl can be a maid. ck is a boy!"


    "Oh? But I think you will make a cute maid. Especially with a dress and a long wig," Aurum continued.


    "Okay, stop bickering you two." Argent turned to ck. "You haven''t answered me yet, ck. Did you understand what I told you?"


    "Yes. Don''t worry, Master. ck will definitely protect Aurum even if she''s annoying."


    Argent patted ck''s head. "Good." She looked at her sister. "Let''s do our best, then. For Mother."


    Aurum smiled. "Yes. For Mother."

 Chapter 95: flying to hangzhou

    Chapter 95: flying to hangzhou


    A SIMPLE ck carriage was moving towards the entrance gate of the city. Anyone who could see the direction it was travelling could tell that it was leaving the capital. Inside the carriage were two silent individuals. One was older and was wearing a simple ck robe, his eyes closed as if contemting something. The younger of the two was wearing a gray cloak, concealing the western clothes underneath.


    It was, of course, the young general - Zhang Lei Feng - and the young Duke of Hanover - Argent ckbourne.


    It had been an hour since they left the Zhang household. Argent looked out of the carriage''s window and remembered her temporary farewell with her sister. This was the first time that they separated after seven years of being together. So she couldn''t help but remember it. Especially with this quiet atmosphere.


    [One hour earlier...]


    "Remember what you promised. No unnecessary risk that would threaten your safety," Argent reminded her sister. They were just outside Aurum''s courtyard. Because ording to her sister, if she saw Argent getting on a carriage, her determination to stay here might be swayed. That''s why they''re saying their goodbyes here.


    "I know, Brother. You too. Be careful, okay? Don''t go getting into fights."


    "Since when did I ever start a fight?"


    "It''s because you always tend to piss off people that''s why you always get into fights. So try to be as low-key as possible, okay, Brother?"


    Argent didn''t know whether tough or cry. She didn''t expect that there woulde a time when Aurum would scold her about pissing people off when her sister, herself, was also good at that. "Yes, yes," she just said.


    Then she turned to ck who was currently sulking at the side. He was wearing a green short jacket and a flowery skirt below. His ck hair was gathered in two buns on both sides of his head, wrapped with a red silk ribbon. Anyone who saw him would think that he was a very cute little girl. They would never suspect that he''s a boy.


    When Argent saw ck earlier like this, she almost burst outughing. She never expected that Aurum would immediately dressed ck in girl''s clothing. But she controlled herself because this kid would surely throw a tantrum if she did. He might even refused to crossdress.


    "Master, ck doesn''t want to wear this fluffy dress," he said, pouting.


    "But I think ck is very cute like this," Argent said.


    ck''s expression suddenly brightened. "Really, Master? ck is really cute?"


    "Yes. Immensely so."


    ck finally smiled and twirled around. "Then ck doesn''t mind wearing this dress."


    "Such a simple-minded brat," Aurummented.


    "Just let him be. This way it would be easier to coax him into wearing girl''s clothing next time."


    Then they saw the young general walking up to the courtyard''s garden where they were.


    "The carriage is ready. Are you--" Lei Feng stopped what he was about to say when he saw ck. His expression suddenly turned constipated. Then he nced away. When he looked back at the twins, he already regained hisposure. "Are you ready to go?" he asked Argent.


    Argent nodded. She looked back at her sister. "I''ll be going now."


    Aurum couldn''t help but hug Argent tightly. "Take care, Brother."


    "ck wants a hug too!" ck followed, hugging Argent''s arm.


    Argent helplessly hugged back the two. "The two of you too. Make sure to take care of each other and don''t forget to contact me everyday."


    The both nodded then hugged Argent onest time before letting go.


    [Present time...]


    "Don''t worry, three of my dark guards were left in the capital. I asked them to protect your sister if she''s ever in danger," Lei Feng said, breaking the silence inside the carriage. "And that kid as well," he added. Then he remembered the kid wearing girl''s clothing. He visibly shuddered just remembering that image. No. He would forget what he saw or he would definitely have nightmares.


    Argent was slightly surprised by what Lei Feng said. "Thank you. That was actually thoughtful of you."


    "It''s nothing. About the thing you asked me, I already talked about it with my dark guards. It will go ording to your n."


    The n Lei Feng was talking about was them getting out of the carriage at the nearest forest. Of course, it had to be a spot where people wouldn''t notice that two people jumped off from a moving carriage. After jumping off, the carriage would continue on like nothing happened. And would continue to travel towards the North, theplete opposite of their destination.


    It was a counter-measure just in case the Emperor sent someone to follow them and watch their every move. The one driving the carriage was one of Lei Feng''s dark guard. Argent believed that this guard had enough ability to lose anyone who would try to follow the carriage.


    And then Argent nned to use her flying car to travel towards Hangzhou.


    "Good. But aren''t you going to ask me why I asked you to do that?" she curiously asked.


    Based on Lei Feng''s attitude so far, he probably would do anything she asked. She was not sure where this groundless trust wasing from, but it was not really to her taste. It did benefit her. But not knowing the reason why would just continue to puzzle her and then she would just be annoyed because she couldn''t solve it.


    "I know you have your reason. If you don''t want to say it, then I wouldn''t pry," he simply said.


    "Aren''t you afraid that what I''m doing right now would have you ending up on the Emperor''s bad side?"


    "Even if that''s the case, I won''t mind. I''m not so weak that I have to worry about something like that."


    "Hmm... But it bothers me, this weird trust you have on me. So, mind telling me why?"


    Lei Feng went silent for a second before raising his head and looking at her. "I''m not brave enough to tell you all my reasons now and exin to you everything. But trust me when I say that I''m not acting like this because I''m nning something nefarious. To you or to the people you treasure. If you don''t believe me, then believe the vow I made to you."


    Argent stared back at him. She knew full well that this guy was a bad liar. The fact that he wasn''t turning his gaze away was proof enough that he was telling the truth. His exnation was surely not enough. But somehow, it already eased her irritation by a few degrees. And she decided to tell him about her purpose ining here in Xing.


    It wouldn''t be avoided anyway. Being with her on this journey, he would definitely know about it sooner orter. It was better to tell him about it now. Besides, he made that vow. If, ording to what he said, they wouldn''t be enemies, then they might as well berades. This guy, along with his dark guards, would definitely be a big help.


    "My mother, she''s abducted and was brought here in Xing." Lei Feng''s expression became more serious when he heard what she said. "Will you help me find her?"


    "You don''t even need to ask. I will do everything to help you find her," he dered, his obsidian ck eyes full of unwavering determination.


    "Good," Argent said, not even noticing the small smile that appeared on her lips.


    After a while, they arrived at the forest near the capital. The carriage traveled swiftly inside. When they heard a small knock from the front of the carriage, they both knew that that was the signal that they could now jumped off outside. Both didn''t hesitate to jump. Theynded safely behind thick bushes. The carriage continued to move forward and the two easily jumped to the nearest tree branch.


    "The clearing you wanted is just up ahead," Lei Feng said. "Follow me."


    Lei Feng started jumping from one tree to another and Argent easily followed. In just a few minutes, they reached the said clearing. Lei Fengnded perfectly on the clearing, followed closely by Argent. After a few seconds, three of Lei Feng''s dark guards appear in front of them. All of them were wearing ck overalls. Argent was not familiar with the two, but if she was not mistaken, thest one would be one of the dark guards Lei Feng brought to Albion.


    "An Si, have you checked the perimeter?" Lei Feng asked the guard who looked familiar to Argent.


    "Yes, Master. There''s no one one within 100 meter radius of this clearing."


    Lei Feng turned to her. "Was that enough?"


    Argent nodded. Then she took from her space ring the capsule that housed her flying car, along with the remote. She threw it and pressed the right button on the remote. Then the flying car appeared in front of them. She turned to the four men who didn''t even bat their eyshes at the sudden appearance of such a strange object.


    "Get in. We''re going to fly to Hangzhou."

 Chapter 96: a code received

    Chapter 96: a code received


    ARGENT carefullynded the flying car on the clearing of a fairly dense forest. The forest was located near a small vige called Qingxin. This particr vige was the one closest to the small fishing vige of Hangzhou. Because Hangzhou was a fishing vige, it was inadvertently surrounded by bodies of water. The only way to go there was to hire a boat from Qingxin.


    Argent decided tond near Qingxin instead of going straight to Hangzhou. She studied the topography of Hangzhou from the map provided by Lei Feng. Hangzhou was a fishing vige located at a very small ind full of open spaces. There wasn''t any forest that could hide thending of the flying car. Thus, her decision.


    There were still three hours before midnight. The only light avable wasing from the moon above the starlit sky. But that was enough for Argent to sessfullynd the car on the clearing. She looked back at her four passengers. Lei Feng and An Si still looked normal but the same thing couldn''t be said to the other two. An Liu''s face was pale but he still maintained an emotionless expresion on his face. An Qi, on the other hand, looked like he would puke his gut''s out any minute now.


    "You can get out now."


    As soon as she said that, An Qi immediately ran outside the car. Probably to throw up. The other three men also followed. Argent turned off the stealth function of the car and also get off. Then she pressed the button of the remote, turning the car into a capsule. She picked it up and put both the capsule and the remote in her space ring.


    An Si who was preparing a bonfire once again marvel at the ingenuity of this flying contraption. If it wouldn''t bring shame to his Master, he would probably ''oohed and ahhed'' the first time he saw such a mysterious vehicle. He was sure that An Liu and An Qi also felt the same. So at the end, they only held their amazement in themselves and tried their best to act like it was nothing.


    But truly, this young duke was indeed a one of a kind genius. Someone who would only appear once in a millenium. Creating the sPhone was enough to cause a change in the way of life of people. But if people found out that the young duke also created such a contraption, it would no doubt bring forth another change. And he probably had other amazing inventions up his sleeve. What a fearsome genius. And to think that he was only 14 years old.


    But based on their master''s warning, it looked like the young duke didn''t really want to divulge his other inventions to the world. An Si thought it was a wise decision. Who knew what those people in power would do if they found out that the young duke could do more than amunication device. Wars would probably be fought just to get their hands on those inventions.


    Argent turned around and saw that Lei Feng was already setting up a tent while his guard An Si was already making a fire. "Where''s the other two?"


    "Hunting," Lei Feng answered. He stood up after he finished setting up the tent. "Do you mind eating wild game for dinner?"


    Argent shrugged. "I don''t mind."


    She sat near a tree and started thinking. Particrly about the things that her sister discovered. Argent was most concerned about the ''Apostles of Gaia'' thing. She kept on wondering if it was somehow connected to that dreadful Temple of Gaia. She asked White to search for information about Apostles of Gaia on their database, but as she expected, nothing of import came up. Which meant that no one ever posted anything about any Apostles of Gaia. And no one ever talked about it over sPhones. If this Apostles of Gaia was somehow an underground organization connected to the Temple, then not finding immediate information about it was understandable.


    Her thinking was cut off when she felt the familiar vibration from the diamond stud on her earlobe. Argent opened her light brain and what appeared on the screen was Jaxon''s handsome face.


    "Are you already in Hangzhou?" Jaxon asked, noting her surroundings.


    Argent sent Jaxon a message about the things Aurum discovered so he was pretty much up to date about everything. "Not yet. I''ll probably arrive there tomorrow. Have you found new information?"


    "Not on my end. I tried to search for the family that was supposed to guard the Elven queen''s favorite jewelry but found nothing. I couldn''t even tell if they did exist or not."


    "Hey, Uncle Jax, there''s something that has been bothering me for quite some time now. These treasures, they were obviously connected to the two mythical races - the dragons and the elves. Something like that should be pretty well-known, but why does it seem that no one knows about it?"


    "It''s not that no one knows about it, it''s just most people don''t believe that they exist. It''s been 500 years since Mythos continent closed off, so the existence of those three races almost felt like a myth. Legends about their treasures were innumerable. Finding out which one was true is almost impossible."


    But her father excluded two from those innumerable legends and somehow decided that they were true. But why those two particr legends?


    "By the way, my men didn''t find anything about that Temple of Tian Long. But they did find something when they went back at that forest where you lost Thea''s signal. This time, they searched every nook and cranny of the forest. Even each trees. It proved to be quite fruitful," Jaxon added.


    That certainly grabbed Argent''s attention. "What do you mean?"


    "They found something written on one of the trees. It was on the bottom and covered by tall shrubs so they didn''t notice it the first time they searched there. I recognized Thea''s handwriting, so I know she''s the one who wrote it. But I couldn''t make heads or tails of what she wrote. I think Thea made it that way so even if her abductors find it, they would just see it as nothing but gibberish. I will send the picture they took."


    "Please. And Uncle Jax, tell your men that they could leave that area where they are right now. Tell them that they shouldn''t be stealthy about it. The bigger their actions, the better. They should also act like they''re giving up their search."


    That way, if one of her mother''s abductors was still in the area, what they would see was a group of men searching for someone and then giving up in frustration because they couldn''t find her. That would definitely lower the guard of those damn abductors.


    "I understand. I''ll do what you say," Jaxon said, clearly understanding what Argent meant. "I will be travelling to Xing after I leave here. Since I don''t think I could find anything more even if I stayed."


    Argent only nodded since she really couldn''t find a viable reason to stop him. "But be careful on the excuse you''ll give why you suddenly visited Xing. The Emperor here is very tricky. You''re quite well-known yourself. If youe to Xing, that Emperor would surely want to meet you. If you''re not careful enough, that annoying man would surely think that something was up."


    Really this girl, calling an emperor annoying. "I know. You don''t have to worry about that."


    After that, both of them ended the call.


    Argent opened the message Jaxon sent containing the picture of the message her mother wrote on the tree. What she saw was;


    CAKEN TAOSD MBOLE UDTRT RCNDD EGAOP BBEOL NUOEL UODNR RENTA ROESA E


    Well, this certainly looked like gibberish. Argent took a small notebook and a pen from her space ring and started writing those letters. When done, she turned off her light brain and started studying the string of letters she wrote. It was definitely some kind of code. But how to decrypt it?


    Before she could continue to ponder, a delicious smell wafted in the air. Then a barbecued meat was suddenly presented in front of her face. Because she was still thinking about the code, she didn''t think much and just bit down on the barbecue. When she realized what she''d done, Argent looked up and saw Lei Feng holding the barbecued meat. With the help of the light from the bonfire, she noticed that his ear tips suddenly turned red. He''s probably embarrassed because of what she did.


    "Ah, sorry," she apologized and immediately took the barbecue.


    "It''s nothing. Tell me if you want to eat more."


    The three dark guards who saw this immediately looked down and pretended that they didn''t see anything.


    After eating dinner, Lei Feng suggested that Argent rested in the tent. Argent walked towards the tent. She was about to enter it when she remembered something. If she was not mistaken, this tent was some kind of magical tool. It''s the type where it looked small on the outside but really wide on the inside.


    Argent turned to Lei Feng. "Where will you sleep?"


    "On one of the trees."


    "Why not sleep inside? I''m pretty sure there''s more than enough space for the both of us."


    The moment Argent suggested that, Lei Feng''s ear tips immediately turned red. Even his face had a faint blush. "No. I''ll sleep outside."


    He didn''t wait for Argent to say more and just jumped to one of the trees.


    Argent tilted her head in confusion. What was he being shy about? She shrugged and just entered inside the tent.


    The three dark guards who also witnessed this scene didn''t know how to react. Howe their outstanding general was now acting like a teenage girl?

 Chapter 97: decrypting

    Chapter 97: decrypting


    ARGENT reluctantly rose from the matress she was sleeping on. She wanted to sleep more but she knew she couldn''t. The faster they could go to Qingxin, the faster they would arrive at Hangzhou. She stood up and looked around the wide interior of the tent. It could probably fit another five people. That''s why she told Lei Feng that he could sleep inside with her. Even if she slept on one side and he on the other, she was sure one of their fingers wouldn''t even touch. But Argent guessed he preferred to sleep outside. Being a general, he''s probably used to that.


    Argent washed her face with the water on the basin someone prepared for herst night. Then she walked outside and she immediately smelled the delicious scent of porridge. Lei Feng was dilligently stirring the porridge on the small pot with a serious expression on his face. As if what he was doing was a very important task.


    Lei Feng looked up at her. "Come and sit. This porridge will be done in a minute. Then we could eat breakfast."


    Argent nodded and sat across Lei Feng. "Where''s your dark guards?"


    "They''re around."


    "Wouldn''t it be better to let one of them do this mundane task?"


    "They don''t know how to cook," he answered, not daring to look at Argent.


    The three dark guards who were guarding around the perimeter all hadplicated expressions on their faces when they heard what their master said. Howe they suddenly didn''t know how to cook now? Weren''t their master the one who trained them in basic survival which, of course, included cooking? Wouldn''t it hurt to just admit that he didn''t want any of them to cook for the young duke?


    Now that Argent thought about it, the barbecued meat they atest night was also done by Lei Feng.


    A few minutes more and the porridge was ready. Lei Feng put out the fire and carefully poured porridge on one bowl. He put a wooden spoon on it and gave it to Argent. "Here. It''s hot so be careful."


    Argent epted the bowl of porridge and started eating. Her eyes slightly widened when she got her first taste. She didn''t expect much but it was actually good. Not too nd but not too vorful either. Just the way she liked it. Now that she remembered, that barbecued meatst night didn''t also have a very strong vor. That''s why she managed to eat three pieces without her even noticing.


    "You''re really good at cooking. If you''re tired of being a general, you might consider being a chef in your own restaurant," Argent said while eating her bowl of porridge.


    "I don''t cook just for anyone," Lei Feng muttered.


    "Hmm... I guess you won''t." He''s a mighty general after all, Argent thought and just continued eating.


    When they finished eating, one of the dark guards appeared and cleaned up the bowls and the cooking utensils used. Another one dismantled the tent. After they''re done, they immediately disappeared again.


    "Shall we start walking towards Qingxin vige?" Lei Feng asked.


    Argent nodded. She wore her cloak and put up the hood, hiding her hair and the upper half of her face.


    Lei Feng lead the way and Argent followed.


    "Why don''t your dark guards just walk with us? Will they just continue to lurk in the dark?" Argent thought of asking.


    "Yes. They wouldn''t be called dark guards if they don''t."


    Well, that actually kind of made sense.


    As they walked, Argent couldn''t help but yawned.


    "You didn''t get much sleepst night?" Lei Feng asked when she yawned for the sixth time.


    It''s probably more urate to say that she didn''t sleep at all. Argent only managed to sleep for an hour. It was all because of that code. She was trying to decode it all night and just ended up almost not sleeping at all.


    She first tried a very simple Atbash code where the alphabet would be arranged backwards. For example A would equal Z, B would equal Y, and so on and so forth. But the resulting sentences didn''t make any sense at all. Then she tried to match all the letters to another letter. She did all the possible permutations and yet nothing came off of it.


    Argent then tried to rearrange the letters. But it was hard to do that without finding the right pattern. It''s like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Of course, she could also just try to do all the possiblebinations but that would take a lot of time. Time she didn''t have.


    "I''m just having a problem with something," Argent said, answering Lei Feng''s question.


    "You mean the code written on your notebook?" When Argent gave him a questioning nce, he continued to say, "Sorry, I happened to nce at itst night. So, was it?"


    Argent gave a frustrated sigh. "Yeah."


    "It''s rted to your mother''s abduction, right? Do you mind if I take a look at it? Maybe a new eye could give you a new perspective?"


    Argent didn''t think there would be a problem with showing Lei Feng the code. After all, she already told him most of the situation. She took the notebook from her space ring and showed it to him.


    Lei Feng looked at it. The sentences altogether didn''t really make much sense, as typical of a code. He could see a number of forms written on the side. It''s clear how much Argent wanted to solve this code as soon as possible. "Have you tried everybination you could think of?"


    "Not all. At first, I thought the letters probably had another corresponding letter. But then, no matter whatbination I tried, it didn''t result into anything. Then I thought of rearranging it. But you should know how hard that could be without knowing the right pattern."


    "Or maybe you just need a keyword."


    Keyword? It felt like something shed inside Argent''s mind when she heard that. [I see. Why didn''t I think of that?]


    Now she couldn''t help but feel stupid. Not thinking about it much sooner. She stopped walking and took a pen from her space ring. Then she started to write the form she thought of on her notebook.


    Lei Feng also stopped walking and just stood beside Argent. He looked at her and saw the serious expression on her face. She''s already very immersed in what she''s writing. Argent probably already figured out how to solve the code. So he just quietly waited for her.


    A code that needed a keyword? Argent first tried the simplest one she could think of. A Columnar Transposition Cipher. Why would she choose to use a cipher that was from her original world? Because it didn''t mean that no one in this world could invent the same cipher. Her original world might be more advanced in terms of technology, but that didn''t mean that the people in this world were less intelligent.


    Columnar Transposition involved writing the intext out in rows and then reading the ciphertext off in columns. But before she could do that, she needed to write first the letter in the code in the proper order. For that, she needed a certain keyword.


    Now, for the keyword. This code was written by her mother. So the only keyword she could think of was her father''s name - Dorian. Then she counted the letters of the code. There were 56 letters. She needed to divide that by the length of the keyword, which in this case was six. The resulting number would be 9.33 which would be rounded off to the highest number which was 10. The answer would then be multiplied to the length of the keyword to find out how many boxes there were in the grid. 10X6 = 60. The ciphertext would then be subtracted from this number. 60-56 = 4. This would be the number of nulls in the grid. Which meant that thest four boxes in thest row would need to be ck out. So that no letters would be put on there while decrypting.


    In Columnar Transposition, to know where to put the letters first in the grid, one should look for the keyword as a guide. If Dorian was the keyword then the order of the number should be - 2 5 6 3 1 4. ording to their order in the alphabet. Now, to arrange it;


    a


    1


    c


    a


    k


    e


    n


    t


    a


    o


    s


    Argent continued writing until she got everything.


    D o r i a n


    2 5 6 3 1 4


    d o n t c o


    m e t r a p


    b l a c k b


    o u r n e b


    l o o d n e


    e d e d t o


    u n s e a l


    d r a g o n


    t r e a s u


    r e


    A loud thunder was suddenly heard and rain started to fall as Argent read the decrypted code.


    ''Don''te. Trap. ckbourne blood needed to unseal dragon treasure.''

 Chapter 98: back to fenghua palace

    Chapter 98: back to fenghua pce


    FOR THE second time this week, Aurum was travelling to the Imperial Pce. Particrly at Fenghua Pce - the Empress'' residence. Only two days had passed and the Empress invited her again to the pce. This time, not for tea but for lunch. Of course Aurum agreed. She wouldn''t miss a chance to look into that woman''s mind.


    Aurum guessed that the Empress would invite her again but she didn''t expect the invitation woulde this soon. That woman probably couldn''t wait to start her n of forcing Aurum into marriage with her youngest son. The Empress probably thought she was just a naive girl she could easily fool and control into doing what she wanted. That''s fine, Aurum didn''t mind ying with her for a while. After all, she still had information that could possibly help in their search for their mother.


    Aurum would utilize the five seconds she had to the fullest. Now that she knew what information to look for, she could fully focus on that. With her search having a focal point, she didn''t have to worry that all she could get was the Empress'' current thoughts. That way she could get the most amount of information in the least amount of time.


    She looked at ck sitting in front of her. He was still crossdressing as a little maid. She decided to just bring him instead of the maids from the Zhang household. Although ck looked unreliable, Aurum was still more at ease to use her Gift with him around as a bodyguard. Madame Lin did try to get her to bring at least two more maidservants. She''s just probably worried because Aurum nned to only bring ck with her. It took quite a while before she managed to convince Madame Lin that despite how his age, ck was actually a trained bodyguard. Aurum''s acting skills were truly tested because of that.


    "ck, remember what I told you. Once we''re in the pce, behave, don''t speak, and try not to attract attention to yourself."


    "ck knows. But what if you''re attack? Does ck still have to behave?"


    "That''s the exemption. When that happens, you can go all out."


    "Okay, ck will," he said while ying with the ribbons on his hair.


    This kid. He''s nowpletelyfortable wearing girl''s clothing. Did this kid actually already develop a fetish for crossdressing?


    Soon, they arrived at the pce. The same eunuch that weed Aurum before lead them to the Empress'' residence. When they arrived there, unlike the first time, the eunuch lead them inside the pce. Just like Aurum expected, the inside was even grander than the outside. When they arrived at the main hall, the eunuch announced her arrival. Several maidservants lead her inside.


    Two girls near Aurum''s age were already sitting inside.


    One was wearing a wide-sleeved white dress with beautiful golden embroidery. Her long ck hair was arranged in aplicated manner with beautiful pearl essories. Her skin looked soft and milky white. Her big ck eyes were fanned with thick ck eyshes. Her lips were tinted pink. It was quite obvious that she was doing everything to showcase her beauty.


    The other girl, on the other hand, was wearing a simple light green dress with no essories on her whatsoever. Even her hair only had a simple jadeb. She was passingly pretty with delicate and soft features. But because she didn''t put any effort in her looks, one could only call her in.


    After her arrival, the prettier one stood up and warmly greeted her. "Wee, Lady Aurum. I''m Li Min, the sixth princess. And this one is the seventh princess, Li Zi." She looked at the other girl still sittingzily at the side. "Li Zi, don''t be impolite and greet our guest."


    The other girl stood up and simply said, "Wee."


    Aurum raised her brow. If she was not mistaken, the sixth princess was rumored to be the most favored among all the princesses. She also heard from one of the servant girls in the Zhang household that there was almost a marriage between the sixth princess and the young general. But somehow, that Zhang Lei Feng managed to deflect that arrangement. He probably went to a lot of trouble just so he could manage to do that. And the fact that he did meant that despite this princess'' pleasing appearance, there must be something wrong with her if even that straightced general rejected her.


    If thezy looking princess was the seventh princess then she must be the one having that hairpin something ceremony a few days from now. Did the Empress invite this two to y the friend game with her? She actually expected the Empress'' youngest son to be the one waiting for her here. Well, no matter. It wouldn''t really affect what she had to do.


    Aurum bowed elegantly and smiled. "Your Highnesses. It''s a pleasure to meet the both of you."


    She sat down beside the seventh princess.


    "I''ve wanted to meet Lady Aurum since I heard that you''re here in Xing with your brother. Truly, your pictures in [Jiffy] don''t do you justice. You''re much more beautiful in person. You and your brother are truly both blessed. One with heaven-defying beauty and the other with overwhelming intelligence."


    Aurum felt a muscle on her face ticked when she heard what the sixth princess said. Was this girl offhandedly telling her that she only had beauty but no brains at all? She smiled sweetly. "Oh, please. I can''t ept suchpliments. Especially when Your Highness is much more beautiful than me."


    Take that. If there''s one thing Aurum was very confident about, it''s her looks. There was probably only a handful of people who could have the same level of beauty as hers. Including her brother, of course. But that didn''t include this princess in front of her. And anyone could clearly see that. So saying that the sixth princess was more beautiful than her was just a big joke to anyone who would hear it.


    The sixth princess only smiled. But Aurum could immediately tell that it was forced. The seventh princess on the other hand didn''t bother to hide her snicker. Li Min looked sharply at Li Zi before ressuming the innocent smile on her lips.


    "Lady Aurum is truly courageous,ing to Xing with your brother. But I heard Lord ckbourne left the capital yesterday. Are you alright, being here all alone?" the sixth princess asked.


    "I don''t think I''m that alone. Especially since I could talk with my brother anytime I want. So being in a new environment is not really that daunting for me."


    "That''s admirable," the sixth princess said before turning to the seventh princess. "You should learn from Lady Aurum, Li Zi. You''re always coop up inside your pce. We barely even see you. It''s starting to worry the rest of us, you know?" she added with a worried tone and expression as if she really cared about this younger sister''s well-being.


    This girl. She went through all that talk just to tell Aurum that the seventh princess was nothing but a recluse. Behaving like that, she surely had a lot of free times in her hands.


    Aurum nced at the seventh princess but the girl didn''t even have any reaction and just stayed silent. As if she didn''t hear what her older sister said. That got Aurum curious. So she decided to try and read this princess'' thoughts. It went smoothly, showing that the princess probably only had a low level Gift.


    [Who would want to go out with clowns like you prancing about?]


    Aurum almostughed because of that. Good thing she had superb acting skills. "I think it''s fine, to have a quirk like that. Trying to conform to what people wanted you to be would just make you the same as the rest. And wouldn''t that just be boring?" she said, silently telling the sixth princess that she was just like the other boring scheming women in this harem.


    Before the sixth princess could react to what she said, the Empress arrived. And they all proceeded to eat lunch.


    ----------


    After the end of the lunch, the person that Aurum already expected toe arrived. It was the fifth prince, the Empress'' youngest son - Li Ren. He was wearing a purple robe. His long hair was tied on top of his head by a jade crown. He looked like he was about 16 or 17 with features as delicate as a girl''s. He wasn''t even that tall either. In Aurum''s estimation, her brother was probably much taller. If he crossdressed, no one would think that he''s really a boy.


    And the Empress really thought Aurum would marry such a girly looking boy?


    "Ah Ren, this Empress told you toe here for lunch," the Empress said in a scolding tone.


    "My apologies, Mother. I was attending another important matter. I''ll make sure to make it up to you, okay?" the prince said who didn''t hesitate to act spoiled.


    Aurum stopped herself from cringing. His voice was so soft, even his manners were effeminate to the extreme. He would probably passed more as a girl than her brother who was really a girl.


    "Then escort Lady Aurum back to the Zhang household." The Empress looked at Aurum. "This Empressed noticed that you only brought a little maid with you. This Empress would feel uneasy if no one escort you. So let this unreliable son of this Empress send you back."


    That''s not really subtle at all. But Aurum only smiled and agreed. When she was about to leave the main hall, that''s when she made her move. She turned off her limiter and then directed her Mana towards the Empress. She focused on everything rted to the Apostles of Gaia, especially that map the Empress supposedly gave. Once the five seconds time limit was up, she immediately turned her limiter back on.


    Aurum was digesting all the informations she received as they walked. She was not paying attention at all to the fifth prince. That continued until they reached the carriage that sent Aurum to the Imperial Pce. That''s when the prince finally spoke.


    "I know my mother wanted to make a match between the two of us. But let me make something clear, I''m not the least bit interested in you," he said, the milky tone he used to talk to his mother was gone. It was now reced by a haughty one. As if he was a queen and Aurum was a mere peasant.


    Aurum raised one of her brows. If she''s not confident with herself, that might turn to be a blow to her ego. "That''s good. Because I don''t have the least bit interest in you either."


    The prince snorted. "Perfect. Then you can go back by yourself."


    After saying that, he haughtily walked off.


    "Did Aurum just get rejected?" ck asked.


    Aurum flicked his forehead. "It''s a mutual rejection," she corrected before getting inside the carriage.


    She already couldn''t wait to tell her brother what she found in the Empress'' memories.

 Chapter 99: deduction

    Chapter 99: deduction


    ARGENT looked outside the window. It was still raining heavily outside. Harsh wind blew and lightning and thunder cracked the already dark sky. It''s been a whole morning with nothing but heavy rain and thunderclouds. And Argent was inside one of the rooms of an inn in Qingxin.


    When the rain started to fall heavily earlier, both she and Lei Feng ran towards the vige as fast as they could and rented two rooms at the nearest inn. If the rain didn''t stop today, they decided to go to Hangzhou tomorrow. Since no boatman would send them there in this weather. Argent was fine with that. Because she still needed time topletely analyze the decoded words from the cipher her mother left.


    ''Don''te. Trap. ckbourne blood needed to unseal dragon treasure.''


    ''Don''te'' meant that her mother already expected that Argent woulde looking for her. That was not surprising since Argent told her about the GPS function of the bracelet she gave her. Argent also told her that she could search for her location using her sPhone. Her mother might have thought that once they couldn''t contact her, they would immediately search for herst known location. And when they found that both her bracelet and sPhone were destroyed, that would push them into looking for her.


    That''s why she left that code as a warning. Because she knew they would discover it and that Argent would be able to solve it. Her mother probably wanted for the code to serve as a warning to both her daughters. That that should be the end of their search and that they should stop looking for her. Because just as she said, it was a ''trap''.


    If it was indeed a trap, wouldn''t it be much easier to just contact Argent and threatened her with the life of her mother? With just one message from them, Argent and Aurum would probably do any of their bidding. But then again, they might not have done that because they thought Argent woulde up with a number of countermeasures to fight them. However, if her mother just mysteriously disappeared, Argent''s mind would constantly be filled of ways on how to find her instead of ns on how to fight her abductors.


    In short, it was a ploy to let her guard down. In some way, they were right. Of course the first thing Argent would think of was how to find her mother. But that didn''t mean that Argent would not be able to think of other things. She frowned. It''s irritating, being looked down upon. It''s almost like they''re questioning her intelligence.


    But what really concerned her was thest part of the decoded cipher. ''ckbourne blood needed to unseal dragon treasure''. Why? What was so special about their family''s blood? She asked Jaxon earlier when she told him that she already decoded the message her mother left. But he didn''t give her anything of use. All he knew was that the ckbournes were an old ducal family in Albion.


    That was also the extent of Argent''s knowledge regarding the original body''s ancestry. She never really put any effort into finding more since it didn''t really interest her. Though she heard something like how starting at her great grandfather''s generation, the main family only had one offspring. Her father had no siblings, as well as her grandfather. It only changed in this generation when her mother gave birth to twins. But could that even be considered as important information?


    Instead of helping Argent solved the mytery, Jaxon suggested that she went back to Albion together with Aurum. Of they could just simply return to her ind. If this was really a trap, then it would be safer for them to just leave everything to him. Of course she refused. How could she leave now when they''ve gotten this far? She couldn''t just leave everything to Jaxon. Especially when it''s now in obvious that her mother''s abductors took her because of something rted to their family.


    Argent''s conversation with Jaxon ended with them not agreeing with each other. Oh well, he''d probablye around. It''s not like he could drag them away from here anyway.


    She sat down on the bed and looked at the ceiling. The only good thing she could think of right now was that her mother was still definitely alive. Those people wouldn''t kill her, not unless they got their hands on either her or Aurum. But because of that, she now had to worry about her sister being alone in the capital. It''s probably not the right idea to separate. Good thing ck was with her. That kid would definitely do everything to protect Aurum.


    Just then, Argent felt the familiar vibration from the diamond stud on her earlobe. She immediately opened her light brain and saw her sister''s beautiful face on the screen.


    "Brother!" Aurum excitedly greeted. "Wait- is it raining there?"


    "Yes, quite heavily in fact."


    "Then you''re staying at an inn? That would slow your travel then."


    "Not entirely. We''re just one vige away from Hangzhou. We''re probably arrived there tomorrow once the rain stopped."


    "Eh? Brother, don''t tell me- did you ride on one of your flying vehicles?" Argent nodded. "Was that really alright? I mean, you went there with that serious faced general, right? Was it really okay to show him one of your inventions?"


    Lei Feng''s serious face shed in Argent''s mind. "It''s probably fine if it''s that guy."


    Aurum''s brows furrowed. When did her brother started trusting that general? She shook her head. It''s not the right time to think about something like that. She''d just ask Argent about itter. Right now, it''s more important to tell her brother what she found in the Empress'' memories.


    "Brother, could you show me the video of that white-cloaked person we saw from mother''s sPhone? And could you also erge the image, please?"


    Not sure why her sister suddenly requested that, but Argent still did what she asked. It didn''t take time, since she already erged that image quite a number of times to see that white-cloaked person''s face. But to her utter disappointment, they were wearing a mask with some kind of symbol drawn on it. It covered their entire face. Once argent sent the image, she saw her sister staring intently at it.


    "It''s him. This is definitely him." Aurum raised her head and looked at Argent. "I looked into the Empress'' memories today, specifically looking at anything rted to the Apostles of Gaia. And then I saw this guy wearing the same mask as that white cloaked person. That kind of mask was definitely custom made, especially with those weird symbols on it. He couldn''t possibly have the same mask. Unless they''re the same person or they belong to the same organization that used the same mask."


    "Wait- backtrack a bit," Argent said, cutting off whatever Aurum was saying. "You went to the pce again today?"


    "Yes. The Empress invited me again. Of course I have to go. But that''s not important right now. Didn''t you hear what I just said? The people who took Mother was definitely from that Apostles of Gaia group."


    "I heard you." And she also agreed with her sister''s deduction. But this turn of events was definitely worrisome. Especially after confirming that them being here in Xing was the enemy''s trap. "The person you saw from the Empress'' memories, was it a man?"


    Aurum nodded. "I can tell from his voice."


    "What did he and the Empress talked about?"


    "That guy suddenly appeared in the Empress'' chambers and told her that he was an Apostle of Gaia. The Empress asked if he could prove his identity, then the man showed a small crystal ball emitting a purple light. Inside it, I could vaguely see the image of a girl. And that was enough for the Empress to believe that he was indeed what he introduced himself as. Then they proceeded on doing their transaction.


    "The guy wanted for the Empress to give him one of the maps hidden in the Emperor''s chambers. He said that it should be a map that the Emperor took back 15 years ago. Based on what she was thinking at that moment, she probably had an idea what map the man was talking about. If she seeded, then the Apostles of Gaia would make sure that her eldest son would sit on the throne of the Emperor.


    "I jumped from there to the point when she already gave the map to the guy. So I didn''t know how she managed to get it. Though it was probably not that hard. Since what she gave was only a picture of the map from her sPhone. Considering her identity, she could easily go in and out of the Emperor''s chambers without anyone questioning her. That job would certainly not be that easy if another person, other than her, had to do it."


    Argent collected the information she heard and piled it up on the things she had to think aboutter. "Did you see why the Empress thinks that this Apostles could help her son be the next Emperor?"


    Aurum shook her head. "I didn''t have enough time so I only focused on the memories that I think would be important. But don''t worry, I can just look into her memories again."


    "No. Stay at the Zhang household for now."


    If this was indeed a trap, then there''s a huge possibility that those people - those Apostles - took into consideration the fact that the Empress would try to pair Aurum with her youngest son once she found out that the ckbourne twins would being to Xing. They probably already knew about Aurum''s Gift. If she used it on the Empress, then the possibility of her remaining in the capital would be greater. They probably even thought of using the Empress to feed Aurum information which she would in turn give to Argent. Which only meant one thing. They already picked which twin they would use to unseal whatever treasure they were looking for.


    They picked her - Argent.


    Aurum remained in the capital, while she was the one directly looking for their mother. And since she''s already looking for their whereabouts, all they have to do was to wait for her to find them. It''s almost like she''s directly delivering herself to them. But that''s fine with her. At least now Argent didn''t have to worry that her sister would be suddenly kidnapped while she was not with her.


    "Okay. But I have to attend the seventh princess'' hairpin ceremony in just a few days."


    "Then make sure to always be surrounded by a lot of people." Just in case her conjecture was not right and one of those Apostles did try to kidnap Aurum.


    "I understand," Aurum said, she didn''t question her brother that much because she knew Argent was probably just worried about her. "Oh, I almost forgot. I got a good look at that map. I can draw it for you, Brother. Once I''m done, I''ll immediately send it to you."


    Argent nodded. That''s another good news. "Then I''ll be waiting."


    Once their call ended, Argent stood up and walked towards the window. She opened it and let the cold wind hit her face. A menacing grin appeared on her face.


    [Let''s see who''s going to win this game; You people calling yourselves Apostles? Or me, Argent ckbourne?]

 Chapter 100: one legend, three treasures

    Chapter 100: one legend, three treasures


    ARGENT squinted her eyes at the morning sun. She couldn''t believe that it was raining like there''s no tomorrow just the day before. She lowered her hand and threaded her fingers through the soft waves of the sea. She felt the cool temperature of the water. The small boat they were riding were smoothly sailing towards its destination.


    Early this morning, just after they ate breakfast, Argent and Lei Feng hired a boatman who would send them to Hangzhou. They were both currently sitting on the small boat, the boatman they hired was standing on the helm. Lei Feng''s three dark guards were riding on another boat since a small boat like this could only aodate up to four people. Argent raised her head and saw the small ind up ahead. But it would probably still take at least an hour before they reached it.


    With that much time, Argent couldn''t help but thought of the conversation she had with her sister yesterday. Specifically about those Apostles of Gaia. Why would the Empress believe that these Apostles could help her son be the next emperor? Were they that much of a powerful organization? If that was true, then why didn''t she hear anything about them until now? Surely there must be some kind of talk about them if that was the case. Or was it because they were such a big secret organization that only a few handful knew about them? Particrly those people who were in power.


    The other probability was that a much bigger organization was keeping their information from being disclosed to the public. The Temple of Gaia for example. The name sure fits anyway. Maybe these Apostles were responsible for doing the Temple''s dirty deeds. Helping to shape the political structure of a country, doing shady things and acting behind the scenes, and killing people who got in their way.


    Argent pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling another headacheing. She really hated not having all the information at hand. Going around in circles like this didn''t really help. She took a deep breath. The only thing she could do now was to solve these problems one a time. For now, Argent needed to learn first about the legend surrounding the Temple of Tian Long. Then she''d wait for the map her sister would send her. Because she was sure that wherever the ce the map was headed, that''s where she would find her mother.


    Speaking of maps, it would probably be easier to just ask White to hack into the Empress'' sPhone and take the picture of the map. But Argent decided against it. Drawing the map herself was probably Aurum''s own way of pinching in to help. Argent wouldn''t undermine her sister''s hardwork by simply hacking the Empress'' sPhone.


    Argent was still thinking when a peeled orange was suddenly presented in front of her. She raised her head and saw Lei Feng handing the orange to her.


    "Eat. They said fruits can give you energy when youck sleep." When she didn''t pick the orange immediately, he continued, "Don''t worry, I made sure that it''s not too sour and not too sweet either."


    Argent finally picked the orange. "Thanks." She tasted one and found that it was not indeed too sour or too sweet. It was just right. "When did you buy this?"


    "I bought a bag before we had breakfast. If you want more, just tell me. I''ll peel another one for you."


    She ate another piece. "You know, despite how serious you look, you''re really like a good big brother," she said, really meaning it. Lei Feng was attentive, dependable, strong, not to mention, a good cook. "Maybe I should call you big brother from now on."


    "I don''t want to be your brother," Lei Feng muttered in a barely audible voice.


    "Did you say something?"


    "Nothing," he answered, ncing away.


    Soon, they reached the shore of Hangzhou. They saw a number of fishermen getting off their boats. All looked in their direction. Not surprising, considering they''re outsiders. Aside from that, despite the fairly warm weather, Argent was wearing a cloak, covering her hair. The upper part of her face was covered by a white domino mask.


    She considered using the holographic choker that could immediately disguised her appearance. But she thought, it didn''t matter anyway. As long as she kept the cloak and the mask, it''s enough to disguise her face. And since this was just a small ind where sPhone''s influence hadn''t even reached, using the holographic choker was a little bit over the top.


    Their first destination was an inn. Considering the size of the ind, they probably only had one. Lei Feng asked for direction from one of the fishermen and they soon entered the vige. Just like on the shore, everyone''s eyes were glued on them. No, it was glued on Lei Feng. Even though he''s masking his presence, it couldn''t change the fact that he was indeed handsome. Maybe Argent should have let him used the holographic choker instead.


    The vige of Hangzhou had a rustic feel to it. As expected of a small vige far from the influence of the country''s capital. The buildings were simple, most of the shops were small, and the clothing of the people were mostly made of rough materials.


    A little whileter, they arrived at the inn. It was only two floors, with the first floor being a restaurant. The reason they went there was because the best ce to gather information in such a small ce like this was an inn. It''s a ce where people gather, so it''s inevitable that it would be a nest of information.


    When they entered the inn, a waiter was about to wee them but the innkeeper stopped him and walked to the two himself. It''s because he immediately noticed their high quality clothing. It was obvious they were outsiders. It''s not often they got rich visitors. So the innkeeper had to make sure that nothing would go wrong. He had to entertain them himself.


    "Wee, dear customers," the innkeeper greeted cheerfully. "Would you be staying or would you eat first? We have a lot of delicious specialties."


    "Neither. We''re looking for information about a known legend around this area. Something that has to do with the Temple of Tian Long," Argent said. "Of course, there''s a reward for you if you give us something useful."


    The innkeeper was disappointed at first but he was immediately revived because of thest part he heard. These two were probably treasure hunters. Their vige received tourists like these at least one or twice every year. Looking for a treasure that didn''t exist. But the innkeeper didn''t care. He could tell them that legend as many times as they wanted as long as he could get money.


    "Then you came at the right ce. I know everything about that legend. Maybe these two gentlemen would want to eat snacks while listening?"


    Argent sighed and just agreed. The innkeeper beamed and led them towards a private box. He was even the one who ordered food for them.


    "Is there anything in particr these two gentlemen wanted to know about the legend?" the innkeeper asked once the dishes arrived.


    "Just tell us everything," Argent simply said.


    "The most widely known variation of the legend was that under the sea of Leng Jing lies the Temple of Tian Long. Only a child with the blood of Tian Long could open the gates of the temple and get his treasure. But the truth is, that''s only a part of a long story.


    "This story was passed on to me by my grandmother which was passed onto her by her mother. It says that when the Mythos continent closed off, a treasure from each mythical race was sent to three different corners of the world. One of the treasures submerged under the sea of Leng Jing. It was the sword of the dragon king. A temple rose to protect it against those underserving of its power. The temple was named Tian Long. The only one who could safely walked inside was a child of all. And when a child of all gathered the three treasures, he can then enter the long lost paradise."


    A lot of things went through Argent''s head when she heard all that. "These treasures... do they have a name?"


    "The sword of the dragon king, the ring of the elven queen, the crown of the king of the beasts - together, they are called the sacred artifacts."


    When the innkeeper was done, Argent threw a pouch of gold coins to him. The innkeeper happily walked outside the private box. The sacred artifacts were still ringing inside Argent''s head when she received a message from her sister. It the drawing of the map.


    "Where are we going next?" Lei Feng asked.


    Argent nced at him. "Where else? We''re going to this non-existent sea of Leng Jing and have a look at one of this so-called sacred artifacts."

 Chapter 101: where is the sea of leng jing?

    Chapter 101: where is the sea of leng jing?


    ALTHOUGH Argent told Lei Feng that they should go to the sea of Leng Jing, but she still had no idea how they should go around doing that. So they decided to stay a bit longer at the private box of the inn''s restaurant. At least not until Argent managed to sort things out. And it didn''t help that her head was currently filled with the details of the legend the innkeeper just told them.


    The sword of the dragon king, the ring of the elven queen, and the crown of the king of the beasts - three sacred artifacts that was supposedly sent out to three different locations after the Mythos continent closed off. The one that could be found in the Temple of Tian Long was obviously the dragon king''s sword. The legend Jaxon discovered in Sarmatia was most probably talking about the elven queen''s ring. The only one with its whereabouts unknown was the crown of the beastking.


    When speaking of artifacts, the first thing that came to her mind was a certain young man they met in Shandra - y. When they separated, he talked about how the Temple brutally murdered his parents because they refused to give the ancient artifact that their family was guarding for centuries. Argent immediately thought of the possibility that it could be one of those sacred artifacts. It would certainly fit the story Jaxon found. That the ring of the elven queen was entrusted to a family in Sarmatia.


    But then again, if Argent remembered correctly, y said that his family lived somewhere in the Southeastern continent. Sarmatia was in the Northern continent. Her theory wouldn''t fit if that was the case. Though it was still possible that that family migrated to the Southeastern continent and y was truly their descendant.


    If that was the case, then that could be considered as evidence that these Apostles were indeed a part of the Temple of Gaia. Two equally powerful organization that just both happened to be searching for the sacred artifacts and also used the name of the goddess Gaia, it would almost be impossible to think that they were two separate groups. That would be too much of a coincidence, wouldn''t it?


    Argent still needed concrete evidence to prove that. But it wouldn''t stop her from thinking that those Apostles were part of the Temple of Gaia.


    Her dislike towards the Temple was increasing because of that. And if she proved that they were really the one behind her mother''s abduction, then that dislike would most likely turn into deep hate.


    Then there was thatst part of the legend the innkeeper told them. That only a ''child of all'' could enter the Temple of Tian Long safely and that once he gathered the three sacred artifacts, he could enter the long lost paradise.


    What the heck was a ''child of all''? If Argent based it on the fact that ckbourne blood was needed to unseal the dragon treasure, then wouldn''t that mean that the members of their family could be considered as a ''child of all''? But what''s the basis for that? She wouldn''t really know the answer unless she investigate more. Or maybe she would just beat the crap out of one of those Apostles until they tell her everything.


    Then how about her father? Did he manage to get the three sacred artifacts? But if he did, then why would those Apostles look for them again? And they were looking for it on the same ce, no less. Wouldn''t that mean that her father failed?


    Argent clenched her fist. She resisted the urge to just punch the table in front of her just to release some of her frustrations.


    "Don''t think too much," a calm voice suddenly said in front of her. Argent raised her head and looked at Lei Feng. "Calm down and think of what you most needed to do right now."


    Argent stopped. Lei Feng was right. If she kept overthinking like this, nothing would be done. She took a deep breath and calmed herself. Then she widened the screen of her light brain where the picture of the map Aurum drew was, so that Lei Feng could see it too.


    "There''s a high chance that my mother''s abductors took her somewhere around thatnd mass."


    The drawing was that of a circr ind that was hollowed in the middle. The space at the middle was quite big. It looked like argeke encircled by and mass. And that center was where the words ''Sea of Leng Jing'' was written. Not on the big amount of ocean surrounding it, but specifically on that center.


    Argent didn''t think that Aurum would make a mistake by putting the wrongbel where it didn''t belong. Which meant this hollowed center was really the sea of Leng Jing. And that was all that was shown on the map. No directions, not even atitude or a longitude.


    ording to Aurum, the Empress received a letter from those Apostles saying that she gave them the right map. How could they possibly find this ce with only this dismal drawing? Since a lot of people said that the sea of Leng Jing didn''t exist, could it be that the clue could be found on its name?


    Leng Jing in the Xingnguage meant ''calm''. Then the sea of Leng Jing could be roughly tranted to ''a calm sea''. A calm sea could mean that there was no wave. An ocean couldn''t bepletely waveless but it was possible to have barely any waves on it. The mostmon reasons for that was either the water was too shallow or the tectonic tes underneath has no movements.


    It''s impossible for it to be shallow. Because then, how could a temple be submerged underneath? It if was because of tectonic reason, Argent couldn''t possibly search every ocean in Xing just to check which one had unmoving tectonic tes.


    "This shape, don''t you think it''s familiar?" Lei Feng suddenly asked.


    "Huh? In what way?"


    "A crater."


    Something suddenly flickered in her mind when Argent heard that. A volcanic crater! What if there''s a dormant volcano submerged somewhere under Xing''s sea? If there was some way that the level of water could decrease and show just the tip of the crater, having the sea water remained in the hollow of that crater, then it would perfectly show the image of the map that Aurum drew. With that, it would no longer be weird for the sea water inside to be called the sea of Leng Jing. Because once the tip of the crater was out of the ocean, then the water inside it would no longer be a part of the said ocean. Thus, producing a still body of water.


    Like a calm sea.


    Argent assumed that that crater wouldn''t just appear under normal circumstance. Because if it did, then people would have long discovered it. Some kind of magical enchantment was probably ced on it. Just like how it was possible that a temple could possibly be burried inside that volcano.


    If that was the case, then a powerful enchantment was needed. But it probably would be the type that wouldn''t be easily sensed by people. Not even by those powerful Gift users. Because if it wasn''t, then people woulde swarming on a ce surrounded by that powerful Mana. No matter the reason.


    She could use the Mana detector she made. Argent made something like that since she thought that it might be helpful to her one day. Considering how she couldn''t naturally felt Mana. Unless it came from a very obvious and very powerful source. She made it in a way that could detect any kind of Mana, even if that Mana was not meant to be sensed by anyone. Then once she found it, she could destroy it just by simply touching it. Since she had that kind of special constitution.


    But the problem now was, where could they possibly begin their search?


    She looked at Lei Feng and told him all her conjectures. He didn''t oppose her and seemed to agree to what she thought. Then she finally asked, "Where should we start looking?"


    "Around the sea area of this ind," Lei Feng answered. "The only reason I could think of why that legend was so prominent in this area was because the Temple of Tian Long was located somewhere near here." He took out a map of Xing from his space ring andid it down on the table. He then encircled the ind where the vige of Hangzhou was located. The circle included some uninhabited small inds. "I think this should be the circumferential area that we should search."


    Argent stared at the map and then raised her head to look at Lei Feng. "Let''s start then."


    ----------


    A lone figure stood on top of a small boat. His tinum blond hair was swaying with the wind. His pair of heterochromatic eyes - one forest green, one sky blue - were staring at the vast, empty ocean in front of him.


    Viper scrunched up her brows. Was this really the ce his master told him to go? But there was nothing here! He pouted. Maybe his master was just ying a prank on him. Sending him to this useless errand just so he wouldn''t meet with Argent.


    Viper suddenly sensed something and immediately dodged to the side. Because of his sudden movement, he lost bnce and slowly fell. He looked up and saw the red arrow that flew by him. As his body fell on the sea, a wide grin appeared on his lips.


    Looked like this was the right ce after all.

 Chapter 102: viper on an island

    Chapter 102: viper on an ind


    VIPER slowly rose up from the sea water and walked towards the shore of the uninhabited ind where the red arrow came flying. He frowned at his wet clothes. There were rips in some ces. He probably got it while swimming from his original location to this ind. It was quite a long swim after all. Since the distance between the two were a bit far.


    He took off his shirt, showing the upper part of his body - broad shoulders, chiseled abdomen, and firm muscles. All his clothes were enchanted, so it wouldn''t decay because of his Gift. That''s why he hated it whenever his clothes were destroyed like this.


    Viper took another set of clothing from his space ring. He was about to wear it when a red spear suddenly came flying at him which he barely managed to dodge. The red spear disintegrated like a puddle of blood on the sand. It slowly reformed into four daggers and flew straight to him.


    "At least let me wear my clothes first, you shithead!" he shouted while raising his hand. A slew of poison liquid came out and covered the four daggers. Then he immediately ran towards the forest.


    He wore the dry shirt while running. He felt some kind of trajectory flying to his side. He immediately changed the direction he was running. This was seriously starting to piss him off. Once he saw the person attacking him, he''d definitely kill him. That would probably not vite the rule of the group to not kill without contract. After all, his master specifically told him to do everything he could to make sure that he would sessfully execute the mission he gave him.


    That must include killing people that hindered him, right?


    The mission his master gave him was to make sure that some old treasure wouldn''t go to the hands of a certain pesky group. It took a while for Viper to find the location of the said treasure. Because he had to filter through every sted legend he heard and find out which one was really the truth. And then when he finally found the right one and reported it to his master, his master just easily told him the exact location of that old treasure.


    Remembering that still annoyed the hell out of Viper. If his master already knew where it was, then why didn''t he just tell it to him from the start? Then Viper wouldn''t have to go through all that trouble of asking a bunch of old people from one vige to another and hear the same legend over and over again. If he didn''t have to waste so much time on that, Viper would have long finished this mission. Then he would probably be on his way now to Argent.


    His master was probably still punishing him for killing that useless Gecko. Honestly, if he could, he would cut that jerk''s head all over again. Because of Gecko''s stupid antics, Viper had to be away from Argent for seven years. Seven years! Viper nned to constantly visit Argent and see him grow up. But he didn''t get to do both. He missed the chance of seeing Argent grew so beautifully.


    Viper didn''t get to see how he managed to build hispany, if he ever finished his sword training, or if there were people who bullied him these past seven years. Viper missed so much of Argent''s life. How could he not feel resentful? Even if he managed to bring Gecko back to life and kill him over and over again, it wouldn''t be enough.


    He''d just have to make up for all the lost time then. Once he''s done with this sted mission, of course.


    But first, Viper had to deal with this annoying attacker. He dodged again when he felt another group of flying trajectory came at him. He raised his hand and released poisonous gas towards the direction where the trajectories came from. All the trees and nts that the gas passed by immediately wilted. Viper didn''t want to fight in a space where there were so many obstacles around. He preferred fighting in open spaces.


    He speeded up his pace and only stopped when he finally reached a clearing. But before Viper could prepare for an attack, something caught his attention first.


    On the center of the clearing, on a rectangr stone by a woman. She had short golden brown hair and skin that looked like it was kissed by the sun. She was wearing a shirt and pants instead of a dress that a woman usually wore. She appeared to be peacefully sleeping, based on her closed eyes and still figure.


    Viper walked towards the sleeping woman and stared at her face. He tilted his head to the side. Why did this woman look so familiar?


    "Hmm... hmm... hmm..." he moved his head back and forth, thinking. Then as if a light bulb suddenly turned on inside his head, he finally remembered where he saw the woman. "Argent''s mother!"


    But what was she doing here?


    Before he could think more, two red daggers flew towards his direction. He immediately put up a poisonous wall, the vascuous liquid decayed the two daggers. Viper positioned himself far from the stone b where Argent''s mother was lying. No matter the reason why she''s here, he couldn''t let her be hurt. What if Argent found out that he encountered his mother here and then he just left her? Argent would surely hate him. Of course, he couldn''t let that happen.


    From the direction where the two daggers came from, a figure suddenly appeared. Viper wasn''t sure if it was a man or a woman. They were walking towards the clearing, wearing a white cloak and a mask that covered their face. A malicious grin appeared on Viper''s face when he saw the way they dressed.


    An Apostle!


    Only those people could wear that ugly mask. So his guessed was right, an Apostle of Gaia was really the one attacking him. His master said that he couldn''t let the Apostles get their hands on that old treasure. If he killed this guy, that meant that he would seed with his mission. Then he could finally go to Argent!


    Viper didn''t really mind killing this guy. Since he immensely disliked the Apostles of Gaia. For him, they''re like mindless puppets who didn''t have their own wants and desires and just followed whatever order was given to them by their puppet master.


    "Hey, mind telling me what that unconcious woman was doing here?" he asked. "Did she just get lost or did you kidnap her and forcefully brought her here? Because if it''s thetter, then I can''t give you a quick death. I have to torture you slowly since you just kidnapped the mother of my sweetheart."


    Instead of answering, blood flowed from the wound on the palm of the Apostle. Then that blood slowly turned into a sword.


    A maniacal smile appeared on Viper''s face. "A slow torture for you then."


    Then he attacked.

 Chapter 103: more beautiful than anything else

    Chapter 103: more beautiful than anything else


    THE SUN was setting on the horizon. Over the ocean surrounding the fishing vige of Hangzhou, unbeknownst to all, an invisible vessel was flying around. It was, of course, Argent''s flying car on stealth mode.


    They''ve been searching on the left side area of the sea surrounding Hangzhou all through afternoon but the Mana detector Argent attached to the flying car was still not showing any signs of change. Even Lei Feng''s dark guard who could transfer his conciousness to animals hadn''t found anything. His conciousness was now inside a fish swimming under the sea at the same area the car was travelling to make sure that Argent''s Mana detector hadn''t missed anything.


    Argent clenched her teeth. They''re getting nowhere and it''s just making her more and more frustrated. She suddenly felt a gentle pat on her shoulder. She turned to her right and looked at Lei Feng questioningly.


    "Don''t feel frustrated. We''ll find it. Rushing things will only get us nowhere. First, we''ll have dinner, then we''ll rest a little. After that, we will continue our search. Is that okay to you?"


    The three dark guards immediately lowered their gazes. When did their master be so gentle? Was this still the spartan general who almost trained themselves to death?


    Argent didn''t know what to say for a second. It''s amazing, how Lei Feng seemed to always know what she felt. Then she nodded. Because he was right. Nothing woulde up with her feeling frustrated. She might even missed some important detail if she didn''t keep her calm. "Okay."


    Argent drove andnded the flying car to the nearest uninhabited ind. Once it safelynded, Argent turned off it''s stealth mode. The first ones to go out was An Qi, followed by An Liu. Looked like the two were still not used to travelling inside the flying car.


    Once they all got out, the three dark guards immediately went deeper into the forest. They would probably search for firewoods and hunt wild game. Leaving Argent and Lei Feng alone. Argent didn''t bother to turn back the car into its capsule form since they would use it againter anyway. And ording to An Si - who searched the ind by transferring his conciousness to a bird - the ind was uninhabited. So no one would see her flying car.


    She sat in a lotus position on the ground. Lei Feng followed suit.


    "The people who took your mother, they''re dangerous, aren''t they?" Lei Feng suddenly asked. Argent only nodded. "And these people... their real goal was you. They wanted to use you to get that sacred artifact, am I right?"


    Lei Feng also saw that decoded cipher. Since then, he had been worrying. Worrying about Argent''s safety. He''d been constantly gue with negative thoughts and ended up thinking of the worst possible scenarios. What if those people got to Argent? What if he didn''t manage to protect her? What if, at the end of all this, he would lose her again? Thoughts like those almost made him want to go crazy.


    He even thought at one time that he should just take Argent far away from here. Far away from any danger. But Lei Feng knew he couldn''t do that. Because Argent would just hate him for it. And that''s one thing he couldn''t afford to happen. Argent hating him would be even worse than a death sentence.


    Lei Feng already promised himself that he wouldn''t be an obstacle for Argent. That instead of keeping her inside a safe bubble, away from any harm and threat, he would stay by her side, fighting beside her, supporting her and any decision she made.


    So he couldn''t let these negative thoughts cloud his mind. Letting himself drown in this possessive desire would only hurt one person. Argent. He''d rather die than for that to happen.


    Because in this lifetime, he would never ever hurt her again.


    He would do everything to mend the broken promise he made to that little girl. On that one cold night, when the snow was falling and he could hear the cry of that little girl calling his name and shouting for him toe back.


    Argent was a bit surprised that Lei Feng actually asked her about that. She actually thought he never would. It''s been already three days since they left the capital. He hadn''t ask her any details about her mother''s abduction. Even after he saw the code and heard the legend, he still didn''t ask. If it was any other in his position, they would probably already be dying of curiousity.


    "Yes. For some reason, they think that my blood could help them get the dragon king''s sword," she answered.


    Lei Feng looked straight at her. "Then please, don''t hesitate to use me. I''m strong. Really strong. If you wish it, I could kill them for you."


    Argent raised one of her brows. One look and she could tell that he really was serious. And here she thought, he was too straighced to kill people he wasn''t supposed to kill. Though it was still a big mystery why he was so dedicated on helping her. He told her that there was a reason for it that he couldn''t tell her yet. She was not one to pry. But now, she couldn''t help but really wonder.


    "You''re an SS level double Gift user. Of course, I would use you. It would be stupid of me not to," she just said.


    Then a small smile appeared on Lei Feng''s face. Making his usual serious face appeared younger and brighter. "Okay."


    "You should smile more often. All thedies would surely flock to you if you do," she thought of saying. Because Lei Feng did look more handsome when he smiled, even she could see it.


    She saw his ear tips turning red and then he immediately nced away. "I don''t want anydies."


    He''s probably being shy again. And then Argent remembered that there was already someone he liked. So she just shrugged and no longermented.


    She looked up at the sky. The bright sunny day was already engulfed by darkness. In the gathering gloom, the stars and the moon started to shine brighter. As if to remind her that even in the darkness, there was light.


    "The night sky, it''s beautiful, isn''t it?" she said still looking at the sky.


    "Yes. Very beautiful indeed," Lei Feng agreed. But he wasn''t looking at the sky, instead he was staring at Argent''s side face. [More beautiful than anything else.]


    ----------


    It was already dawn but their search still hadn''t bore any results. Argent was starting to feel anxious again. She took a deep breath and calmed herself. And that''s when an rm from her Mana detector sounded. She immediately stopped the flying car and looked at the radar. A ring red dot suddenly appeared. Which meant there was a Mana activity in the sea below them.


    "It''s here," she told Lei Feng.


    Lei Feng then turned to An Si. Whose eyes were both white. Apparently his eyes turned like that whenever he used his Gift. "What do you see?"


    "Nothing, Master. I tried to go forward but there seems to be something hindering me."


    Argent and Lei Feng looked at each other. They seemed to really find the right ce.


    All the anxiousness that Argent felt was reced by excitement. Finally. If this was the ce, then those Apostles as well as her mother were probably somewhere around here. Probably on one of the uninhabited inds lying around. Since they really couldn''t enter the Temple of Tian Long without Argent''s blood.


    "What should we do first?" Lei Feng asked her. "We''ll follow whatever you decide."


    Argent clenched her fists, a violent glint appeared on her purple eyes. "First, we''re going to hunt for the enemies."

 Chapter 104: gathering

    Chapter 104: gathering


    SPHERES of poisonous liquid flew towards a figure in the forest. The person dodged two of the spheres simultaneously. Then they used the blood sword they were holding and sliced another sphere in half. But the moment they did, gas came out from the sphere. They had to close their eyes for a second but that second was enough for another b of poison to attack them. This time, they were not able to dodge it properly and it hit half of their mask. It immediately disintegrated showing the half of their face.


    Another figure jumped off from a tree. "Ah ah... and here I thought thatst one would get you," Viper said disappointingly.


    He stared at the figure in front. Most of their cloak was now gone, showing a simple white shirt, ck trouser pants, andbat boots. With the other half of their mask gone, it showed a rather youthful side-face. Viper could clearly see the color of one of their eyes - it was pale blue.


    Viper thought earlier that the one he''s fighting might be a woman because of their height and build. But now that he could see the person''s figure and half of their face, Viper could now tell that his enemy was a young man. No, rather than a young man, it was more urate to call him a teenage boy barely out of adolescence. He''s probably only 14, 15 years old.


    Now this was just depressing. The dawn was almost breaking and he still hadn''t killed this kid. He even had to move their fight in the forest because for fear that their fight would affect Argent''s unconcious mother. But most importantly, this kid managed to get decent hits on him. His clothes were full of scratches because of the different weapons the kid had been hurling at him.


    It was fine at first since the weapons rot away the moment it touched his skin. But then gradually, the weapons slowly pierced his skin. Viper was certain it had something to do with the brat''s blood. After all, it was quite obvious that manipting blood was his Gift, but only his own it seemed. Because if he could manipte other''s blood, then he should have had manipted Viper''s the moment they met.


    Viper dashed forward. This fightsted long enough. It''s already getting boring. He should end this soon. He was preparing for an attack, but the brat was still just standing there. As if what Viper would do next wouldn''t matter. When he was about two feet away from him, Viper''s body suddenly stopped moving. His body was suddenly racked by immense pain. It felt like something was prating his skin, trying to destroy his insides.


    Viper looked at the brat, he was staring at him as if he would die soon. He then realized why those weapons he kept hurling at him slowly managed to wound him. It was that damn blood. The brat probably sshed Viper''s clothes with small amount of blood everytime he attacked. Then he would control those blood stter, slowly piercing Viper''s skin, making all those small nicks, even before his poison could react to it. Some of those blood probably entered his body. And now it was attacking his insides.


    Viper suddenlyughed. "Do you think this pain could stop me? I''ve felt much, much more pain than this." Then the next moment, he moved and grasped the neck of the brat, forcing him down on the ground. "Die, you f*cking brat."


    The skin on the kid''s neck Viper was clutching was already showing signs of rotting. But he didn''t look like he was affected, there wasn''t even a change of emotions in his exposed pale blue eye. Viper was about to inject a much more potent poison into the brat''s neck when a huge rock suddenly appeared from his side and hit him. Because it was so unexpected, Viper didn''t manage to dodge it and he was sent flying.


    Viper flew quite far, finally hitting his back on a tree. Then the huge rock that hit him earliernded violently on his stomach, causing him to cough up blood. He looked up front and he saw two person suddenly appearing. One was wearing the same cloak and mask as the brat while the other one was wearing a ck domino mask and had his long gray hair tied behind his back.


    The man wearing a mask looked at him and pointed his palm at his direction. Then suddenly, some kind of portal appeared under his feet. And as expected, hepletely sunk down. Not even giving him any time to curse.


    When Viper disappeared, the portal closed.


    The man wearing a domino mask looked at teenage boy trying to stand up. He clicked his tongue when he saw the rotting skin on the boy''s neck. "What''s this, you can''t even defeat a single man?"


    "He''s a Dreich Gallere assassin," the boy bit out.


    "And so? His Holliness will surely be disappointed in you," the man wearing the domino mask added while shaking his head.


    The teenager bit his lower lip and clenched his fists.


    "Let''s get you out of here before you actually die," the man continued.


    "No. I can still fight."


    "You can barely stand. I bet you couldn''t even defeat a gryphon right now."


    "Harlequin-!"


    Harlequin - the man with the domino mask - didn''t change his decision. "Juste, will you? I have a lot of other more important things to do than babysit you, Your Highness," he said, calling the kid''s title full of mockery.


    "Don''t call me that!"


    Harlequin ignored him and turned to the other masked man. "Be sure to follow the n."


    "Of course," the masked mas answered in a very pleasant voice. "I''m not some amateur that wouldmit simple mistakes."


    The teenager red at the man because it was quite obvious that the amateur he was pertaining to was him. Before he could say anything, Harlequin already grabbed his elbow. And the two disappeared.


    The masked man looked up at the already bright sky. [Now how should I handle this situation with everyone getting exactly what they wanted?]


    ----------


    "What do you see?" Argent asked An Si whose eyes were now both white, showing that he was using his Gift.


    An Si''s conciousness were now in three birds flying over the three uninhabited ind near the site of where the treasure should be. Though he wasn''t really that certain of what treasure that might be. And he''s not really that interested. After all, the three of them - he, An Liu and An Qi - were only there to follow the orders of their master.


    "There was nothing on the two inds on the left but the one on the right, it shows signs of fighting."


    Fighting? Did that mean that there was someone other than them who was after those Apostles? "Do you see any woman?"


    An Si shook his head after a while.


    Those Apostles were probably hiding her mother. But it didn''t change the fact that that one ind was the ce they should go to. Because it''s the only one that showed any signs of activity.


    "We''ll go to that ind."


    She looked at Lei Feng who nodded at her in agreement.


    With that, Argentnded the flying car on the shore of the said ind. She didn''t have time to care whether some of those Apostles would see that they suddenly appeared there. As long as she didn''t turn off the stealth mode of the car, those people would just probably think that they arrived there via some sort of magical tool.


    Once the carnded, the four men first went out and she followed. Outside, she took the remote from her space ring and turned the car back into its capsule mode. She picked the capsule and put it back, along with the remote, in her space ring.


    Argent looked at the four men in front of her. Before she could even say something, someone just fell from the sky right at the middle of the five of them. It was a man with wounds all over his body. His clothes were almost in tatters. But those were not what caught Argent''s attention. It was the man''s face. His hair was the palest tinum blond that it almost looked silvery white. And she would just bet that if the man opened his eyes right now, they would see a pair of heterochromatic eyes - one forest green, the other sky blue.


    What the hell was Viper doing here?

 Chapter 105: two beasts

    Chapter 105: two beasts


    "DO YOU know him?" Lei Feng asked. He noticed the slight change in Argent''s expression the moment this man, who for some reason fell from the sky, suddenly appeared.


    "Yes. He''s..." Argent didn''t really know what to call Viper. "An acquiantance," she finally chose to say.


    Argent took a good look at the unconcious man. Based on his state, she could easily tell that he probably fought with someone. An Si said earlier that there were signs of fighting on this ind. Based on Viper''s current condition, it''s most likely that he was the one fighting against those Apostles.


    But why would Viper be fighting with those people? Was he perhaps contracted to kill one of them? But from Argent''s understanding, the Apostles of Gaia were a secret organization that not many people knew about. How could someone just easily order a kill for their members? And from what that woman Vixen said when they met, assassins from Dreich Gallere do risk assessment before theypletely ept a contract. But wouldn''t killing someone from a powerful secret organization whose members probably all wore masks be considered risky? How could you even tell which one you needed to kill?


    Argent probably wouldn''t know the answer unless this guy regained conciousness. But it would be good if he''s really here because he''s contracted to kill one of those Apostles. It would even be better if he could give them relevant information.


    "Let''s move him to the forest. Staying here in the open with an unknown enemy around is not really the best course of action," Lei Feng suggested.


    An Liu and An Qi were about to carry Viper but Argent immediately stopped them. "Don''t touch him. He''s skin is--"


    Before Argent could finish what she was saying, she heard Viper groaned. She looked down and saw him slowly opening his eyes.


    Viper couldn''t believe that he actually lost conciousness because he fell on that portal like thing. He felt like he was stuck in a windmill and that windmill kept on spinning and spinning and spinning. That feeling continued until he felt like he would puke all the contents of his stomach. Then of all theme things to happen, he fainted.


    He slowly opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was an incredibly beautiful elf-like being with silver hair and purple eyes. "Ar... gent? Am I dreaming?"


    Was his brain too jumbled up because of that fall that he''s now seeing what he most wanted to see? The Argent in front of him even had the same indifferent expression he so missed. If this was his imagination, then why couldn''t Argent wear a sexier outfit? You know, something that exposed more skin.


    Then the Argent in his imagination suddenly kicked his side. It was not that hard but because of his wounds, he really felt the pain. Itpletely woke him up.


    "Still asleep? I could stomp on your face next if you want," Argent said.


    This way of speaking, this was definitely his Argent. Then he''s not dreaming? Argent was really in front of him right now? Yes, the pain he was feeling from all his wounds was proof of that. His heartbeat suddenly elerated. After seven years, finally! "Argent!"


    He stood up as fast as he could and threw himself at Argent.


    Argent frowned. She knew this guy would be up to his usual antics. She was about to dodge but then she saw Lei Feng about to pull Viper back, without thinking, her body moved on its own and reached for Lei Feng''s hand that was about to touch Viper. So she ended up being sandwiched between the two.


    "Don''t touch him. His skin is poisonous," she said to Lei Feng.


    The moment she said that, Lei Feng immediately pulled her away from Viper who didn''t hesitate to pull her back.


    Now that he''spletely awake, Viper finally noticed the other people around him aside from Argent. Especially this guy who looked like he had a stick up his ass. He might look a little handsome, but what Viper really hated was the fact that Argent seemed to care about the guy. Just now, when that guy was about to touch him, he saw how Argent moved instinctively just to prevent that.


    In the short amount of time that he knew Argent, he was the type who wouldn''t give a sh*t about anyone. Unless you belong to the people he cared about. The fact that Argent prevented this guy from being poisoned and even warned him about Viper''s poisoned skin were enough to prove that he didn''t belong to the group Argent didn''t give a sh*t about. It''s irritating. To the point that Viper wanted to poison him to death.


    Lei Feng scowled when he saw the sleeve of Argent''s clothes that this strange man was holding starting to decay. He wanted to rip him off from Argent. How could he touch Argent when he could possibly poison her? Lightning started to gather in his free hand. Even the wind surrounding them was starting to pick up.


    The three dark guards on the side who were happy eating melons while watching the drama suddenly shivered. Their master was definitely upset. They could even feel the static in the air. They looked at the young duke whose face was getting colder and colder by the second. And they shivered again. Why did it suddenly feel like the young duke was more dangerous than their master right now?


    "Both of you, let go," Argent said coldly to the two. Being tugged on both sides, she suddenly remembered when Aurum and Ruby used her as some kind of rope in their tug-of-war when they were kids. She really hated that feeling, because it felt like she''s not a person but an object.


    The two immediately let go. Because it felt like they were going to be shed if they didn''t.


    But Lei Feng still worried that Argent could be hurt because of the touch of the strange guy. He only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that there were no signs of rotting on the exposed skin of her arm. Did that mean this guy could control who would be poisoned when touched by his skin? But then, why would Argent''s sleeve decay if that was the case? He didn''t have time to think of a reason because Argent spoke again.


    "Don''t ever try to tug me like that again." Argent then turned to Viper. "And you, no touching of any kind. I''m not a kid anymore who couldn''t fight back. So don''t even try your usual antics. Because if you do, I swear I''ll hack you to pieces."


    "Eehhh... we haven''t seen each other for seven years. Don''t be so cold to your sweetheart," Viper pouted.


    Lei Feng frowned even more when he heard the conversation of the two. Because even if he didn''t know what happened between them, he could easily infer just by that simple context that this man touched Argent without her permission when she was still a kid. That was enough to anger him. His killing intent just spilled out. The static in the air increased even more.


    Viper, of course, felt the intense killing intent directed at him. He turned to the annoying guy. He wasn''t even releasing that much Mana but Viper could still feel how powerful he was. It''s like being stared at by a silent, ferocious beast. But Viper wasn''t some prey. He was a snake. A beast on his own right. He smirked at the guy. "What, you want to have a go? I may look battered but I could still take you on."


    "I doubt it," Lei Feng simply said. "You wouldn''t evenst a second."


    "Oh? Then why don''t we try it?"


    "Stop," Argent said before the two really started fighting. She couldn''t understand why they suddenly turned on each other. But they didn''t have time for that kind of sh*t right now. "You can fight all you want after this, but not right now. Let''s go find some ce to talk first."


    She ignored the two and walked towards the forest.


    Lei Feng narrowed his eyes at Viper. Viper, on the other hand, flipped his middle finger at Lei Feng. Then they both followed Argent.


    The three dark guards sighed in their hearts. Why did it feel like they just watched some kind of drama where two men were fighting for the attention of one woman? The problem here was, the young duke was a boy! They''re starting to believe that the young duke really did have the ability to bend the most straight of men.


    They looked at each other, sighed once again, and then followed the three into the forest.

 Chapter 106: a bit of information

    Chapter 106: a bit of information


    THE THREE - Argent, Lei Feng, and Viper - stopped at an area of the forest where the trees were particrly thick. So that they wouldn''t be easily noticed. The three dark guards were on the lookout. So that they could warn the other three if the enemy suddenly appeared.


    Viper was the first one to speak. "By the way, who is this stuck-up looking dude with you?"


    Argent sighed before answering Viper. "This is General Zhang Lei Feng. He''s currently helping me with something." Then she turned to Lei Feng. "In case you''re interested, this guy is Viper. He''s--"


    "I''m Argent''s sweetheart," Viper said, finishing what Argent was saying.


    A muscle in Lei Feng''s face twitched. He was really tempted to just st this snake with his lightning.


    "He''s not," Argent corrected. It had already been seven years, howe this guy still had this weird attachment to her? And she thought he had already gotten over it that''s why he hadn''t shown himself to her these past seven years. Maybe she should have really just given him something that couldpletely stop his Mana. That way, he wouldn''t be deprived of skin contact. Then he probably wouldn''t be so fixated on her.


    "Argent, don''t be so cold. Do you know how much I suffered these past seven years? Not being able to see you was just pure torture. And now that we finally see each other, you won''t even allow me to hug you. Then you also have to bring this annoying sidekick with you. Don''t you even pity me?" Viper said while acting pitiful and also with matching fake tears in his heterochromatic eyes.


    A small streak of lightning suddenly appeared just a centimeter away in front of Viper. It almost scorched his nose. He red at the perpetrator.


    "Ah, my apologies. I just saw a worm and felt the need to crush it," Lei Feng said in a very monotonous tone, showing that what he did was intentional.


    "Bastard. I''m the one who''s going to crush you," Viper said, about to attack.


    Argent readily stepped between the two before it could really escte into a real fight. "Have the two of you already forgotten what I said?"


    "But he started it!" Viperined like a kid.


    Argent sighed once again and turned to Lei Feng who just said, "It won''t happen again."


    "Then could we now have a proper talk?" she asked as if she''s speaking to two little kids. She already expected this kind of behavior from Viper, what she didn''t expect was to see Lei Feng act so immature. This was probably the first time she''d seen him act like this since they met. Did Viper really just rub him the wrong way?


    The two nodded.


    "Oh right, I just saw your mother earlier. Is she the reason why you''re here? Because you''re trying to save her?"


    What Viper said immediately caught Argent''s attention. "You saw her? Where? Is she alright? Was she hurt?" she asked continuously.


    "She was fine. I didn''t see any particr wound on her. She looked like she was just sleeping."


    It''s like a huge stone in Argent''s heart was finally put down when she heard that. Her mother''s alive. She wasn''tte. She could still save her. "So where did you see her?"


    "She''s on a clearing in the forest. But I doubt she''s still there right now."


    "What do you mean?" Argent asked.


    "Remember how I suddenly appeared? One of therades of the person I was fighting with has some sort of object discement Gift. He could open portals that can transmit one object to another ce. But seeing as I am still on this ind, the range of his Gift is probably just as big as this ind," Viper exined.


    The range of his Gift might be too small and it might not be also that powerful, but if the user had a great imagination, then that kind of Gift would be really troublesome.


    Argent thought so as well. "Then that means, she''s still here?"


    "She might be."


    "An Si," Lei Feng called out. An Si jumped down from a tree and appeared beside Lei Feng. "Searched for any unconcious woman on the forest. Be sure to be thorough."


    "Yes, Master." Then An Si once again jumped to one of the trees.


    Argent nodded towards Lei Feng as thanks.


    "Was your mother really kidnapped by those annoying Apostles of Gaia? But why?" Viper asked.


    "They needed her as bait. So I woulde here, fall for their trap, and do their bidding."


    "Then that meant they needed something from you?" Those bastards. How dare they? Now Viper really regretted that he didn''t manage to finish off that brat who could manipte blood. Then he suddenly realized something. "Wait- does this have something to do with that old treasure?"


    "You mean the dragon king''s sword? Is that also the reason why you''re here? Does Dreich Gallere also ept contract for treasure hunting?"


    Lei Feng lifted his gaze and looked at Viper when he heard Argent''sst question. So this guy was an assassin from Dreich Gallere. Then he suddenly remembered what that other assassin they met said, about their master putting a ban on any contract against Argent. Did that have something to do with this guy? He''d only been with this guy for a few minutes and Lei Feng could already clearly see his huge attachment towards Argent. As annoying as that could be, would the leader of such an infamous assassin group really give Argent a special treatment just because one of its members liked her?


    "No. You remember that good-for-nothing Gecko? You already know that I killed him. We''re kind of forbidden to kill other members of our group. Especially those given a code name. I was regrettably punished. See how important you are to me? I even braved my master''s punishment so I could avenge you. Don''t you feel sorry for me?" he said, acting pitiful again.


    Argent was a bit surprised. She didn''t expect that Viper would be punished because of that. "Then I''ll give you something once this is all over." She could at least repay him for that head. "Now, would you just continue with your story?"


    Viper was obviously overjoyed because of what Argent said. He looked smugly at Lei Feng, as if telling him; ''Did you hear that? Argent is going to give me a present. You''re already dying of envy, right?''. Lei Feng only frowned at him.


    "As punishment, I was to be exiled on Master''s ind for ten years. But then, he let me out three years early because he has a mission for me," Viper continued. "He wanted me to prevent the Apostles of Gaia from getting their hands on that old treasure."


    So, it''s not that someone contracted Viper to be here, his master was the one who personally sent him here. "Why would your master not want the Apostles have the treasure?"


    "Because he''s--" Viper stopped. He couldn''t tell Argent that it might have something to do with his master being a dragon. His master''s true race was a guarded secret in their group. Even if it''s Argent, he couldn''t just tell him about that. "Sorry, Master didn'' really tell me the reason why." Which was sort of true. "But you don''t have to worry. It probably just because he knew that the Apostles are up to no good and he just wanted to stop them."


    Argent felt like there must be something more behind that. Why would the leader of an assassination group even care whether another group was up to no good? Unless the goal of that group could affect him in some way. Viper would probably not tell her more even if she forced him. His loyalty lies with his group and his master after all. So she didn''t ask more.


    But Argent had a feeling that she really had to meet with this master assassin. Aside from the fact that for some reason he put a ban on any contract for her life, Argent just felt like he could answer a lot of her questions.


    "What kind of group is this Apostles of Gaia anyway?" she just chose to ask that.


    "Oh, they''re a pesky group under the Temple of Gaia. But not all members of the Temple knew about their existence. After all, ording to the information we gathered, they were only established when the new Pope was crowned. From what I heard, the Pope was the one who personally picked each member. They are currentlyposed of 12 people. They mostly act behind the scenes and usually do all the dirty work for the Temple. And as you might already noticed, they only listen to the Pope."


    What Viper said proved Argent''s conjecture that the Apostles were connected to the Temple of Gaia. She just didn''t expect that they were a personal project of the Pope. Because of that, she suddenly remembered Lucern Faust. She just knew he was bad news.


    Argent could still remember their first meeting. Acting like he was just a simple wimpy priest. She wouldn''t be surprised at all if she found out that he already knew who she was when he approached her. Then there was that speech, where he easily thwarted the bad effects of the video that Argent spread. He did it by simply being charismatic, with a bright aura and a kind smile on his face.


    A man with many faces. He would definitely be a hard enemy to handle.


    "How many Apostles here have you encountered?" Argent asked Viper. There''s no point thinking about an enemy who''s not here.


    "I only fought one. He could manipte his own blood. Then when I was about to kill him, two more appeared. I already told you the Gift of one of them. I was not just so sure about the other. I''m not even sure if he''s an Apostle. He''s not wearing the standard mask that an Apostle usually wore. Instead, he was wearing a ck domino mask."


    A ck domino mask? For some reason, Argent remembered that guy on the fighting pit seven years ago. And also the one the first princess of Albion had a conversation with. Could it be?


    But before she could ask Viper more details about that, a portal suddenly opened beside them and a figure wearing white cloak and a mask hiding his face walked out.


    "So this is where you are," he said in a rather familiar pleasant voice. Lighning immediately struck the masked man but a portal opened and the lightning went straight trough it. "We couldn''t talk with this much distraction."


    He raised both his hand and two portals opened at the same time below Lei Feng and Viper''s feet. Then the two immediately fell down.


    Argent looked coldly at the man. She was quite certain that the other two dark guards also suffered the same fate as Lei Feng and Viper. "What do you want?"


    "I just want to talk," the man simply answered. "Shall we?"

 Chapter 107: negotiations

    Chapter 107: negotiations


    AN OPENING appeared in the sky. Lei Feng slowly fell from that opening. He saw the trees below. He immediately adjusted his posture mid-air, from lying down to standing up. That way, he couldnd without a problem. Hended perfectly on top of one of the trees and then jumped off to the ground.


    He looked at his surrounding and just as he expected, he was already in a different ce. If what that snake said was true, then that masked man who suddenly appeared must be the one who had that object discement Gift. But if he had limited range, then that meant that Lei Feng was still in the same ind. That masked man probably just ced them far from where Argent was currently now. His position right now was most probably at the very opposite direction.


    Lei Feng clenched his fists. He was careless. He didn''t move fast enough that''s why that masked man got the better of him and he was sent away from Argent. Probably not just him but his two dark guards as well and that snake too. Leaving Argent alone with a member of a dangerous organization.


    Shit. He needed to calm down. Panicking would not result into anything at all. He took his sPhone from his space ring and called An Si. His dark guards always had their sPhones at hand whenever he''s separated from them. That way, whenever Lei Feng had to contact them, they could immediately answer him.


    "Master," An Si answered at the very first ring.


    "Which part of the ind are you in right now?"


    "At the very center. I have four birds searching in four different direction. But so far, I haven''t seen any unconcious woman."


    "I don''t have time to exin. But all of us are currently scattered right now. Only Argent remained at the original location. Send three birds to search for me, An Liu, and An Qi. Then guide us back to where Argent is. Call the other two and tell them what I said. Do you understand?"


    "Yes, Master."


    Lei Feng ended the call and once again jumped towards the top of the highest tree. This way, An Si could see him much faster. Instead of just aimlessly searching, this method would get him to Argent much faster. But even a second of waiting already felt like an hour to him.


    He could probably kill that masked Apostle right now even with this distance. But he had to use that technique for it to work. He could cover this whole ind with his Mana. It would be his domain for as long as his Mana held on. But using that technique was only advantageous if he was surrounded by enemies. In this scenario, he might not just kill the enemy but the others as well. That''s how powerful and uncontroble that technique was. Lei Feng was still not at the point where he could fully control it.


    Then he heard a certain cawing sound. A ck crow came flying andnded on his shoulder. The eyes of the crow were both white. A sign that it''s conciousness was invaded by An Si.


    "An Si, fly at your fastest speed."


    The crow nodded and it flew like a bullet towards the east of where he was standing. Lei Feng immediately followed, jumping from one tree to the next.


    [Argent, please be alright.]


    He was jumping for quite a while when he noticed movements on the tree beside the one he jumped on. He looked over and automatically frowned when he saw the Dreich Gallere assassin.


    "Hey, you''re not the only one irritated. I also don''t want to see that face of yours. But you seem to be very confident of where you''re going, so just let me take advantage and follow you. Okay?" Viper said, smiling. But anyone who could see his smile right now wouldn''t feel good at all. Instead, they would feel irritated.


    Lei Feng ignored him and just continued following the crow.


    Viper was just guessing the direction of where Argent was when he happened to see the stuck-up guy jumping from one tree to another. There was no hesitation in his steps, as if he already knew where he''s going. And that''s when he noticed the crow flying abovehead. Upon close inspection, it was clear that the guy was following the crow. It was probably the Gift of one of those guards with him.


    Viper nced back at the Xing general and became annoyed again. "I see the way you look at Argent, you know," he started. "We''re the same. We''re both thinking of him in that way." That''s why this dude irritated him at the very first moment. "But just let me warn you. Argent''s mine. I won''t let you or anyone else have him."


    Viper thought Lei Feng would just continue to ignore him, but then he heard him speak;


    "Argent is not an object that you can own. If you don''t even understand that, then you don''t deserve him at all."


    Viper was momentarily stunned when he heard that. He looked at the guy''s back and became much, much more irritated. [Shit. What do you know?]


    Viper clenched his teeth. If he couldn''t own Argent, then how could he truly belong to him?


    ----------


    "We''re now alone, so talk," Argent said coldly at the Apostle in front of her.


    "Rx. I''m just here to negotiate," the Apostle said. His tone was pleasing. But Argent couldn''t help but feel that he was purposedly lowering his voice and not using his real one.


    "Negotiate?" Argentughed. When she stopped, she tilted her head and looked at the Apostle. "Why would I negotiate with the people who kidnapped my mother?"


    The man just felt chills down his spine. Such intense killing intent. He felt like if he said the wrong thing, his head woulde off flying. What a scary child. And to think he''s only a NoGift. "You being here proved that you already know what we''re after. Congrattions, by the way, on finding this ce in such a short amount of time. You might not want to negotiate. But you see, my master wants me to end this peacefully."


    Master? The Pope?


    "And truthfully, you really don''t have any choice but topromise," the Apostle added.


    "Hah? You''re really making meugh." She turned her bracelet into a sword and with just one step, she was already in front of the man. She put the sharp edge of her sword on the side of his neck. "Why should Ipromise? Tell me properly before my hand slipped and sliced your artery."


    [Scary.] "Simple. Your mother. Do you know how we managed to keep her unconcious this whole time? One of the Apostles put her into eternal sleep. We didn''t really n to do that. But then, she tried to escape so we really had no choice. That Apostle is the only one who could wake her up. If you don''t want your mother to remain sleeping, experiencing nightmares after nightmares, then you have no choice but topromise. Unless, of course, you don''t care for your mother."


    Argent gritted her teeth. Was this really her only choice? Topromise? She didn''t want to. Not with these people. But then, how about her mother? ording to what this man just said, her mother was not only sleeping but also experiencing nightmares. That would be too much of a mental torture. Not only her mantality but her body might gave in as well. If she continued in that state for much longer, she might even end up insane once she woke up.


    And the only one who could stop that was an Apostle.


    "How can I be sure that my mother will be the same as before once she wakes up?"


    A smart question. "Of course the one who put her to sleep could reverse whatever damage their Gift umted."


    "You want me to get the dragon sword in exchange for my mother. That''s what you wanted to negotiate, right? But how could I be sure that you will fulfill your end of the bargain?"


    "Simple. My master will personally meet you and make a vow to give back your mother - in perfect condition - in exchange for the dragon sword. That should put your mind at ease. So could you please lower your sword now?"


    Argent took a deep breath and made a decision right there and then. "I''ll get the dragon sword." Then she didn''t hesitate to stab the guy in his stomach.


    The masked man retreated a step and almost lost his bnce. "You--"


    "You better run quickly back to your master and tell him the good news before you die of excessive blood lost."


    Then she turned around and walked towards the direction of the shore.

 Chapter 108: her own limits

    Chapter 108: her own limits


    THE APOSTLE who had just been stabbed staggered and looked at the disappearing back of Argent ckbourne. What a vicious kid. No wonder their master took a liking to him. He took a small rectangr piece of paper from his space ring and tore it. It was a magical tool that every Apostles had. If they tore it, the talismans representing their lifeline and were hanging inside their main headquarters would glow red. It would mean that their lives were in danger.


    Not a minuteter, Harlequin appeared in front of him. The man wearing a domino mask looked at him. "What''s this? I''ve been gone for like, what, ten minutes? And you''re already like this? You''re actually even worse than that shitty prince. Well, you''re also technically a prince so maybe that''s why. Do royalties really suck this much? Or was it just you two?"


    "He agreed. Argent ckbourne will get the dragon sword in exchange for her mother."


    Harlequin raised one of his brows. "He actually agreed?"


    "Not willingly. That''s why he gave me this wound."


    "He stabbed you?" Then Harlequin remembered the scene when a seven year old boy was fighting against men stronger and bigger than him and mercilessly killing them. "Yeah. That''s certainly something he would do."


    "Can we please go now? So I could have this would healed?"


    Harlequin only snorted. Then he grabbed the Apostle''s elbow and both disappeared in an instant.


    If Lei Feng and Viper were only a second earlier, then they might have been able to see that scene. Instead, what they saw were drops of blood on the ground.


    The static in the air suddenly intensified. Fear, worry, and rage colliding inside Lei Feng.


    "Those bastards. I''ll f*cking kill them!" Viper shouted angrily. If they hurt even the tip of Argent''s finger, he would boil them in a pot filled with poison.


    The two dark guards, An Liu and An Qi, shortly arrived as well.


    Then An Si dropped down from a tree andnded on Lei Feng''s side. "Master, Lord ckbourne is in the shore where we first arrived."


    "Is he hurt?" Lei Feng asked in a hoarse voice.


    "It doesn''t appear to be."


    Lei Feng only somewhat calmed down when he heard that. Then he immediately ran towards the shore, ignoring the other four. Of course, Viper wouldn''t let himself lose and immediately followed.


    ----------


    Argent''s footsteps deeply imprinted on the sands of the shore. She looked towards the direction where the enchantment surrounding the Temple of Tian Long was supposed to be. Anger and frustration welled up inside her.


    When she heard that the reason why her mother remained unconcious was because of someone''s Gift, she thought that she could just try to negate its effect herself. Agreeing to their demands and then swindling them in the end. But when that Apostle said that her mother was not only sleeping but also having continuous nightmares, she had to think twice.


    Even if she seeded in nullifying the Gift, there was no way for her to reverse its effect. It''s already been more than a month since Argent received that distress signal from her mother''s bracelet. That''s how long her mother had been unconcious. Sleeping and having nightmares each and every day. Facing your fears every single day and not seeing an end to it. That kind of mental torture was something that could break even the strongest of men. That''s why Argent asked if the Apostle who administered that Gift to her mother could reverse its effects.


    It didn''t cross Argent''s mind that the Apostle might just be lying to her. Because why would he? In the first ce, he had no idea about her special constitution. If he did, then he wouldn''t be so proud in telling her that her mother was under the effect of his ally''s Gift. Because there was a chance that she could just negate it.


    But even without the nightmare side effect, Argent would still think twice before making a decision. Because she was not sure if negating a Gift that was put on someone was under the parameters of her special constitution.


    In the past seven years, Argent began to take notes of the limits of this nullifying ability of hers. It were as follows;


    When an attackposed of Mana - i.e. fire, water, ice, etc. - was thrown at her, it would dissipitate the moment it touched her skin. When she touched a certain part of a person''s body, the Mana on that part would temporarily stop flowing. The best example would be Viper. His Mana was being constantly converted into poison, that''s why his skin was toxic. But when he touched Argent, the part of his body that came into contact with her would stop its Mana flow and therefore would also stop its convertion into poison.


    When a person who possessed a psychic rted Gift - i.e. telepaths and empaths - was near her, they wouldn''t be able to affect her thoughts and emotions. The same could be said to those who had Gifts that could affect the five senses. For example, someone like Vixen who could produce illusions. No matter how much illusion she made, Argent wouldn''t be able to see it.


    In terms of objects and other things that produced Mana, the moment Argent touched them, the Mana flow inside it would stop. This resulted in Argent not being able to use any magical tools that were being powered by Mana. That''s why it was such a hassle whenever her mother called them before using the defaro crystal. Because if she was touching the crystal when her mother tried to call, the call wouldn''t go through. So she just always let Aurum or Felicia hold and keep the crystal. It was also the reason why she made her own light brain. Because sPhones were technically powered by Mana. She made it that way because it was much more convenient for the people here.


    Argent was just d that a magical tool like the space ring didn''t need Mana to power it. The capsule technology she made wouldn''t be possible if that was the case. She should really thanked the genius alchemist behind such a convenient product.


    Those were the parameters of Argent''s special constitution as far as she knew. Of course, she also tried to experiment.


    When they were still in the Starlight Academy and Aurum was finally able to use her Gift at D level, Argent asked her to put a simple suggestion on one of her ssmates mind. While Aurum did that, Argent held the hand of that ssmate. She wanted to see if Aurum''s Gift would work on that ssmate while Argent was holding her hand. It turned out that it did.


    Because even if Argent held that ssmate''s hand, what she only managed was stopped the flow of Mana on that particr hand. She didn''t stopped the flow of Mana from Aurum to that ssmate. So that what Aurum did could be negated. The benefits of her ability didn''t extend to that ssmate just because she was holding her hand. In short, her nullifying ability was not like a shield or a force field that she could just extend to a person. So that that person wouldn''t be affected by other''s Gift as well. It''s effect could only extend to herself.


    That''s why Argent was not certain that she could really nullify the Gift that was put on her mother. If she hugged her mother and managed to stop the flow of Mana in her whole body, that would certainly stop whatever Gift was put on her. But then, what would happen if she let go? The Mana would just resume its normal flow. It''s not like if she touched a person, she could extinguish the Mana they possessed. If that was the case, then Aurum would have long been turned into a NoGift. She could only temporarily stop it.


    Then what was the point of Argent doing that? She couldn''t forever hug her mother just so the Gift put on her would also be forever nullified. However, she was willing to gamble. Because there was still a small chance that she could remove itpletely.


    But then, she heard about the nightmares and that''s when she knew she really had no choice. She had topromise if she wanted to save her mother. But if those bastards thought even for a second that she would take all these lying down, then they were sorely mistaken. She would retaliate.For all the sufferings they caused to her mother, she would definitely make them pay a hundredfold.


    A sinister grin appeared on Argent''s face. A n was slowly forming inside her mind.

 Chapter 109: breaking through the enchantment

    Chapter 109: breaking through the enchantment


    "ARGENT!" shouted a familiar voice behind Argent.


    That shout actually woke her up from her reverie. She turned around and saw Lei Feng, Viper, and the dark guards running towards her direction.


    "Are you alright?" - Lei Feng.


    "Are you hurt?" - Viper.


    The two said almost at the same time.


    "I''m fine," Argent simply said.


    "The Apostle?" - Lei Feng.


    "The bastard?" - Viper.


    Lei Feng finally couldn''t help but frown when he and Viper spoke again at the same time.


    Viper was also annoyed. Why did this guy have to talk over him?


    The both were clearly annoyed and on the verged of having another bout of verbal argument. But to the three dark guard''s surprised, the two didn''t bicker like they expected. It seemed like they finally found some semnce of maturity and decided to no longer bicker. For the time being, at least.


    "Gone," Argent answered.


    "What happened when we disappeared?" Lei Feng asked, worry filling his obsidian ck eyes. He could tell just by looking that Argent''s mood was very bad right now.


    "We talked and eventually came to apromise. I''ll get the sword in exchange for my mother," Argent said, no emotion shown on her face.


    "And you agreed?" Viper said, unbelieving.


    "Why wouldn''t I? It''s a fairly good deal," Argent shrugged. Although she said that, based on her monotonous voice and the intense killing intent spilling from her, anyone could see that she hated that deal.


    The three dark guard shivered. Yes. The young duke really was scary.


    Viper, on the other hand, grinned. Seven years ago, Argent wouldn''t be able to release a killing intense this strong. But now, it was totally different. It just showed how much change he underwent. Looked like that swordsman Argent chose for a master did a good job training him.


    "Let''s not talk about that anymore. I will deal with them sooner orter," Argent said, changing the subject. "But right now, what I need to do is get that damn sword."


    She couldn''t possibly fix everything all at once. What she could do though was to get things done one step at a time.


    "Then what we need to do now is to break the enchantment that surrounds the Temple of Tian Long. We won''t even be able to see it if we don''t break that enchantment," Lei Feng said. He still didn''t like the idea of Argentpromising with those people. But he also understood why she did. What he could do right now was to help her and make things easier for her.


    "An Si, you couldn''t go through that particr part of the sea, right?" Argent asked the dark guard, pointing at the direction where the enchantment was supposed to be.


    "Yes, there seems to be some kind of barrier preventing me from going forward," the dark guard answered.


    Then Argent looked at Viper. "Did your master tell you the location of the Temple of Tian Long?"


    "I discovered the location all by myself. When I told Master, he said that I got the location right. If he knew where it was, why not just tell it to me straight up? Sometimes, he could really be so frustrating," Viperined.


    Somehow, from what Viper said, Argent got a small glimpse of the personality of the mysterious leader of Dreich Gallere. "How did youe here then? Was it by boat?" Viper nodded. "Then, were you able to pass over the enchantment?"


    "No. I tried to. But when I did, the boat just passed over it and went straight to the other side. Like it somehow teleported or something."


    Argent fell into deep thought after she heard that. If you tried to go underwater, there''s a barrier preventing you from moving forward. If you tried to ride a vessel abovewater, like a boat for example, it would just automatically transfer you to the other end of the enchantment. Then what if you travelled above the sky?


    Argent remembered that when they were in her her flying car, the car was able to go smoothly over the enchantment. If she wanted to break it, then the best way was to jump from the sky above it. Of course, she could also just swim to get there. But why would she, when there''s a perfectly better and easier way other than that?


    "You, did your master not mention a way to enter the Temple of Tian Long?" Lei Feng reluctantly asked Viper.


    "No," Viper grumbled. He really didn''t want to talk to this guy. But he also knew that being stubborn at a time like this wouldn''t be useful to anyone. Especially Argent. "My task is just to prevent the Apostles from getting their hands on that old treasure. I''m not supposed to get the treasure myself. And did you not even hear the legend about this artifact? Only that child of something could enter the Temple of Tian Long and take the sword. Even if we do break the enchantment, how could we--" Viper stopped and slowly turned to Argent. Those bastard Apostles used Argent''s mother so he would get the sword for them. They wouldn''t do that unless they were sure that Argent could get it. If that was the case, then that only meant...? "Are you that child of something?"


    "I''m not quite sure about that." Argent was still not certain what was a ''child of all'', though she already had a vague idea of what it meant. But one thing was for sure, it had something to do with the ckbourne bloodline. "But regardless if I am or not, those people believed that I could get the sword. We wouldn''t want to disappoint them, right?" she added, her voice full of sarcasm.


    Then she turned to An Si. "How many animals could you control at the same time?"


    "Five, milord," An Si answered, a bit confused why the young duke suddenly asked him that.


    Five? Could five birds lift her up? No, with her weight and height that''s impossible. And there''s also the problem of her special constitution. Once those birds touched her, An Si''s conciousness might just return back to him and those birds would be just normal birds.


    Then could she only use her flying car? But what would happen once she jumped off? None of this guys could drive it after all. True, she could just put the car on auto-pilot mode. But then what would happen if the moment she broke the enchantment, it produced a strong magical energy and that energy hit the car? It wouldn''t be good if the car was destroyed. It''s the only one she got on hand after all. Though there''s still that flying shuttle.


    Argent sighed. Looked like she had no choice but to just use the flying car in the end. Then she remembered something. She turned to Lei Feng. "Can you fly?"


    Lei Feng was a wind Gift user. His Mana was probably more than strong enough to allow him fly. It would probably be less troublesome if Lei Feng would just fly her over the enchantment.


    Lei Feng already had an idea of what Argent wanted to do when she asked that question. "I can."


    "Hah? How can you fly? Aren''t you a lightning Gift user? Don''t tell me you''re some kind of mutated being that could sprout wings?" Viper said incredulously.


    Lei Feng only ignored him and continued talking to Argent. "Do you want me to bring you above the enchantment?" Argent nodded. "If I do, then what would you do after?"


    "I will break it."


    Lei Feng wanted to ask how would she be able to do that. But when he saw the unwavering determination in those pair of purple eyes, he knew there''s just no way he could refuse her. "I understand."


    Lei Feng suddenly grabbed Argent''s waist and princess-carried her. Argent was shocked and could only stupidly stare at Lei Feng. The three dark guards should feel some kind of vition seeing their stern master holding another man in a princess-carry style. But somehow, all they could think of was ''ah, their master must really like the young duke''.


    Viper was the one who became spitting mad. "What the hell do you think you''re doing? Put him down!"


    Lei Feng ignored him once again.


    Argent finally returned to her senses once she noticed that Lei Feng''s ear tips were already as red as a ripe tomato. He''s probably also embarrassed doing this. "Wait- Lei Feng, put me down first," she said because she''s really notfortable in this position.


    "Sorry," Lei Feng apologized and then immediately put her down.


    "Nevermind that. I have a question, which part of your body do you circte your Mana when you fly?" Because if he needed to circte Mana in his whole body, then even if he could fly, he wouldn''t be able to once he touched her.


    "My legs."


    Argent nodded, it wouldn''t be a problem then. "You fly first and then just grab my hand and fly me over."


    Lei Feng nodded and slowly began to float. When he gained altitude, he immediately took Argent''s raised hand. And the two flew towards the direction of the enchantment.


    Viper stared after the two unbelievingly. The guy didn''t sprout wings as he thought he would. But Viper seriously wished that he did. Because seeing what just happened meant that the bastard not only had a lightning Gift but another type of Gift as well. From the looks of it, it was as powerful as the lightning one. A double Gift user? Shit. Aren''t you just Gaia''s favorite. Viper''s dislike towards the general just increased even further.


    When Argent and Lei Feng were finally above the enchantment, Argent said, "Let me go."


    After hearing that, instead of letting go, Lei Feng only tightened his hold over Argent''s hand. "Are you sure?"


    Argent looked up at him. "Yes."


    Lei Feng closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, he finally loosened his hold. Then Argent started falling towards the sea. Seeing her fall, Lei Feng could only clenched both fists. If Argent believed that she could break the enchantment, then he would believe her.


    The moment Argent touched the sea water, some kind of golden seal appeared. She didn''t have time to check how big the area it epassed was because she heard a cracking sound. Then the seal started to grow brighter and brighter. To the point that Argent needed to close her eyes if she didn''t want to be blind. She wasn''t sure how long it took, but when she opened her eyes, she was already submerged underwater.


    And directly below her was a temple made of jade.

 Chapter 110: the temple of tian long

    Chapter 110: the temple of tian long


    WHEN that golden seal appeared, Lei Feng tried to get to Argent as fast as he could. He was hovering above, so hepletely saw what the whole seal looked like. Though it''s probably more apt to call it a symbol rather than a seal. It was the image of a dragon surrounding a sword with its huge wings. The symbol clearly represented the dragon race. Lei Feng''s worry just intensified upon seeing that. But before he could even touched the water, that intense bright light appeared.


    When he opened his eyes, Argent was no longer in his sight. Instead, the former unobstructed sea now had a circr ind the same size as that seal. At the center of it was a calmke. But Lei Feng knew that the circr ind was not actually an ind but a crater and theke was the sea of Leng Jing. The image in front of him was exactly like that of the map that Argent showed him.


    Which meant at the bottom of this body of water was the Temple of Tian Long. And that''s probably also where Argent was right now.


    Lei Feng slowly descended. And he didn''t hesitate to dive into the sea of Leng Jing. But what greeted him was only a bottomless abyss of water. There was no temple. Even Argent''s shadow couldn''t be found. He gritted his teeth in anger and frustration.


    The only exnation he could think of at this moment was that after the initial enchantment was broken, there was anotheryer of enchantment. Probably to make sure that no one else beside the ''child of all'' could enter. As evidence of Argent''s disappearance.


    Lei Feng suddenly felt useless again. What''s the use of him being here when he couldn''t even do a damn thing?


    All he could do right now was to pray for Argent''s safety.


    [Please. Please, be safe.]


    ----------


    Argent swam towards the temple made of smooth white jade. She had no doubt that this was the Temple of Tian Long. She stopped in front of the huge door. At the center of the door was a transparent crystal. Even if no one told her what to do next, there''s no doubt in her mind that she probably had to put her hand on this crystal. Maybe it would recognize her bloodline and let her enter inside.


    Without hesitation, she put her right palm on the transparent crystal. Then there''s a sudden feeling of weakness. As if the crystal was sucking something from inside her. She tried to remove her hand but couldn''t. Seeing the color of the crystal changing from transparent to bright red, Argent had a feeling that the thing that the crystal suddenly sucked in was her blood.


    Two bright red lines appeared. It went up and down and only stopped until both reached the top and bottom of the huge door respectively. The door slowly opened and Argent finally was able to remove her hand from the crystal. She still hadn''t reacted yet and she was immediately sucked inside.


    The next moment, Argent found herself standing in a huge, wide, and very empty hall. No, not so empty. There was a stone tablet erected at the very end of the hall.


    Argent started to move, but then she noticed her sorry state. She looked down at her wet clothes and suddenly felt ufortable. Maybe she should make some water-resistant clothes once she got back to herb. Since, clearly, she was the only person here, she decided to just change clothes. She took some spare clothes from her space ring and quickly changed as fast as she could. Once done, Argent started walking towards the stone tablet.


    She turned her bracelet into a sword, her vignce as high as ever. She never let down her guard. Even when she was changing clothes, she was still on alert. Who knew what kind of trap would suddenly appear here. But to her surprise, she managed to reach the stone tablet without any problems at all.


    Argent stared at the stone tablet. Just like the temple, it was also made of jade. There were inscriptions written on it. Argent carefully read every words.


    ''You who has the blood of all flowing in your veins,


    If you truly wished to take the sword of the dragons,


    Be courageous and face your fears,


    Because only the brave could be worthy of the King''s praise.''


    Argent furrowed her brows. [Is this some kind of riddle?]


    She raised her hand and tried to trace the words on the stone tablet. She never expected that just like the crystal on the door, she suddenly felt like the table was sucking something from within her. But unlike the crystal, Argent felt like what the tablet took was not just simply blood but something from within her very soul.


    An unknown fear suddenly engulfed her. But before she could even think why, the empty hall was suddenly filled with light.


    When Argent opened her eyes, she was no longer inside the hall. She was standing on a beautiful rose garden. The wonderful scent unique to roses filled the air. All the roses were in full bloom, showing their wondrous beauty to the world. But Argent couldn''t appreciate it. Especially once she saw the two storey white mansion in front of her.


    The fear that she felt suddenly intensified. To the point that her whole body started trembling. Memories she kept in a box inside her mind suddenly wanted to break free. As if something was forcibly trying to open it. She clutched her head with both hands.


    [No. I don''t want to. I don''t want to. Please... Please, don''t do this. Don''t let me remember.]


    She was startled when someone suddenly held the end of her shirt. Argent looked down and saw a little girl about five years of age standing beside her. She was wearing a pink, frilly dress. Her long ck hair was tied by a pink ribbon. Argent was not surpised by her sudden appearance. She was shocked because the little girl had no face. Her face was like a nk canvas. But somehow, in Argent''s conciousness, she knew what this girl was supposed to look like.


    "Big sister, what are you doing here?" the girl asked in a milky voice.


    Argent stepped back.


    "Do you want to y with me?"


    Then they both heard a screaming from inside the house.


    "Mama is calling me," the girl said. "Bye bye Big Sister! y with me next time, okay?"


    Then the girl ran towards the mansion.


    Argent suddenly moved and wanted to stop the little girl. But she only took one step and tremors of fear attacked her. Her body automatically stopped moving. She felt cold. So cold. She shouldn''t follow the girl. She shouldn''t go inside the mansion.


    Because she knew there''s a monster waiting for her.

 Chapter 111: the monster inside the rose mansion

    Chapter 111: the monster inside the rose mansion


    ARGENT''S whole body was shaking. This was not just a simple fear. This kind of suffocation, it''s burried deep within her. As if it was embedded in her very soul. There was an rm going off inside her head, telling her to run, urging her to get out of this ce. But even that, she couldn''t do. Because her whole body was immobilized by fear.


    She looked down at her trembling hands and started tough at her own cowardice. She couldn''t believe that there woulde a time when she would cower in fear. Like a shivering mouse afraid that the cat woulde and eat her at any second. Argent didn''t even know where this fear came from. It''s like the moment she saw this ce, a trigger inside her was pushed and this overwhelming fear just engulfed her.


    She remembered what was written on that stone tablet. One line talked about facing your fears. So was this mansion surrounded by this beautiful rose garden the personification of her fears? But why? There''s a voice inside her head telling her that if she only allowed herself to remember, then her questions would be answered. But she couldn''t. If Argent removed the lid of the box filled with her memories, the very foundation that made her who she was would easily copsed.


    Then would the person left be still her?


    She didn''t know the anwer. And she simply didn''t want to understand.


    Did that mean that she would just stand here and wait until this fearpletely swallowed her? No. She couldn''t! Argent was doing this for her mother. For the very first person who gave her genuine warmth in this world. Standing here and doing nothing would also mean that she was abandoning her mother. So she needed to move. She needed to go inside that mansion.


    Argent closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath. She sped both hands. [I can do this.]


    She opened her eyes. Although her body was still trembling, the depths of her purple eyes were now filled with unwavering determination.


    Then she ran towards the direction of the rose mansion.


    With shaking hands, Argent slowly opened the door. What greeted her was silence. She walked carefully inside. A sense of oppression immediately attacked her. She forcefully shook it off. The living room was dark with no sunlighting in from the closed window. She looked around. All the furnitures and decorations seemed to be so familiar. Everywhere she looked, there''s a feeling of deja vu.


    Argent hated it.


    She couldn''t see anyone around. Even the figure of that little girl was nowhere to be found. She nced at the staircase. Before she could decide if she should climb upstairs, she suddenly heard the sobbing of a child. It was probably that little girl with no face. The sound of her sobbing seemed to being from everywhere. But for some reason, Argent knew exactly where she could find the girl.


    She started walking and found herself arriving at what seemed like the mansion''s kitchen. The sobbing still continued. She turned her head towards the big pantry. She walked near it and slowly opened it. When she saw the little girl inside, she wasn''t at all surprised. Because she had a feeling that the little girl always hid here.


    The little girl raised her head. Seeing her face without eyes, nose, and lips no longer shocked Argent. "Big Sister?"


    "What are you doing there?" Argent asked.


    "Mama told me to go and hide."


    "Why?"


    "Because she doesn''t want the monster to get me."


    Argent''s pupil dted when she heard that answer. ''Monster'' - that word resonated in her, feeding her fear. The fear that she needed to face. If she wanted to get out of whatever illusion this was, she needed to conquer her fear. And that ''monster'' was most probably the representation of that fear.


    "Can you take me to your Mama? Maybe I can save her from the monster," Argent said after much deliberation.


    "Really, Big Sister?"


    "Yes." She reached her hand toward the little girl. "Come."


    The girl held her hand and Argent pulled her out of the pantry.


    "Big Sister, it''s this way."


    The girl led her out of the kitchen and towards the staircase. As they climbed up, her fear just became more and more intense. She wanted to just stop and run away. But she forced herself to continue. She needed to stand her ground if she wanted to get through with this. Because if not, then she should have no hope into ever getting that sword. And that''s something she couldn''t allow.


    The little girl pulled her towards the room at the end of the corridor. The closer they got to the room, the harder it was for Argent to breath. It''s like there was an invisible hand choking her, pulling her under.


    Then they heard the scream of a woman. It was a scream so familiar to Argent. Like she had heard it a thousand of times. Her body started trembling again, making her let go of the hand of the little girl. Because of that, the girl ran straight towards the room. Before Argent could stop her, the little girl already opened the door and ran inside.


    "Mama!"


    Argent had no choice but to follow. But before she could step into the room, she was paralyzed at the door. Because inside was a monster.


    A woman was lying on the floor. Just like the little girl, she also had no face. But Argent could still see the bruises and wounds on her. A dark shadow was hovering over her. It was in the shape of a man. But Argent couldn''t feel any humanity in him. He shouldn''t look so scary. But for some reason, Argent felt like this was the ''monster'' - the personification of all her fears.


    And she was terrified. The fear in her quickly spread from the very depth of her soul to her skin and bones. It felt like she was standing on a quicksand and her body was slowly sinking. And no matter what she did, she would just continue to sink even further.


    The dark shadow suddenly reached for the woman''s neck and lifted her from the floor. "You shouldn''t have done that," he said in a grating voice. "How many times did I tell you not to disobey me?"


    "I- I''m sorry... please..." the woman begged.


    Seeing this scene, Argent felt like her heart was being squeezed. She wanted to help the woman but her body wouldn''t just move.


    Then the little girl ran towards the dark shadow. "Please, don''t hurt Mama."


    The shadow looked down at the little girl then he threw the woman away like she''s some rag doll. The dark shadow bent over the girl. He traced the girl''s face with his fingers. "You don''t want me to hurt your Mama?" The girl nodded. "Then you have to apany me."


    The shadow shrouding the man started to expand and slowly envelop the little girl.


    Argent''s whole body shook. Fear and disgust slowly swirling inside her. Before she could even think, her body finally move. She turned her bracelet into a sword and shed at the dark shadow''s back. The shadow slowly turned back to her, as if only finally noticing her presence. He let go of the girl and stepped towards her. Argent automatically stepped back.


    Then she ran. She ran as fast as she could. But she could still hear the fast footsteps behind her. A sign that the dark shadow was running after her. A ck tendril reached for her foot causing for her to trip. She fell down. When she tried to turn, the dark shadow was already above her. Argent''s whole body froze.


    "Look at you, so grown up," the dark shadow said slowly reaching for her face.


    She stiffened when she felt the cold touch on her face. She could no longer tell the emotion she was feeling. When the dark shadow''s face came closer and closer towards her, Argent suddenly felt like someone would appear and save her from the monster. Anytime now, that person would definitely appear.


    Then Argent suddenly realized how wrong it was of her to think that. Waiting for someone to save her was not something she should do. Because doing that meant that she couldn''t face her fears alone. It was just another form of cowardice. And she''s tired of running away.


    She gripped her sword tightly and red at the dark shadow. All her hatred showing in her purple gaze. "Die, you asshole."


    Then she swung her sword and cut off the dark shadow''s head.


    "Xia Yin..." the dark shadow muttered beforepletely disintegrating.


    Then everything just turned into darkness.

 Chapter 112: the dragon king

    Chapter 112: the dragon king


    WHEN Argent opened her eyes, she was already back at the hall of the Temple of Tian Long. She massaged her forehead. She felt like the inside of her head was pulsating. As if it would explode at any second. She vaguely remembered what happened. But the lingering emotions of fear and helplessness that remained in her proved that something did happen.


    She closed her eyes tightly. She couldn''t remember. No, it''s more urate to say that she refused to remember. Argent knew that she purposedly sealed a lot of her memories, most of them when she was still a child. But she also knew that if she didn''t do that, then she definitely would have grown up insane. Instead of making inventions after inventions, she would probably be inside a hospital room, counting the number of bugs crawling on the wall.


    Argent managed to live this long because she chose to forget. If she started to remember, she didn''t know what kind of effect it would have on her now. But she knew it wouldn''t be positive. She couldn''t afford any distractions right now. Not when her family was in this kind of situation.


    "Congrattions," a voice suddenly said in azy tone.


    Argent opened her eyes and looked towards the direction of the voice. The stone tablet was no longer there. On its ce stood a tall man wearing a loose white robe, showing a wide expanse of chest. His long golden hair was flowing freely behind his back. His pair of golden eyes were looking at her with interest. He had thiszy elegance in him. Like even if he put one of his finger in her nostril, he would still appear graceful.


    But that was not what captured Argent''s attention. It was the pupils of the man''s eyes. Even at this distance, she could clearly see that they were vertical slits. It was a sure sign that the man was not exactly human. Seeing that this temple housed an artifact called the sword of the dragon king, then it''s not farfetched to think that this man was probably a dragon.


    "You are?" she asked.


    "I am the dragon king. Or at least I was," the man answered with azy tone.


    Argent didn''t know how to react upon hearing that. She couldn''t help but give the man another look. This was the dragon king? Well, he certainly had the presence of someone with a high authority. But should someone like him be here? In an underwater temple surrounded by a strong enchantment? Then she remembered a certain point in what he said. "Was? You''re not the king anymore?"


    "Hmm... it''s hard to be the king when you''re dead," the dragon king said while looking at his nails, as if he just didn''t tell someone that he''s already dead.


    Argent didn''t know what''s more surprising, knowing that he''s the dragon king or knowing that he''s dead? "So, you''re a ghost?"


    "How rude. I am the remnant of the dragon king''s soul. How could I be a ghost?" the dragon king said indignantly. Wasn''t that basically a ghost? Argent thought. "Well, you''ve always been rude. I shouldn''t have expected more."


    Argent furrowed her brows when she heard thest thing he said. The way he talked, it''s like this was not the first time they met. Rather, it''s like he knew her quite well. "Have we met?"


    "The you right now, not yet. But if you continue on this road, then maybe soon you will." Argent couldn''t understand his vague answer at all. But before she could ask him what he meant, he spoke again. "How many years has it been since the Mythos continent closed off?"


    "500 years."


    "Oh, so that''s how long I''ve been here. But since you showed up here, maybe it wouldn''t be long before Ipletely disappear. So, let''s get this over with. I''ll hand you over the sword and you can leave."


    "That''s it?"


    "Yes. What else is there? You already passed the trial and the sword found you worthy. Don''t tell me you still want another trial?" the dragon king asked, looking at her as if she was insane.


    "No, wait- I still have a lot of questions for you."


    "Then ask. Though I can''t promise I will answer all of it."


    "15 years ago, did a man resembling me manage to get your sword?"


    The dragon king acted like he was trying to remember who she was talking about. "Ah, that guy. Yes, he did manage to get the sword."


    "If he did, then howe the sword is still here?" she asked, confused.


    "Maybe because he failed."


    Argent let out an exasperated sigh. "Did anyone ever tell you how confusing you are?"


    "That just adds to my mystery," he said, pushing out his chest and acting all proudly.


    "Let''s backtrack. What did he fail at exactly?"


    "He gathered all the sacred artifacts and then failed the next step."


    So her father did manage to gather the three artifacts. Whatever those artifacts were supposed to do once they were gathered, her father ultimately failed in activating it. "Then the artifacts returned to the ce where they were found?"


    "You''ve always been smart," he said, meaning that her conclusion was right.


    Argent ignored the way he''s talking like they''re old friends. Because she knew this king wouldn''t answer her even if she asked. "What exactly are the three sacred artifacts for?"


    "Gather them all and you''ll know."


    She just knew this guy wouldn''t give her the answer she wanted. "Then what is the ''child of all''?"


    "Come on, stop asking me questions that you could easily find the answers to. Letting me answer it would just be too easy. Do you think I''m here to make your life easier?"


    Argent couldn''t help but feel that this king might actually kind of dislike her. In the first ce, should the once king of the most powerful race act like this? "If you''re dead, then do the queen of the elves and the king of the beastkins also dead?"


    "Of course they are. How could I be dead when they''re not? I''m way more stronger than those two, you know?"


    "So you died during the war 500 years ago?" Because ording to what he just said earlier, he had been here for 500 years. "How did that war start exactly?"


    Argent have read a lot of history books since she arrived in this world. But the details regarding the war that happened 500 years ago were not exactly clear. Most of the books said that it was because the human race wanted to take advantage of the three mythical race. But even if that was the case, could that really start a war? To the point that the three powerful races just closed themselves off from the world?


    "Because of a certain demon''s obsession," the dragon king answered with a faraway look on his handsome face.


    "I take it this demon is just a figure of speech?"


    The king snorted. "I don''t want to talk about it. If you insist, I might be really tempted to just kill you."


    "Okay." Argent already asked him all the important questions which he mostly didn''t answer. She couldn''t think of anything more to ask him. Well, maybe one or two questions more. "The man who came here 15 years ago, did he tell you anything?"


    "No. He just said he''s doing it for his family. Don''t worry, I think you''ll meet him soon enough. If you gather the three artifacts, that is."


    There he went again, being all vague. She no longer asked what he meant because she knew he wouldn''t give her a straight answer. "What will happen once I gather the three sacred artifacts?"


    "Everything that''s supposed to happen will happen."


    Argent sighed again. "I''ll take the sword," she just said. If she asked another question and he gave another vague answer, she might really just punch him.


    "Good. I thought you''re still nning to bombard me with your nonsensical questions."


    The dragon king reached out his hand, palm up. A golden light appeared on his palm. It became brighter and brighter until a sword appeared above his palm. It was a five feet long sword with a golden scabbard iid with gems and a hilt with a sculpted dragon wrapped around it. The sword floated and went straight to her hand.


    The moment Argent touched the sword, she suddenly felt like she was burnt. Then it disappeared and she felt a scorching pain on her right palm. She winced. When she looked at her palm, she saw a tattooed sword on it. It was safe to say that it was probably the dragon sword.


    She looked at the dragon king. "How can I take it out?"


    "Just wish for it. If that''s all, you can go now."


    Argent thought for a moment. "Your name, may I know what it is?"


    The dragon king seemed surprised by her question then he smiled. It was a smile that instantly made his handsome face even more handsome. "Sieghart."


    Then Argent was slowly surrounded by a bright light. Before shepletely disappeared from the main hall of the temple, she heard the dragon king saying;


    "Goodbye my dear silverdy."

 Chapter 113: a step closer

    Chapter 113: a step closer


    LEI FENG hovered over the sea water where Argent disappeared. He red at the sea below. If this sea had a physical body, he might have already hacked it into pieces by now. It''s been more than an hour since Argent disappeared. Lei Feng''s fear and worry were already at its peak. Every seconds that passed only made him more and more anxious. He''s like an inted balloon with a sharp needle pointed at him. Just one touch and he would blow up.


    He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. Because he could feel his Mana slowly getting out of control. Lei Feng knew the extent of his own ability and just how powerful it was. That''s why he always tried to control his temper. Having a short fuse would only make his Mana more vtile. He didn''t want to always worry whether he would go out of control just because someone pissed him off.


    But all these waiting was just infuriating. Lei Feng hated feeling this helpless. It''s like he once again returned to that time of his life where he couldn''t even protect that most important person. Even when they met again, he still didn''t manage to protect her. Now that he was given another chance, it was still the same. He was still as useless as ever.


    Lei Feng clenched both his fists tightly. He couldn''t even feel his nails digging into his palms until it almost drew blood. "Argent..." he whispered her name as if in a prayer.


    Viper who was standing on the circr ind that suddenly appeared was also at his wit''s end. When that bright light suddenly appeared, Viper didn''t hesitate to jump into the ocean and swim towards the direction where Argent was. Then the light disappeared and he saw an ind suddenly appearing. That annoying guy frantically dived into the sea being surrounded by the circr ind. That made Viper swam even faster. Because he just knew something went wrong.


    When he finally arrived at the ind, he saw the annoying guy getting out of the water. Viper looked around and didn''t see Argent. He already had a bad hunch, especially when he saw the dark look of the young general. Viper asked what happened but the bastard just ignored him. But even if he didn''t receive an answer, he could already tell what happened.


    Argent probably managed to break the enchantment. Viper didn''t doubt that Argent wouldn''t be able to because of his special constitution. Breaking the enchantment would probably be just child''s y to Argent. What Viper wasn''t sure about was if Argent would be able to enter the Temple of Tian Long. But now, seeing that Argent was nowhere to be found, it was certain that he did manage to enter the temple. Showing that he was indeed what the legend called as the ''child of all''.


    But Viper didn''t have time nor the inclination to think of what could that have meant. Because he was much more worried about Argent''s current situation. It had already been more than an hour since that bright light appeared and Argent was still nowhere to be seen. He was on edge. He felt the need to release all this tension or he might just really lost that one screw in his brain that was still keeping him sane.


    He looked at the general still floating above the sea. This annoying bastard was the perfect target.


    "Hey! How could you not even protect Argent properly? What''s the use of all that power then? You''re just as useless as any other trash out there!" Viper mocked. If he was the one with Argent, he would definitely not let him disappear just like that. Viper''s dislike towards this annoying bastard just grew even more because of that.


    What the snake said just triggered Lei Feng. Because that was what he also thought about himself. But that didn''t mean that he would enjoy hearing it from another person''s mouth. Especiallying from this snake. His almost calmed Mana became vtile again. The air surrounding him became static. Then a small lightning fell down where Viper was standing.


    If Viper didn''t have a good reflex, that lightning would have certainly hit him. He looked at the scorched ground where he was standing before and then red at the culprit behind it. Who, unsurprisingly, also red back at him.


    Lei Feng slowly descended to the area where Viper was. "You''ve been itching for a fight, right? Thene, I will indulge you and beat you up thoroughly."


    Viper sneered. "Don''t worry, you don''t have to put in so much effort because you''ll be dead by then."


    Viper''s Mana started to swirl around him. But before he could even make a move, a bright light suddenly surrounded them again. He felt thend he was standing on disappear and he immediately plunged into the sea. When the light was finally gone, he saw the annoying bastard flying towards a certain direction. He followed the ce he was going with his gaze and saw a certain silver-haired figure floating on the sea. He didn''t think twice and excitedly swam towards that direction.


    When that light appeared, Lei Feng just knew that Argent was back. He flew immediately towards the ce where Argent disappeared an hour ago. Although he already expected it, seeing Argent really floating on the sea was like seeing a shining deacon during a thunderstorm. He flew down just as Argent opened her eyes.


    "You''re okay?" Lei Feng asked, looking Argent over, checking for any obvious injury.


    When Argent saw Lei Feng''s serious face, his obsidian ck eyes filled with worry, the image of that rose mansion shed inside her mind.


    "I guess so," Argent answered, shaking off the feeling she just felt. Her body felt lighter. The fear that had just been drowning her was already gone. She looked down at her palm with the tattooed sword. It was a symbol that she seeded. It meant that she was a step closer to saving her mother. "Yes, I''m okay," she added, giving a much clearer answer.


    Lei Feng finally breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Argent''s answer. His worry and fear slowly receding. "Let''s get you out of the water first," he said, lending his hand to Argent.


    Argent nodded. She was about to reach for Lei Feng''s hand when she heard Viper shouting her name.


    "Argent!"


    Before Viper coulde near her, Lei Feng already clutched her hand and lifted her up. Then he flew both of them towards the ind where the three dark guards were.


    Viper who was left alone in the sea felt like he would vomit blood because of too much anger. He shouted and cursed the annoying bastard. But he still reluctantly swam back towards the ind.


    On the opposite ind, a certain man wearing a domino mask witnessed it all. Harlequin smiled and disappeared from where he was standing. In a blink of an eye, he arrived at a garden. He walked towards the nearby pavilion where a man was sitting and peacefully drinking tea.


    The man was wearing the standard white robe of a priest. His blond hair looked like it was shining with the rays of the sun pouring through the pavilion. His pair of blue eyes looked warm and gentle. There was a kind of smile on his face. Anyone who could see him right now would immediately feel good will towards him. But Harlequin knew just how cruel this man could be. This was the Pope of the Temple of Gaia - Lucern Faust. The only man Harlequin deemed worthy to be at the very top of humanity.


    "Your Holliness," Harlequin greeted.


    "How was it?" Lucern asked, he did not look at Harlequin and just continued drinking his tea.


    "The duke was sessful in getting the sword."


    "Good." A small smile appeared in Lucern''s handsome face. "You know what you should do next."


    "Of course," Harlequin bowed and disappeared from the garden.


    Lucern walked out of the pavilion and picked a white rose full of thorns. "Looks like it''s time for us to meet again," he whispered at the rose, his blue eyes filling with dark emotions.

 Chapter 114: return gift

    Chapter 114: return ''gift''


    ARGENT furrowed her brows. She was in deep sleep. But because something kept poking her cheek, that sleep was interrupted. She irritably swatted whatever that thing was but it still continued. In the end, Argent could only reluctantly open her eyes. And the first thing she saw was Viper''s mismatched eyes. He was squatting beside her, his finger raised and was about to poke her cheek.


    "What are you doing?" she asked.


    "Poking your cheek," he answered and shamelessly poke her cheek again.


    This time, Argent sessfuly swatted Viper''s finger. "Stop." She slowly sat up and only just noticed that she was inside a tent. "How am I here?"


    Thest thing she remembered was of Lei Feng bringing her to the uninhabited ind. Did she pass out?


    "You fell asleep the moment that bastard general put you down. So, he decided to stay in this ind until you wake up."


    So, she fell asleep. That''s not really surprising, considering she hadn''t had any decent sleep these past few days. Finally getting the thing that could help her get her mother back, her body finally rxed and probably just gave in to its need to sleep.


    "How long have I been asleep?"


    "It''s already nearing midnight, so almost half a day?"


    Yes, she was definitely tired. "How did you manage to sneak in here anyway?"


    Because she was pretty certain Lei Feng wouldn''t just let Viper enter her tent considering how the two kept fighting and bickering since the moment they met.


    "I''m an assassin, it''s my job to sneak inside different ces," he said indignantly. "And I put the bastard general and the three stooges to sleep so I could easily get in."


    Argent raised one of her brows. "Lei Feng will definitely be pissed at you tomorrow."


    "Who cares about him? Just imagining his stupid face when he woke up and learned that a simple incense put him to sleep already makes me incredibly happy. He deserve it. He and his three stooges kept bullying me. He hurt my fragile feelings. Don''t you feel sorry for me?" Viper said, his face full of grievance.


    "No, not really," Argent said without hesitation.


    Viper sulked and showed fake tears. "How could you? Your sweetheart has been bullied and you don''t even care?"


    "Okay. Stop. Just tell me why you''re here in my tent. Surely, you''re not here just to watch me sleep?"


    "Yes, actually," he admitted quite matter-of factly. "But mostly, I''m here to say goodbye."


    "Oh. You''re already leaving?" She thought, with Viper''s character, he would persistently attached himself to her until she left Xing.


    "Sadly, yes. Master contacted me and told me to report to him everything that happened here."


    "Can''t you just call him and tell him those things?" Argent asked, a bit confused. If they both had sPhones, they could just talk to each other thru it. What''s the need to report in person?


    Viper''s heterochromatic eyes suddenly brightened. "What''s this? Do you actually not want me to go? Will you miss me?"


    Argent gave him a look like he was stupid. "You think more. I''m just curious."


    "I know you will miss me. No need to be shy," he said with a silly grin on his face.


    Argent rubbed her temple. Sometimes, she seriously wondered how Viper''s brain circuit worked. She sighed. And then she suddenly remembered the n brewing inside her mind. "Can you arrange a meeting for me and your master?"


    Viper stopped and suddenly looked thoughtful. "I can''t promise you but I could try."


    "That''s more than enough."


    "My master is a bit entric. No one never really know what he''s thinking. So I suggest that you don''t expect too much. I''ll contact you immediately once I receive Master''s answer. How should I contact you?"


    Argent just simply gave him her [TalkUs] ount. Viper was obviously overjoyed by this. "If you''re leaving tonight, then I have something for you."


    Viper''s eyes became even brighter. "Is this the present you said you''ll give me?"


    Argent nodded. She took the extra limiter bracelet from her space ring and gave it to Viper. "It''s a limiter. It could stop the flow of your Mana which will allow you to freely touch others."


    This was Argent''s return gift for that head Viper gave her.Unlike the limiter that Aurum had, this one just had the simple function of stopping someone''s Mana. There''s no adjustment, no built-in GPS, or something that could produce an SOS signal.


    Viper''s bright eyes slowly dimmed. "I don''t need that. I told you, being able to touch you is enough for me."


    "Do you really think so? Because I don''t. You''ve been deprived of human touch for so long that when you met someone that you could touch, you immediately thought that that person was special. Even if it''s not me you''ve met, you''ll probably still feel the same." Argent was not good when it came to emotions but people''s psychology, she could at least understand. "Just use it. Try to touch others. It will be good for you."


    Viper looked down. He could not deny what Argent just said. Because it was true. Up until the moment when he found out that he could touch Argent, he only thought of him as a stuck up know-it-all kid. Then after that, his perception of Argent changed. He became the best in Viper''s eyes. His fascination with Argent was slowly engraved in his heart for the past seven years. But what if it was another person? Would he still feel the same way?


    Viper didn''t know the answer. And frankly, he didn''t want to. What''s the use of thinking about those things when it was indeed Argent that he met on that ship and not any other?


    Argent looked at Viper''s petnt look and helplessly sighed. She reached for his hand and personally put the limiter on his wrist. "Don''t try to limit your world on me, Viper. Because at the end, you might discover that it wasn''t worth it at all."


    Viper sharply raised his head. "How could you not be worth it? You''re worth everything."


    Argent looked at Viper''s serious expression and just shook her head. It''s like he didn''t understand a thing she said. "Go. Those four might wake up and they might beat you up before you could even manage to leave here," she just said.


    "Are you worrying about me?" Argent just gave him an indifferent look which made Viperugh. "Won''t you give me a goodbye kiss?"


    "I won''t. And don''t even try to sneak one on me because I won''t hesitate to cut you up."


    Viper pouted. "Fine." He stood up. "I''ll leave then. See youter, Argent!" he said while happily waving his hand.


    He walked outside the tent, the happy expression on his face slowly disappeared. Viper looked down at the bracelet on his wrist. He didn''t like this gift at all. Why did he need to touch others? Argent was enough for him. But then, he still couldn''t help but think if something would change once he knew the feel of other people''s skin.


    Viper silentlyughed. Who cares? Even if something did change, the ce of Argent in his heart was the only thing that would remain the same.


    He looked again at the bracelet. "Even though I don''t like you, I will still treasure you since Argent gave you to me," he said to the bracelet like a kid.


    Then he walked while skipping towards the direction of the shore.

 Chapter 115: waiting for a call

    Chapter 115: waiting for a call


    AURUM was lying restlessly on the bed. She kept checking her sPhone every ten seconds just to see if her brother contacted her. But to her disappointment, there was still no news. This was the first time that Argent didn''t contact her for the whole day since they separated. Aurum wanted to contact her brother, but then she thought, what if she was doing something important right now and that''s the reason she hadn''t called her yet? She certainly hoped that was the case and not because something bad happened to her.


    Aurum wished she could also do what her brother could with the sPhones. Like tracking her whereabouts. But s, she was no genius like her brother. Her strength lied elsewhere. So now, she could only hope that Argent didn''t encounter any danger.


    She had been staying at the Zhang household for the past few days just like her brother requested. It wasn''t that hard since she really wasn''t interested in going outside and the Empress hadn''t invited her to the pce since thest time she went there. She spent the past few days mostly with Madame Lin.


    The older woman seemed to be really fond of her. Aurum was worried at first that Madame Lin might want to match her with her son. She didn''t know how she would reject Madame Lin if she really did open the subject. How could Aurum tell her that she was not interested in her stone face son? It didn''t really help that the older General Zhang kept teasing Aurum and asking her to be their daughter-inw.


    But then she thought, Madame Lin was not the type who would force a girl to her son. Unless, of course, if her son showed an interest to that girl. On that front, Aurum had nothing to worry about. Because the younger general didn''t have the least bit interest in her. In fact, he appeared more interested in her brother. Which was a problem on its own but something that she shouldn''t really worry about now.


    Her focus should be on the safety of her mother and brother. She could feel that her brother found something rted to their mother''s situation. But Argent chose not to tell it to her. Aurum knew her brother. She probably thought that she would only worry more if she knew about it. Argent probably wouldn''t tell her about it until she solved everything herself and there''s no longer any danger. But this was counterproductive in Aurum''s opinion. Since she''s just going to worry even more.


    Then her sPhone suddenly rang. Aurum immediately answered it, not even looking at the name on the screen. "Brother?"


    "It''s me," said a very familiar voice, but sadly, not her brother.


    "Oh," she only said, her excitement immediately deted.


    "Hey, don''t sound so disappointed," Misined on the other side of the sPhone.


    "I thought we''re still on cold war," Aurum said.


    Mis hadn''t contacted her for the past month and a half. It''s obvious that he was sulking because she didn''t tell him that she was going to Xing. As a reasult, he wasn''t even able to say goodbye to her when they left for Xing. Aurum didn''t mind. But obviously, it was a big deal to Mis. She didn''t want to, but she suspected that Mis probably thought of her as more than a friend.


    Aurum didn''t notice it much when they were justmunicating through defaro crystals and sPhones. But when she spent time with him when they returned to Albion, it became quite obvious. Not to mention all the gifts he kept showering her, there was also the way he looked at her. As if she''s his most important treasure. Aurum never really thought of him in that way. So his attention just kind of made her ufortable.


    That''s probably why she never mentioned to him about her going to Xing with her brother. She also didn''t bother calling him. Aurum probably subconciously wanted to avoid him. For her, Mis was the first friend she made. She also treasured all the conversations they had over the years. He''s one of the few people she didn''t have to put up an act for. But that didn''t mean she could think of him in that way.


    Aurum was just thankful that he didn''t confess to her when they were still in Albion. Because she really didn''t know how she would answer him. Ah, having this kind of beuty was really a sin. Aurum thought, not aware of just how narcissistic she sounded.


    "Well, apparently a month and a half is my limit," Mis answered. He always resisted calling Aurum because he was really pissed that she didn''t even bother to tell him that she was leaving. He wanted for her to call him instead. But he waited and waited and that call still didn''t came. In the end, he was still the one who called. "Why didn''t you tell me you''re leaving anyway?"


    "Our trip was supposed to be a secret. Just in case our good King thought of stopping us." Though Aurum doubted that he would, considering the mess that resulted from popsicle''s birthday party. He''s probably busy cleaning that up.


    "And yet Winter managed to say goodbye to you," he said, a hint of grievance in his voice.


    "Just me yourself for not having a wider informationwork than popsicle. And just to make things clear, he didn''t go there for me. He went there to talk to my brother." Why would this guy even think that popsicle would even bother to say goodbye to her? Those rumors floating around about them were just that, rumors. They didn''t even like each other. "How are things there?" she just asked as a safe topic.


    "The first princess is still under house arrest. But the Queen and the nobles supporting the princess are doing everything they can to clean up her reputation. Though Winter keeps foiling their n. I just saw the Queen the other day and I think she''s on the verge of personally assassinating him. This time, I think Winter is really serious about inheriting the throne."


    Thinking of the other royal children, popsicle was probably the best candidate to be next King of Albion. Though his face muscles looked like it had been dead for years, Aurum could see that he was a good person. He clearly also had the strength to lead people. And most of all, he hadpassion in him. As evidence of his love for his mother. If that would make him a good king, Aurum didn''t know. But she was sure that he would definitely try to be one.


    "Good for him," she just said.


    "When will youe back?" Mis asked.


    "I''m not really sure. But we probably would have to stay here a bit longer."


    They talked for a bit more and then Aurum said that she needed to sleep early because she had to go somewhere tomorrow. Which was technically not a lie. Since she really needed to attend the seventh princess'' hairpin ceremony.


    "I see. Good night then," Mis said.


    She could hear the loss in Mis''s voice but Aurum ignored it. "Good night." Then she hung up.


    She sighed. She probably should limit hermunication with Mis in the future. At least until she knew how she should response to him without hurting him too much.


    She looked again at her sPhone. Her brother probably wouldn''t call her tonight. Aurum really hoped that it wasn''t because of something serious. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep. But when she thought that she would have to go to the Imperial Pce tomorrow, she could already feel a headacheing.


    [Please, please don''t let there be any drama tomorrow.]

 Chapter 116: two peas in a pod

    Chapter 116: two peas in a pod


    BLACK was sulking but still diligentlybing Aurum''s long golden hair."Why does ck have to brush Aurum''s hair?" he asked, full of dissatisfaction.


    "Because you''re my little maid," Aurum answered while looking at the set of beautiful hairpins in front of her.


    Today was the hairpin ceremony of the seventh princess.Aurum already took a bath.She was even wearing the new clothes that she bought with Madame Lin yesterday.It was a traditional Xing dress.The design of the dress was very simple - a white jacket paired with a pink skirt with simple but intricate embroidery.Madame Lin wanted to buy her a more beautifully designed dress but she refused.She didn''t want to wear something extravagant.Because if she did, then she would certainly overshadow the star of the ceremony.


    She''s not that hungry for attention that she would purposedly attract the attention of people.Going there with her identity was enough to be the center of gossip.Making herself more beautiful than she already was would just dim the existence of other girls attending the ceremony.Aurum would just be a target for envy and hate.Thest thing she wanted was to be entangled in any pce drama because some girl couldn''t ept that there were people in this world much more beautiful than them.


    Aurum sighed helplessly.Who told her to be so beautiful?


    "But ck is only ying to be your maid.ck isn''t really your maid," ck argued but still continued to brush Aurum''s hair.


    Before she could reply, her sPhone rang.She picked it up from the dressing table.When she saw the name of her brother, she excitedly epted the video call.In a second, her brother''s beautiful face appeared on the screen."You finally called!"


    "Sorry.I n to call youst night but it was alreadyte.You''re probably already asleep by then," her brother said apologetically.


    ck didn''t forget to brush his existence."Master!ck miss you very much!When will youe back?ck doesn''t want to be with Aurum anymore."


    "The feeling is mutual," Aurum said pushing ck''s face away.Then she looked back at her brother.She studied Argent''s face."Did something happen?"


    Although her brother looked like she didn''t suffer any injury, she still couldn''t put down the worry in her heart.


    "There was something.But it''s already over."


    Aurum narrowed her eyes at Argent."What exactly was this ''something''?And don''t even try to dodge the question, Brother."


    Argent looked at her sister''s expression.She knew she wouldn''t get away with just a simple ''it''s nothing''.In the end, she still decided to tell her everything.From the code left by their mother, to finding about the legend surrounding the sacred artifacts, to confirming that their mother was in the hands of the Pope of the Temple of Gaia, and finally, to Argent getting the sword of the dragon king.


    When she was done she saw that her sister''s expression was dark.


    "You should have told me about this!At least about mother''s code and that ridiculous legend.I know I''m not reliable enough.But at least I could share your worries.I''m also a ckbourne, this just doesn''t include you.It includes me as well," Aurum said, the corners of her eyes a bit red, a sign that she was preventing herself from crying.


    Argent felt distressed looking at her sister like this.In this situation, she was clearly in the wrong."I know.I''m sorry.At that time, I was just overwhelmed by anger and all I could think of was to get back at those Apostles.I''m sorry for not thinking about how you would feel."


    "Don''t keep me in the dark again," Aurum said, her voice still with a bit of grievance.


    "I won''t.I promise.Am I forgiven?"


    "Hmp!As if I could stay angry with you," Aurum said sulkily."So, will you really give that sword to that Pope?"


    With that question, the image of the Pope during that speech suddenly shed inside Aurum''s mind.She sneered inside.The man looked so bright and kind but he was actually hiding a very rotten heart.He''s no doubt a much better actor than she was.Not hesitating to kidnap and ckmail just so he could get what he wanted.And ording to what her brother said, the Pope even created a group that would do all his dirty works.Just thinking about what those people possibly did to her mother already made her blood boil.


    Argent showed a sinister grin."How could I possibly make it that easy?"


    Aurum also gave off an equally sinister smile."We''ll make them pay, right?"


    "We definitely will."


    In this aspect, the ckbourne twins were truly two peas in a pod.


    The haze inside Aurum''s heart was finally lifted."Good."


    "ck will help too!" ck didn''t forget to add.


    Argent only smiled at the two.That''s when she only noticed that her sister was wearing a traditional Xing dress."Are you going somewhere today?"


    "I''m going to the pce with Madame Lin.Remember, the Empress invited me to attend the seventh princess'' hairpin ceremony.That''s today," Aurum answered."Do you want me to search the Empress'' memory in case she has more information about those Apostles?"


    "No.That ce will be filled with people.I don''t want you to take any risk.And with all things considered, those Apostles were probably only using the Empress.So we would look in their direction.They wouldn''t give her more information than what was needed.Now that she served her purpose, they wouldn''t bother with her anymore."


    And based on Aurum''s description of the Empress, the woman was probably the type that only cared about her son being the next Emperor.She wouldn''t care about the Apostles purpose in reaching out to her as long as she could have their guarantee that they would help her son sit on the Emperor''s throne.


    "Would they really do it, support the crown prince so he could be the next emperor?"


    "Who knows," Argent shrugged.Maybe it''s just a part of another much bigger n.An borate n that included those three sacred artifacts.And maybe it also included them - the ckbourne twins.But this was not the time to think about that.One step at a time - that''s what she said she would do.


    "When will you be back at the capital?Or would you wait until another Apostle contact you?" Aurum asked.


    "I''ll stay at Hangzhou Vige for a few more days.See if they would contact me or visit me personally."


    "Be careful, Brother.And don''t forget to call me."


    "I know.And you, try not to get into trouble," she reminded her sister.


    "Who, me?I''m always at my best behaviour.But if troublees finding me, then that wouldn''t be my fault, would it?"


    Argent just only helplessly shook her head.

 Chapter 117: hairpin ceremony

    Chapter 117: hairpin ceremony


    IN XING, when girls turned 15, they often undergo aing of age ceremony. A hairpin ceremony was held to symbolize their entry to adulthood. A hairpin would be pinned on the girl''s beautifully arranged hair and that would signal that she was now ready to be a wife to a man. Not many could afford a grand hairpin ceremony. Mostly, only girls from distinguished families could have one.


    There were two steps to the hairpin ceremony. The girl''s hair would be gathered up onto the top of her head into a bun, then the hairpin would be inserted into her hair.


    Inside the Fenghua Pce, the Empress was standing in front of an eight treasure style couch. The seventh princess was wearing a very elegant robe and was standing below her. On the sides, there were noble married women and their daughters attending the ceremony. Among them was Aurum. She was sitting beside Madame Lin.


    Since she arrived with Madame Lin earlier, she already gathered a lot of attention. Despite wearing simple clothing, it couldn''t lessen her beauty. Among the girls of the same age attending the ceremony, Aurum was still the most beautiful and eye-catching. Even the mature women could not hold a candle to her. Which, of course, caused a lot of dissatisfaction.


    Aurum had been receiving a lot of hateful looks since earlier. She didn''t mind. She already expected as much. Girls at this age were more prone to envy and jealousy. Especially those that were narrow minded. They would automatically hate those who were better than them. And since Aurum was better than them in all aspects - beauty, wealth, status, fame - she was the perfect target of their envy and hate.


    Aurum could only sigh in her heart. Beauty was really a sin. She ignored those hateful looks and just continued to watch the ceremony in front.


    The seventh princess was kneeling on the red suede carpet and saluting the Empress with her hands together. Her hair was already put into a bun. Then the matron in charge of the ceremony took out the hairpin from a box being held by a pce maid. It was a beautiful golden butterfly hairpin with exquisitely carved plum blossom petals. The matron took the hairpin from the box and inserted it on the seventh princess'' hair.


    And that concluded the hairpin ceremony.


    Aurum couldn''t truly understand the need for so much fanfare. All this just for them to watch an olddy putting a hairpin on a teenage girl''s hair? It''s a bit over the top in her opinion. Good thing Albion didn''t have a ceremony like this. Usually they just held party for their 18th birthday. That''s definitely much better than this.


    After the ceremony ended, the noble marrieddies went to the Empress to say goodbye together with their daughters. With their fawning attitude, it''s obvious that they wanted to get the Empress'' favor. Not surprising, since the Emperor didn''t really have any particr favorite concubine. So in this harem, the Empress still reigned supreme.


    Aurum thought that either the Emperor still had some use for the Empress that''s why he chose that way to deal with the harem or he just didn''t care about his women. Based on her brother''s description of the Emperor, Aurum couldn''t help but feel that it was thetter.


    Soon, it was her and Madame Lin''s turn to bid farewell to the Empress.


    "Your Majesty," the both of them respectfully greeted.


    "Thank you for attending''s Zi-er''s hairpin ceremony," the Empress said referring to the seventh princess.


    "It''s our honor to be here. It''s just right to give our blessing to the seventh princess," Madame Lin said.


    "This Empress hasn''t seen Madame Lin muchtely. This Empress has missed our conversation. You shoulde to the pce and visit this Empress more often."


    Madame Lin smiled. "Thank you, Your Majesty. I''ll do just that. Our conversations has always been quite invigorating."


    Aurum almost rolled her eyes at all this fakeness. So even Madame Lin could fake a smile if she needed to.


    Then the Empress turned to her. "This Empress hasn''t seen you for a few days and you seem to look even more beautiful."


    Aurum acted like she was shy. "Your Majesty..."


    "What''s this, are you still shy?" the Empress said amusedly. "This Empress has prepared a special banquet for Zi-er''s. All the young people from good families are invited. This Empress knows that you haven''t been able to interact with a lot of people your age since you came here in Xing. You should go and make some friends."


    Madame Lin looked worriedly at Aurum. She already heard about the rumors that the Empress wanted to match Aurum with the fifth prince. But she also knew that Aurum was already engaged with a prince from Albion. If that wasn''t the case, she would really be tempted to match the girl with her son. Not because of her exorbitant wealth but simply because Madame Lin liked the sweet girl. So she didn''t want her to be entrenched in any of the Empress'' schemes. Especially since her brother entrusted her to Madame Lin.


    Aurum, of course, noticed Madame Lin''s worried gaze. So she smiled at her, reassuring her that she would be alright. Then she looked at the Empress. "I would love to. Thank you for the invitation, Your Majesty."


    The Empress seemed to be very satisfied with her answer. Then she called the sixth princess over. "Min-er, go and apany Lady Aurum to the banquet."


    "Yes, Mother." The sixth princess smiled at Aurum. "Come, let''s go Lady Aurum."


    Aurum had no choice but to follow the sixth princess out of Fenghua Pce.


    "Lady Aurum truly looks exceptional," the sixth princess opened while they were walking. "I, for one, love your dress. It''s quite... original."


    Aurum didn''t miss the mockery in the princess'' voice. She knew how simple her dress looked, but so what? "Thank you, Your Highness. I think a dress of this design would suit you. It would definitely highlight your beauty. Do you want me to tell you where I bought it?"


    The smile on the princess'' face seemed to be a bit stiff. If she wore the same dress that Aurum was wearing now, it would definitely not highlight her beauty. In fact, it would bring the opposite effect. "That''s very kind of you."


    Aurum told her the name of the store and she almostughed when she saw the princess'' constipated expression. For the sake of fun, Aurum tried to read her thoughts. Just to see if the princess was cursing her right now inside her head.


    Li Min gritted her teeth in anger. If she could, she really wanted p this girl senseless. From the moment they met, she always make her feel that she was nothing but a jumping clown in her eyes. Then she remembered what her imperial mother told her and some of her anger subsided.


    [That''s right. Act all high and mighty all you want. At the end of this day, you''ll be disgraced in front of everyone. And then you''ll have no choice but to marry that cut sleeve brother of mine. Let''s just see if you could stillugh after that.]


    Aurum almost tripped. She knew what cut sleeve meant. It''s a famous euphemism in this country. She didn''t know at what fact she should be more surprised. That the Empress was really nning something for her or that the girly looking fifth prince was indeed gay?

 Chapter 118: happenings at the plum garden

    Chapter 118: happenings at the plum garden


    THE banquet was being held at the pce''s plum garden. It was called that because of the plum trees nted there. All the trees were in full bloom, showing its beautiful flowers to the people. A number of white petals would fall down and sway with the wind. It was like a scene from a painting. Add that to the wonderful scent permeating the air and the people walking here couldn''t help but feel good.


    The number of young people attending was not that much, probably only two dozens. The teenage girls and boys had separate areas to mingle. On the left side were the youngdies, trying their best to appear graceful. While on the right side were the young men, acting all dignified and noble. There was a long table filled with different savory dishes, sweets, and drinks. There were pce maids around serving the guests. There were seats where these young guests could sit and talk with each other.


    The one facilitating all these was Concubine Hong. She''s the mother of the third prince. The only woman alive, other than the Empress, who bore a son for the Emperor. She''s not a great beauty but her clean and gentle temperament made up for what she''scking. She was there to act as a guardian for the youngdies present. A banquet like this with unmarried young men and women needed an authority figure to watch over them so as not to ruin the youngdies'' reputation.


    Aurum was sitting alone, quietly drinking her tea and observing her surroundings. No one was talking to her. The other youngdies treated her like she was air. Probably due to the instigation of the sixth princess. Aurum didn''t really mind. This was better than faking being friendly with these brats. Despite that, she could still feel a lot of eyes on her. Some were hateful and some were admiring. She ignored all of those. Her attention was focused on a certain young man with feminine features. The fifth prince of Xing - Li Ren.


    Aurum already expected him to be here. After all, the Empress'' n wouldn''t work if he''s not present. A cold glint shed in her amber eyes when she remembered what she read in the sixth princess'' mind. The n was to inadvertently make her and the fifth prince drink spring medicine and then put them into an empty room. And just let nature took its course. Then the people here would ''identaly'' discover them. Because of that, she would have no choice but to marry the fifth prince. Or so they thought.


    Aurum snorted. Spring medicine, really? She''s young, yes. But she''s not so ignorant that she didn''t even know what the effects of that medicine were. Could the Empress be any more original? This was just the sort of cliche one would read in those stories in [Quill&Ink]. Maybe the Empress found inspiration in one of those. If she was a naive and simple 14 year old girl, then maybe there''s a chance that she would fall for this trick. But sadly for them, she''s not.


    Now, just how should she deal with this situation?


    "Aurum, ck also wants cake," ck said. He was currently standing beside her seat, doing his part as her little maid.


    Aurum raised her head to look at the kid. ck was wearing a pink dress, his hair wasbed into two buns. He looked absolutely adorable. She thought he went back with Madame Lin. She didn''t expect he would run after her. Despite his constantining, he was still dedicated in his job as her little maid.


    "A little maid can''t eat cake at a banquet like this," Aurum said.


    ck pouted. "Being a little maid sucks."


    She looked back at the direction of the fifth prince. In order to have a proper n, she needed to know first if the fifth prince was really gay. If he was, then this would be a lot easier. While observing the prince, she noticed something. He had been talking to the same young man since earlier. If she remembered correctly, the young man arrivedter than the rest. But since his arrival, the smile on the fifth prince''s face hadn''t subsided.


    The young man was tall and lean with a sunny temperament. He was wearing a blue robe with a floating cloud embroidery. His long ck hair was pinned atop his head with a jade crown. His smile was infectious. Just looking at him and one could not help but also smile. He might not be the most handsome young man here, but he was certainly the most charming. And from the fifth prince''s demeanor, he was most definitely charmed by the young man.


    But could that be enough proof that he really was gay?


    Just then, Aurum felt someone sitting beside her. She turned and was slightly surprised when she saw Concubine Hong smiling at her.


    "Concubine Hong," she greeted.


    "I''ve noticed you''ve been sitting here alone. Are you alright?" the concubine asked worriedly.


    "Yes. Thank you for your concern," Aurum answered politely.


    "If the other girls are treating you badly, then please don''t hesitate to tell me. Her Majesty asked me to take good care of you. I couldn''t just let you be bullied, now, could I?"


    She looked so concerned that Aurum almost believed her. If she remembered correctly, Concubine Hong and her son - the third prince - was on the crown prince''s faction. She might just only be showing concern just so she could please the Empress. Just to make certain if this woman knew something about the Empress'' n for her, Aurum decided to read her mind.


    Her Mana easily entered Concubine Hong''s. Ah, Aurum really loved it when there''s no barrier stopping her Gift. And then, she couldn''t help but feel shocked when she finished reading the concubine''s mind. Not because of something rted to her but because of an entirely different matter. Good thing she was a good actress or her surprised might have already shown on her face.


    Aurum smiled. "No one''s bullying me. Everyone has been very kind."


    "That''s good then," Concubine Hong said, also giving her a smile. "Do you want to go around this plum garden? I could ask the fifth prince to apany you."


    Yes, that''s not very subtle at all. "Thank you Concubine Hong, but no. I don''t want to disturb His Highness. Especially since he seems to be having a rather fun conversation with that young man."


    The concubine turned towards the direction of the fifth prince. When she saw the way the prince was acting, a sh of disgust crossed her face. It was only for a moment but it didn''t escape Aurum''s notice.


    "May I ask who''s the young man the prince is talking to? They seem to be very good friends," she asked before Concubine Hong insisted she walked around the garden with the fifth prince.


    "He''s Zhao Shang, the oldest son of the Left Prime Minister. He was the study partner of the crown prince. So the three of them all grew up really closely. The fifth prince treats him like an older brother."


    Just a brother? Why did Aurum feel like it''s not just that?


    The two of them talked a bit more before Concubine Hong left her. Then Aurum noticed that the young man - Zhao Shang - seemed to be about to leave. The fifth prince also stood up and walked with Zhao Shang.


    Aurum smiled michievously and then she also stood up. "Come, my little maid. We''re going to snoop."


    "Eh? But snooping is bad," ck said.


    "Did my brother ever tell you that it''s bad?"


    "No."


    "Then it''s not. Come, we''re going to lose them."


    She walked towards the direction where the prince and Zhao Shang went. ck followed her. Aurum walked at a distance, so no one would notice she was following the fifth prince. When she noticed that the prince and Zhao Shang stopped near a lotus pond, she also stopped and hid behind a tall tree. She motioned for ck to not talk then she listened to the conversation of the two.


    "Brother Shang, do you really need to leave so fast?" the fifth prince asked with a spoiled tone while holding on to the sleeve of Zhao Shang. "I haven''t seen you for a month. Could you not stay a bit longer?"


    Zhao Shang smiled helplessly at the teenage boy. "I''m sorry, Ah Ren. I really need to be somewhere right now. And besides, this banquet was supposed to be for young people your age. I''m not qualified to attend. I only came because you asked me."


    Li Ren looked down, sadness evident on his feminine face. "I understand."


    "Don''t be sad. I''ll make sure to visit you again sometime soon. Okay?" Zhao Shang said while stroking the prince''s long ck hair.


    A touch of red suddenly appeared on the prince''s delicate white cheeks. "Okay," he said, shyly. But then he seemed to remember something and then he became gloomy again. "Are you going to the Wei Household?"


    "Yes."


    "Are you really going to marry the fourth miss of the Wei family?"


    "My family and theirs are still in talk. But most likely, yes."


    Li Ren''s gaze darken. He clenched his fists and tried his best to not show on his face all the negative emotions he was feeling. He raised his head and smiled at Zhao Shang. "Then I won''t dy you anymore, Brother Shang."


    Zhao Shang smiled and walked away from there.


    Aurum who was hiding behind a tree witnessed all that. She didn''t need to read the fifth prince''s mind to know what he was thinking. Because it all showed on his face. Anger, despair, pain, and the most unexpected, love.


    She went out from where she was hiding and walked towards the prince. "You look terrible."


    The prince turned sharply towards her. "You- how long have you been there?" he asked angrily.


    "Long enough."


    His face suddenly contorted with anger. "How dare you--"


    "Stop," she said before he continued whatever curses he was about to say. "Do you want to be with that guy? I could help you."


    Li Ren''s whole body turned stiff and then he looked incredulously at the golden haired foreign girl in front of him. "How could you possibly help me? Just don''t tell anyone what you saw today. If you do, then I won''t hesitate to have you killed."


    He was about to leave when Aurum spoke again. "Won''t you even listen to my proposal?"


    Li Ren stopped and looked irritably at the girl. "What''s your problem?"


    "My problem is that your good mother is nning to make the two of us drink spring medicine and have us relieve each other. Then she''ll force us to marry." The prince looked like he was striked by lightning when he heard what Aurum said. "Now, are you willing to hear me out?"


    Li Ren let out a long sigh then he red at Aurum. "Talk. But if you waste my time, you''re dead."


    Aurum snorted. "Don''t worry, you''re the only one who will have the biggest gain at the end of this."

 Chapter 119: preparing a surprise

    Chapter 119: preparing a surprise


    AURUM was being led by two pce maid towards one of the rooms in Fenghua Pce. Being the Empress'' pce, it had a lot of extra rooms. Now those extra rooms would be utilized for the youngdies who attended the banquet. Because the Empress invited the girls to stay, they didn''t go home even if they could. After all, it''s not everyday they could stay at Fenghua Pce.


    It''s slightly different in Aurum''s case. Because even if she wanted to return to the Zhang household, she''s pretty certain that she would be stopped someway or another. Good for them she didn''t have the idea of going back. Well, at least not until the good show ended.


    "Here we are, mydy," one of the pce maids said when they stopped in front of a room.


    The two pce maids opened the door and Aurum and ck entered. The room was wide with gorgeous design. It was quite obvious that the Empress didn''t hesitate to spend money for the decoration of these rooms.


    "We''ll be serving you dinner. Is there anything particr you would like to eat, mydy?" asked one of the maids.


    Aurum smiled. "No. Anything''s fine except for spicy dishes."


    "Understood."


    The two maids left, leaving Aurum and ck inside. Aurum walked towards a chair and sat on it.


    "Are there any guards around?" she asked ck.


    "There were some guards patrolling the grounds but none that''s particrly stationed near here."


    Aurum''s smile widened. "Good. That makes things easier."


    The dishes those two maids would bring would probably be sprinkled with spring medicine. After the medicine took effect, she would then be stealthily brought to the fifth prince''s pce. Out of all the prince''s, he was the only one who still lived at the Imperial Pce. The others already had their own households outside. Probably because he still hadn''t had his adult ceremony.


    Once she was put in the fifth prince''s pce, she would be alone with him in his room. As someone who was also affected by spring medicine, he would have no choice but to attack her so he could get over the effect of the medicine. Then the next morning, the Empress would go there together with some other people and would ''identaly'' discover them.


    Being seen by a lot of people in that kind of situation, Aurum would have no choice but to marry the fifth prince if she wanted to save her reputation. Since she was found in the prince''s pce, it would give the illusion that she went there herself. And if two or more pce maids gave a statement that she did go there by herself, then it would be of no use even if shein. Because the fault would be on her head and no one else.


    That''s just how most society worked. If a man and a woman was found in a verypromising situation, most of the faults would be put on the woman especially if the man involved was in a powerful position. Instead of ming the man for being a perverted pig, the woman would be med instead. Telling the woman that it''s her fault for being flirtatious, for wearing improper clothes, for being too open, or even for being too beautiful. That''s just how things went especially in a country with such stiffling society such as this.


    With that, the only choice that would be left for Aurum was to marry. Or at least that was what the Empress expected to happen.


    But since she talked with the fifth prince and they already agreed with a n, those things would never happen. And even without that, her brother would never allow her to be scammed into marriage. Argent would probably not hesitate to fight with the whole Xing royalty just to get revenge for her. But Aurum wouldn''t let things go that far. Especially when she could just solve the problem herself. A silly thing like this, she could easily handle.


    Soon, the two maids entered again with trays of food with them. They carefully put the dishes on the table in front of Aurum.


    "We''ll be outside, mydy. If you need anything, just give us a call," one of the maids said when they''re done putting the dishes on the table.


    Then the two went out.


    Aurum turned to ck. "My little maid,e and eat. Make sure to taste every dish."


    "But didn''t you say that they''reced with drugs? What if they taste weird?" ck said, scrunching up his nose.


    "Don''t worry, it won''t affect the taste. So stop being such a wuss and just eat."


    ck pouted. "Fine."


    Then he went and started tasting everything. Not even ten minutester, he already ate all the dishes. Aurum just shook her head. She just knew this kid wouldn''t be able to resist any food. Despite it being sprinkled with an unknown drug. Good thing he wasn''t human.


    "Now go out. The maids would probably lead you somewhere, just follow them. But be sure that you''ll be at the fifth prince''s pce to get meter."


    "Yes, ck knows. No need to remind him constantly," he said and then he walked outside.


    Aurum pinched both her cheeks to give herself a faint blush, creating an illusion that she was affected by the medicine. Then she walked towards the bed andy down. And then she waited.


    After a while, the door opened and two older pce maids entered. She was expecting a guard or even a eunuch to at least take her to the prince''s pce. But she guessed that would be too conspicuous. Now that she thought about it, using pce maids was a better idea. That way, it wouldn''t appear like she was forced to go to the prince''s pce.


    "Mydy,e with us," one said.


    "It''s hot... why is it so hot?" she said, acting perfectly like someone who drank a spring medicine.


    The two pce maids looked at each other and seemed very satisfied by her reaction. Then they helped her stood up. They put a cloak on her, hiding her face and the state she was in. And probably to further add to the illusion that she had a secret rendezvous with the fifth prince. Then they led her outside. Aurum immediately noticed that the two maids who brought her food were no longer there, even ck was not there. Not really surprising since she already expected it.


    Then the two older maids, while supporting both her arms, slowly made their way towards the prince''s pce. When they arrived there, some of the maids noticed their arrival but none stopped them. Because they immediately recognized the two pce maids. They were the Empress'' confidants, her most loyal servants. So even when they went straight to the prince''s living quarters, no one stopped them.


    The two maids led Aurum inside a big room. The prince was lying on the big bed, his clothes in a wild disarray as if he''d been trying to get it off him.


    "How dare you... enter my room?" Li Ren said, his face red, his breathing uneven.


    "Pardon us, Your Highness," one of the maids said.


    Then the two put Aurum on the bed and then immediately went out of the room.


    "Hey, get up," the prince''s said after a while, no longer acting.


    Aurum stood up. "So, where is he?" she asked while looking around.


    Li Ren also stood up and walked towards a divider screen. "In here."


    She followed and behind the screen, she saw the unconcious son of the Left Prime Minister - Zhao Shang. Aurum didn''t ask how the prince got him here. That''s not her problem and honestly, she didn''t really care.


    "Will this n really work?" Li Ren couldn''t help but ask. He was afraid that if Brother Shang woke up tomorrow he would immediately hate him. He''s not sure if he could handle that.


    "Well, if this unrequited love of yours is a responsible and honest man. Then he would be guilty, take responsibility for what he did, and then take you in as a male wife." Aurum was still quite surprised to know that for such a conservative society, they allowed men to take in male wives. "Whether he''ll return your feelings, well, that''s your problem, not mine."


    Brother Shang was a responsible and honest man. He would definitely take responsibility for Li Ren. He would, no doubt, do it out of guilt. That, Li Ren could handle. He''d rather bind him with guilt than have him marry some woman. "Then get to it."


    Aurum crouched down in front of the unconcious man and then put both her hands on his temple. ording to the prince, this man had an A level Gift. She could definitely use her Gift on him. But just to make sure, she still turned off her limiter. Then she started putting her Mana inside Zhao Shang.


    She''s nning to create a false memory. She had never done it before, this was the first time she would ever try it. At her level right now, she could only do this to people with A level Gifts and below. And even then, she couldn''t do it without turning off her limiter. She knew instinctively that she couldn''t create a long memory. Only a very, very short one. Like a scene that would onlyst for a minute. But that was enough for this n.


    The false memory she would put was that of Zhao Shang being drunk and entering the prince''s room. Which would lead to the things that would happenter. When he woke up and found that memory, he would probably be confused as to why he would suddenly appear there drunk. But there was no doubt that he did. So he would have no choice but to believe.


    Aurum furrowed her brows, cold sweat dripping down her forehead. Itsted for about three minutes but she did manage what she was supposed to do. Then she immediately turned off her limiter and stood up. "It''s done."


    "Is that your Gift, to mess with people''s head?" Li Ren asked. When this foreign girl proposed this n to him, he was still skeptical. But now that he felt her Mana up close, his doubtpletely disappeared. He was only an A level Gift user but he could still feel how powerful her Mana was.


    "Sort of. So don''t you dare reveal my Gift to others because I could easily reverse what I put in your lover boy''s head," Aurum said, smiling.


    Li Ren snorted. "I''m not that stupid to do that. If you''re done, then go. I don''t want to have an audience."


    "Who wants to be your audience? Unlike you, I''m a pure girl who doesn''t have any dirty thoughts," she said proudly and then walked out of the divider.


    Li Ren ignored her and kneeled down in front of his Brother Shang. He took a bottle with a clear liquid inside from his sleeve. It was an aphrodisiac he bought from Zhi Qing Hua. Then he made Zhao Shang drink it. He stared at the handsome face of the man he had loved for almost ten years. Then he slowly bowed his head and kissed him.


    [I''m sorry, Brother Shang. I just love you too much to let you go.]


    Outside, Aurum heard soft knocks from the window. She opened it and ck jumped inside.


    "Did anyone see you?" she asked.


    "Of course not. Are you doubting ck''s ability?" ck said indignantly.


    "No, I''m just asking. Stop being so sensitive. Now let''s go."


    ck easily lifted her in a princess carry style and then jumped out of the window.


    Aurum smiled. She couldn''t wait to see what the Empress'' reaction would be once she saw this surprise.

 Chapter 120: where did everything go wrong?

    Chapter 120: where did everything go wrong?


    EARLY the next morning at the Empress'' quarters in Fenghua Pce, Murong Xue was surrounded by a number of pce maids. They carefullybed her long ck hair and arranged it beautifully atop her head. Then they helped her get into a luxurious red robe with a golden phoenix embroidery. Based on the slight smile on her face, it was quite obvious that the Empress was in a very good mood.


    "Was it done?" Murong Xue asked one of the older pce maids after she was done getting dressed.


    The pce maid she asked was one of the two who brought Aurum to the fifth prince''s pce. "Yes, Your Majesty."


    "There weren''t any problems?"


    "No, Your Majesty. We stayed at the door of the prince''s room and no one went out until sunrise. We also heard the sound of love making."


    The Empress smiled, clearly satisfied by what she heard. "Good. This Empress feels like visiting the fifth prince. Let us go to his pce."


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    Along with a number of pce maids, the Empress walked out of her private quarters. They just walked out when they saw the sixth princess walking towards them with a couple of youngdies in tow.


    "Good morning, Mother," the sixth princess greeted.


    The three youngdies with the princess also bowed. "Your Majesty."


    "Are you going somewhere, Mother?"


    "Yes, to your fifth brother''s pce. This Empress just heard that he was not feeling well. This Empress is going to check if he caught a cold or if it already turned into a fever."


    "Is that the case? Then could I go with you as well, Mother? I''m also worried about fifth brother. I remember how he often had fevers when we were children," the sixth princess said worriedly. "But before that, Mother, could you listen to these threedies first. They''ve been wanting to express their gratitude to you for allowing them to stay at Fenghua Pce for a night."


    Murong Xue looked at the three youngdies that Li Min brought. She didn''t recognize any of them. Being able to be invited in Li Zi''s hairpin ceremony meant that their family at least had a bit of standing. But not recognizing any of them could only mean that they belong to a declining family. Girls from those families were desperate to climb the socialdder. They would do anything just for that one second of fame. In short, they''re the perfect audience for the uing show.


    "It''s alright, Your Majesty. We could juste backter," one of the girls said with extreme politeness and reverence.


    "It''s fine. You could juste with this Empress."


    The three were obviously ecstatic by what the Empress said. They couldn''t believe their luck. To identaly bumped into the sixth princess, then have her led them to the Empress'' quarters. And now, the Empress was inviting them to apany her. This was like a chance of a lifetime. If they could give a good impression, then that would be even better. So, of course, they enthusiastically agreed.


    Li Min sneered inside when she saw the expression of the three idiots. They didn''t even know that they were just being used. She guessed that''s just the kind of role they would have for the rest of their lives. Thinking of where they were about to go, Li Min couldn''t suppress her smile. She just couldn''t wait to see the utter horror on that Aurum''s face. It would even be better if she could post it on [Jiffy] and show it to the people around the world.


    Their party started walking out of Fenghua Pce. The fifth prince''s pce was the pce closest there, so it didn''t take much time before they arrived at their destination. Their journey was unimpeded. No one would dare stop the Empress, especially at her youngest son''s pce. They stopped in front of the door of the fifth prince''s room. Two pce maids opened the door for the Empress.


    Murong Xue entered, behind her was the sixth princess, the three youngdies, and a number of pce maids. She was still filled with excitement and confidence when she entered the room. But the moment she saw the scene inside, her whole body instantly froze. Because what she''s seeing now was something she would never think to see even in her wildest imagination.


    There were clothes scattered on the floor. On the bed, two naked bodies were intertwined. One was her beloved son, he was sweetly tucked in the arms of another person. That person was not the one Murong Xue expected to see here. It was not Lady Aurum but the oldest son of the Left Prime Minister - Zhao Shang!


    Murong Xue started to tremble. It''s like there was something ringing inside her head. She didn''t want to believe what she was seeing. But it was there, right before her eyes. Her youngest son was naked and was being held by another man. Based on the marks and bites she could see on Li Ren''s delicate white skin, one could easily tell just what happened here.


    Then she heard the murmur of the people behind her. That''s when she remembered the people she dragged here. Panic immediately gripped her. "Out! Everyone get out!" she screamed.


    Li Min, at the same time, also came back to god. She didn''t think much and just pushed the threedies out of the room who all had a shocked expression on their faces. But one could also see the hidden excitement they had, as if they couldn''t wait to tell everyone about what they saw. The pce maids also scrambled to get out of the room. Li Min was still shocked by what she saw. She could no longer maintain the elegant expression on her face.


    How the hell did Zhao Shang end up in Li Ren''s bed?


    Inside, because of the noise, the two people sleeping on the bed slowly woke up.


    Zhao Shang opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was an unfamiliar ceiling. Then he felt the warm body he was holding. He looked down and his pupil dted when he saw a naked Li Ren sleeping sweetly in his arms. Scared out of his wits, he pushed Li Ren away and tried hard to sit up. Then memories ofst night came back to him. For some reason, he came here drunk and then he started attacking Li Ren. Doing all those things to him.


    He- what had he done?


    The pushed Li Ren alsopletely woke up. He looked at the trembling Zhao Shang. He could see a number of emotions crossing on his handsome face - fear, anger, confusion, guilt. But there was no hate, not even disgust. Li Ren smiled sadly. [Brother Shang, you''re really too kind.]


    Then he turned to the person standing in his room. His mother seemed like she was frozen on the spot. She looked calm. But he knew there was nothing calm about her right now. As evidence of the violent Mana swirling around her at this moment.


    "Get up," she said coldly, her eyes staring daggers at Zhao Shang. "Get away from my son."


    Zhao Shang suddenly became stiff. He only now realized that they were not alone. He raised his head and looked stupidly at the Empress. Fear immediately filled him. But the first thing he thought was not to run away but to kneel in front of the Empress.


    "It''s my fault, Your Majesty! I was the one who initiated everything. Ah Ren didn''t do anything wrong. It was all my fault. Please, only punish me!"


    "Then let me have your head," Murong Xue said, her eyes cold. She took a seed from her sleeve and poured Mana into it. A long vine immediately grew from it until it became like a whip. She threw it towards Zhao Shang and the vine gripped the young man''s neck, slowly tightening around it.


    Zhao Shang''s face slowly turned red because ofck of air. But he didn''t dare to fight. Because it was his fault. The Empress was within her rights to deal with him like this.


    Li Ren stood up and took a dagger from the bedside table. Then he didn''t hesitate to cut the vine whip. He stood in front of Zhao Shang, he could hear him coughing behind him.


    Murong Xue''s expression turned ugly especially when she saw the white turbid liquid flowing down between the thighs of her son. "Get out of the way, Li Ren."


    "You can''t kill him, Mother. He''s the son of the Left Prime Minister. Father will definitely get mad at you if you do."


    The Left Prime Minister had a big political power. The Emperor had been trying to get him under his control by trying to marry his eldest son and heir to one of the princesses. But the prime minister almost always manage to dodge it. That''s why the prime minister was trying to hasten the wedding of Zhao Shang to the fourth miss of the Wei family.


    If his father found out about this incident, he wouldn''t be angry. He might even be delighted. Because with this, he could finally tie the prime minister''s family to the royal family. He might even help so Li Ren and Zhao Shang could quickly marry.


    That''s just the type of person the Emperor was. Everyone was just a piece of pawn to him. If it could help Xing, then he wouldn''t hesitate to use anyone. Even his own children. Because for him, the most important thing had always been their country. If none of his sons could live up to his expectations, Li Ren had no doubt that their father wouldn''t hesitate to pass the throne to apletely unrted person. As long as that person had the ability to govern Xing.


    Li Ren no longer had any illusions about his father. He also understood him. That''s why he dare to do this thing. Because he knew his father wouldn''t let Brother Shang die.


    Murong Xue looked at her youngerst son and it was like she was seeing him for the first time. The sweet smile on his face was gone, his tone no longer the spoiled one she was so familiar with. Just before she could say anything, a eunuch outside announced the arrival of the Emperor.


    She gripped the whip she was holding tightly. It''s over. Just where did everything go wrong?

 Chapter 121: a great morning

    Chapter 121: a great morning


    AURUM took a white dress from her space ring. It had a wonderfulce work and a baby blue ribbon that could be tied at the waist. She slowly got dressed while happily humming a tune. Once she''s done, she sat in front of the dressing table and startedbing her long golden hair. She arranged it in a side braid and tied it with a blue ribbon.


    She smiled at the mirror, satisfied with her look. Then she took her sPhone and opened the camera. When she found the right angle, she smiled sweetly and took a picture. Then she posted it on [Jiffy] with a ''good morning'' greeting. As soon as she did, a barrage of ''good morning'', ''your beautiful'', and ''my goddess'' immediately filled herment section. Which was already amon urance since she had a prettyrge following. Especially since it''s been a while since shested posted anything.


    Done with that, Aurum stood up and stretched. Since her mother''s abduction, she hadn''t been in such a good mood. Maybe she should thank the Empress for providing her with such a good entertainment. Ah, what a great morning.


    She heard soft knocking from the room''s window. She walked towards it and opened it. ck''s small head peaked out and he immediately jumped inside the room.


    "How was it? Did the Empress bring many people to the fifth prince''s pce? Did they all see what happened?" she excitedly asked.


    Earlier, she asked ck to stealthily observe the things that would happen at the fifth prince pce since she couldn''t go there herself. Aurum seriously wanted to personally see the Empress'' expression once she discovered her son in that kind of situation. It would probably be hrious. But to avoid suspicion, she could only send ck there. So he could confirm if her n did work.


    "The Empress brought that princess who hates you and three other extras as well as a lot of pce maids. They all saw what happened. But then, the Empress threw them out. Then the Emperor came. After a few minutes, they both went out," ck reported.


    The Emperor found about what happened that fast? How fast could news travel in this ce anyway? The Emperor probably had his own people in every pce so he could immediately receive news whenever there''s something happening. "What was their expression when they went out?"


    "The Empress looked really angry. The Emperor, on the other hand, looked calm and rx."


    Aurum raised one of her brows. Calm and rx? One of the possible problems she could see when she thought of this n was the Emperor''s reaction. But then, the fifth prince told her that she didn''t have to worry about that. ording to him, something like this wouldn''t anger his father. He might even thank her once he found out that she''s the one behind it. She asked why cause it''s really astonishing for her. What kind of father would be happy to see his son in such a scandal? The fifth prince just said that it''s a good way to tie the prime minister''s family to the royal family.


    Based on ck''s description of the Emperor''s expression, the prince was probably on point with his opinion. Wow. What a good-for-nothing father.


    "When will we go back to Madame Lin''s house?" ck asked. "ck doesn''t like it here. The maids are not that nice."


    "You just say that because the maids in the Zhang household constantly pamper you," she said.


    "They couldn''t help it. It''s because ck is lovable," ck said proudly.


    Aurum chose to ignore thatment. "We''ll go back after I say goodbye to the Empress." Because that''s the polite thing to do and well, she just really wanted to see the Empress'' constipated expression.


    Then the door of the room suddenly opened. They could hear the voices of the people who walked in.


    "Why do we have to check this room so early? We both know that girl wouldn''t be here," one voice said.


    "We still have to pretend to do our job," the other one answered.


    The two immediately stopped speaking when they saw Aurum standing in the room. Their expressions were immediately filled with horror. These two were the two pce maids who brought Aurum and ck here yesterday.


    Aurum smiled at the two. "Good morning."


    The two panicked, they didn''t understand how could Lady Aurum be here at this time. And based on the crumpled bedding, it was quite obvious that she slept here. But how could that be? Did the Empress'' pce maids not bring her to the fifth prince''s pce? Did something go wrong with the n? If it did, then they would definitely face the Empress'' wrath. They could might as well be finished.


    "G-good morning, m-mydy," the two greeted her,pletely flustered.


    Based on their expression, it''s obvious that they still didn''t know about the situation at the fifth prince''s pce. Now Aurum was even more impressed with the Emperor''s informationwork. She wouldn''t be surprised if he already knew that she was involved in this situation. It was a good thing that her brother made a back-up n just in case the Emperor did send someone to follow her. If Argent didn''t, then the Emperor would probably have already known what her brother was up to.


    "D-do you need us to serve breakfast?" one asked, still trying to do her job.


    "No need. I''m nning to leave. Can you lead me to the Empress'' quarters so I could say goodbye and express my gratitude as well?"


    Before any of the two answered, a voice came from outside calling for Lady Aurum. The two maids opened the door and they immediately bowed their heads when they saw the head eunuch entered.


    The eunuch politely bowed to Aurum. "Mydy, the Emperor wishes to talk to you in his study. If you would pleasee with me."


    Aurum somewhat expected something like this to happen so she didn''t have any qualms in going.


    ----------


    Aurum had no doubt that the reason the Emperor wanted to talk to her was because of the fifth prince situation. She just wondered if he would reprimand her or if her would give her some kind of warning. Either way, it''s best to keep her guards up.


    They stopped in front of the study. But they didn''t enter immediately because they could hear the arguments inside. Well, at least Aurum could hear one voice shouting while the other voice seemed to not care at all. She could only assume that the one shouting was the Empress. After all, she was the only one who could do that in the Emperor''s study without being sent to prison.


    "I couldn''t believe you''ll do this to your own son! And for what? Just to widen your political ambition?"


    "My dear Empress, stopped being such a hypocrite. Weren''t you also nning to do the same thing?"


    Then the door opened and the Empress angrily walked out. Aurum and the servants outside bowed.


    Murong Xue halted in her tracks when she saw Aurum ckbourne. She now fully understood that her youngest son was more than willing to be the male wife of the Left Prime Minister''s eldest son. She had long known about Li Ren''s inclination but she chose to turn a blind eye to it. Thinking that he would still marry and have an heir then just have male lovers on the side. She never thought that he would rather be a wife to someone. If she had known that this would happen, then she would have done everything to correct his sexuality.


    What happened today wouldn''t be possible without Li Ren knowing about her n. And then colluding with this girl so everything would go the way it did. Just thinking about that possibility already made her want to strangle this girl.


    "Did you have a good sleep, Lady Aurum?" she asked.


    Aurum raised her head and smiled. "Oh yes, Your Majesty. The room you provided me was very wonderful. I slept like a log."


    The Empress gritted her teeth then turned and walked away.


    Aurum looked at the Empress'' back and sneered. [Stupid woman.]


    Then she walked inside the Emperor''s study and made an elegant bow. "Your Majesty."


    Li Wei stared at the beautiful girl in front of him. He heard a lot of many things about Aurum ckbourne. But most of it only talked about her beauty. If he didn''t know about her Gift, he would also think that she was just that. A girl with a pretty face but nothing going on inside her head. But after hearing what Li Ren said, she only proved that she was indeed the twin sister of that cheeky Argent ckbourne.


    He still felt quite frustrated that the kid managed to dodge the man he sent to follow him. The brat could only do that if Zhang Lei Feng helped him. Getting the stalwart young general to do that was already a huge feat.


    Li Wei already felt that Argent ckbourne didn''te here simply to do business. Him avoiding his monitoring only further proved that. What he didn''t know was what exactly the brat was nning. He didn''t do anything about it until now because he felt like the reason why he''s here was not rted to Xing''s government. But if the brat ever tried to do something that would affect the country, then he wouldn''t hesitate to kill him himself. The same way could be said to this sister of his.


    "Should this Emperor apud you for concocting such an ingenius n to have my son marry another man?"


    So, he did knew. But Aurum wasn''t nervous because she already expected it. She showed a confused expression, fully utilizing her acting ability. "I don''t understand what you mean, Your Majesty."


    "You don''t have to pretend. Li Ren already told me everything."


    Now that surprised Aurum. That traitorous bastard. And he said he wouldn''t be stupid enough to tell others about her Gift. Should she punish him? Yes, she definitely should.


    "Don''t worry, he didn''t mention anything about your Gift," the Emperor said as if reading her thoughts. "This Emperor already knew about it long before."


    He sent his own people with Li Jun when he went to Albion. One of their job was to gather information about that country. Among the information they brought back was about the ckbourne girl with SS level Gift who already had her first kill at the age of four. It was one of the reason Li Wei wanted to meet her the moment she arrived here in Xing. To warn her that she could not just arbitrarily used her Gift in this country.


    "Why don''t you try to read my thoughts?"


    The moment the Emperor said that, a st of very powerful Mana suddenly filled the room. Aurum''s knees almost buckled when she felt it. Cold sweat ran down her back. She bit her lower lip and tried her best to resist it. She almost turned off her limiter just so she could fight it. But she knew that if she did, then there''s a huge chance that she would gopletely out of control. She didn''t want for her brother to return just so she could see her inside a dungeon prison. But if this continued a bit more, then she would definitely faint.


    Then the pressure of the Mana disappeared. Aurum finally breath a sigh of relief.


    Li Wei felt a bit of admiration for the young girl. Being able to resist his Mana and not even showing fear, it was truly admirable. "Remember that feeling, Lady Aurum. Because you might feel that once more if you ever try to use your Gift in this Emperor''s pce again. Are we clear?"


    Aurum gritted her teeth, calmed herself, and took a deep breath before answering. "Yes, Your Majesty."


    "Good. You may now leave. The head eunuch already prepared a carriage for you."


    Aurum bowed and walked out of the study. Her body could still feel the terror of that powerful Mana. She clenched both her fists. Now this just gave her a stronger determination to fully master her Gift. If she could use her Gift at full power, then her body probably wouldn''t feel fear of the Mana of someone with an SS level Gift.


    Aurum raised her head and looked at the clear blue sky. Despite that little incident with the Emperor, this was indeed a great morning. Her good mood returned again and she happily followed the head eunuch.

 Chapter 122: the masked visitor

    Chapter 122: the masked visitor


    ARGENT swung the wooden sword she was holding. Sweat ran down from her smooth forehead. Her bare arms showed lean and well defined muscles. She hadn''t done any sword training ever since she came here in Xing. Ever since her Master taught her the Sui-Ryu style, she made it to a point to at least do 300 sword swings every morning. To make sure that her sword technique wouldn''t turn rusty and that she would be at her best condition at all times.


    297... 298... 299... 300.


    She took a deep breath and then walked towards the big rock nearby. She sat on it and ced her wooden sword at the side. She was at the garden of the small courtyard that one of Lei Feng''s dark guard manage to find when they returned to Hangzhou Vige yesterday.


    Argent was fine with staying at an inn but Lei Feng disagreed saying that it''s better for them to have their own space while they''re here. Especially when one of the Apostles came. If they''re staying at an inn, there''s a big possibility that they might involve civilians and other innocent people. Argent was fine either way. But she guessed it was important to Lei Feng to avoid having any civilian casualties. He''s a general of this country after all.


    She looked down at her right palm and stared at the sword tattoo engraved on it. Argent tried to take the dragon sword from this palmst night. She wondered how she should take it out and it just did. And when she wanted it to disappear, it also did. From that, she could easilly assume that the sword would appear and disappear with just a single thought from her.


    Argent couldn''t help but wonder how it exactly worked. Because if there''s Mana inside the sword, even just a small amount, then there''s no way it could enter her body. But it did. So did that mean that it didn''t contain any Mana at all? Considering that the sword belonged to the dragon king, it''s only natural to think that it would contain a huge amount of Mana. But it didn''t. So what''s the use of this thing exactly?


    It should have some important use if the Pope of the Temple of Gaia wanted it. The only thing Argent could think of was rted to the Mythos Continent. She guessed she would know more once she really started her research on the sacred artifacts and the ckbourne bloodline. She had no choice but to do it because her family was already entrenched in this whole conspiracy of the Temple. And her curiosity would just kill her if she didn''t.


    Besides, she had a feeling that there''s some kind of connection between her and that old legend. Not just because of her family''s bloodline but because of all that vague talk of the dragon king - Sieghart. Of course she thought of the possibility that he might just be ying with her. But then, she also thought there''s no point for a remnant spirit of a dead guy to do that.


    And there was that moniker he called her before she left the Temple of Tian Long. He called Argent ''silverdy''. She''s not that surprised that he knew she was a girl. It''s probably due to the fact that he was a spirit. And there was also that chance that he was lurking around when she changed clothes. But somehow, she just had a feeling that that wasn''t the case.


    Argent sighed. She chose not to think about it anymore. She would have time to analyze everything once she saved her mother. Speaking of which, she would really want to involve the leader of Dreich Gallere in her rescue n. Because it would be a lot easier with him in the equation. But in the likelihood that Viper''s master didn''t agree, she still had a n B. Though she had to return to herb first in order to implement that properly.


    Argent picked up her wooden sword and returned it to her space ring. Then she turned on her light brain to do her daily call to her sister. It didn''t take long for Aurum to answer. She saw from the screen that her sister was travelling inside a carriage, sitting beside her was ck.


    "Are you travelling?" Argent asked.


    "Yes, we''re going back to Zhang household," her sister answered.


    Her brows slightly furrowed when she heard that. "You stayed the night at the pce?"


    "I was totally forced."


    "You didn''t get into any trouble did you?"


    "She did, Master!" ck said before Aurum could speak.


    "Shut up, you brat!" Aurum said pinching ck''s cheek.


    "So, what kind of trouble did you get into?" Argent asked, ignoring the bickering of the two.


    "I wouldn''t define it exactly as trouble. You know how the Empress wanted me to marry her youngest son, the fifth prince, right? I just solved it. And it turned out perfectly." Aside from the little warning she had from the Emperor. But Aurum decided not to mention it to Argent because, in the bigger picture, it''s not really that important.


    "How exactly did you solve it?" Argent asked, a bit curious how her sister handled that kind of situation.


    "Well, I found out that the fifth prince is gay and he had an unrequited love for the son of the prime minister. I struck a deal with him, telling him that if he agreed he would definitely end up with the love of his life. And he did. So, this morning, the Empress found them both naked in the prince''s pce. A lot of people saw them and now the prince is probably on his way to be that guy''s male wife," Aurum stated cutting the whole story short.


    Argent''s mind became nk for a second before she managed to digest all that information. "I see. What''s the Emperor''s reaction then?"


    "Oh, he was all for it. The fifth prince said that the Emperor would definitely agree of him being the male wife of the prime minister''s son because it''s a good political move that would tie the two families together."


    Huh, that''s kind of shameless. Now she couldn''t help but wonder what the Emperor''s bottom line was in terms of ruling the country. "How about the Empress, did she suspect that you had anything to do with what happened?"


    "She did. But she thought that it was the fifth prince''s n and he just recruited me to work with him."


    "Don''t try to get out much just in case the Empress tries to get revenge on you."


    "Yes." That''s what Aurum nned anyway, especially after the warning the Emperor gave her. Then she suddenly remembered something. "Oh yes, Brother. I found out something rted to the fourth prince''s attempted assassination in Albion."


    "Oh?" Truthfully, Argent almost forgot about that because of all the things that were happening. "What did you find out?"


    "Well, during this banquet yesterday, I identaly read the mind of one of the Emperor''s concubine - Concubine Hong. She''s the mother of the third prince. They''re on the crown prince''s faction. What''s on her mind when she talked to me was this and I quote; ''Why do I have to fawn over this girl? If only that assassination n on Li Jun seeded, then me and my son would forever be in the Empress'' favor''. That''s it. Kind of wimpy, really. Considering she has her own son, instead of fighting for the throne, she chose to be the Empress''p dog."


    "Everyone has their own way of surviving," Argent said. Though she didn''t expect that it was a concubine who nned that assassination. She must have a lot of funds in her hands in order to hire an assassin fron Dreich Gallere. "I''ll mention it to Lei Feng. Let him and the fourth prince handle it themselves. It has nothing to do with us after all."


    "Okay. Have those Apostles contacted you yet?"


    "Not yet. I''ll contact you immediately once they did."


    They finished their conversation and Argent turned off her light brain. She felt a sweat dropping from her forehead. She raised the hem of her shirt to wipe it. When she put it down, she saw Lei Feng about to walk to her direction. He seemed to be frozen on the spot, his eartips as red as a ripe tomato.


    She furrowed her brows. What was he being shy about now? "Is there something?"


    Lei Feng immediately looked down. He just saw Argent''s t stomach and it was like he was suddenly electrocuted. Thoughts he shouldn''t have immediately entered his head. And now he felt like a huge pervert. He took a deep breath and removed all those thought. "I- I made porridge. Let''s go in and eat breakfast."


    Argent stood up. "You didn''t have to cook yourself, you know. You could have just asked one of the guards to buy one."


    "It doesn''t matter. Besides, I noticed that you didn''t eat muchst night. I know you didn''t like food with strong vors. So I just decided to make food that''s to your liking."


    "Oh, thank you." What a thoughtful guy.


    They were about to walk towards the courtyard when they suddenly felt a swirl of Mana behind them. Both of them turned around, their guards up. And then they saw a man standing there. He had a long gray hair tied behind his back and a domino mask that covered half of his face.


    "Good morning, milord," Harlequin greeted and made a perfect bow.

 Chapter 123: an invitation from the pope

    Chapter 123: an invitation from the pope


    BEFORE the man wearing a domino mask could speak again, a bolt of lightning struck down on him. He immediately disappeared from where he was standing. But when he reappeared somewhere, Lei Feng already shed to where he was. He surrounded his fist with lightning and attacked. But the masked man disappeared again, showing his fast reaction. He reappeared on the courtyard''s roof, but then he was immediately surrounded by Lei Feng''s three dark guards.


    Harlequin raised both hands as if in surrender. "I came here in peace."


    But the three dark guards still attacked him, giving him no choice but to teleport again. The three immediately scattered around the garden limiting the ces he could go. But instead of teleporting to one of the free spaces, he appeared behind An Qi. Before Harlequin could touch An Qi, a thunderbolt came flying at their direction. He wanted to use the dark guard as a shield but he didn''t even notice that the guard already dodged sideways, making him the only target of the thunderbolt.


    Harlequin immediately teleported but he still felt the thunderbolt grazing his left arm. He''s really starting to get annoyed now. He decided to just teleport Argent ckbourne out of here and deliver him straight to His Excellency. He never really understood why His Excellency told him to extend an invitation to the young duke instead of just teleporting him to the ce personally prepared by His Excellency.


    He appeared behind Argent and immediately held his arm. But when Harlequin tried to teleport, nothing happened. They were still standing on the same ce. He was so bewildered that he didn''t even notice the iing approach of the young general. Not until a powerful punch hit his face and he was sent flying.


    Harlequin''s back hit a tree and he felt the domino mask on his face slowly cracking. He didn''t feel the pain because his mind was still thinking of why he didn''t manage to teleport just now. Was it just an ident on his part or something else entirely? He felt his blood surging, his whole body filling with excitement. Like a kid wanting to discover the truth about something.


    That''s when he felt his domino maskpletely crumbling. He suddenly came back to his senses. He immediately took another mask from his space ring and put it on before his face was revealed in front of everyone here.


    Lei Feng and his dark guards were about to attack again but Argent stopped them.


    "Let him speak," she said, looking at the man with domino mask.


    Argent, of course, recognized him. How could she not? She could still remember him at that underground auction, telling those men to fight a seven year old child. So, her guessed was correct. He was really part of the Apostles of Gaia. But since he was not wearing the same mask, he might just be connected to them in some way. He was definitely not just some run-of-the-mill grunt. From what Argent observed, he might even have some kind of a high position in the Temple.


    Obviously, his Gift was teleportation. It was probably at a high level too if he managed to teleport her mother from the Northern continent to here in Xing. Thinking that this guy yed a big part in her mother''s abduction already made her want to cut him into pieces. This guy''s offence againts her family just doubled. But she needed to calm down. She couldn''t just kill this guy right now. Because from the looked of things, he was here as some kind of messenger. Killing him might make the deal between her and the Pope fall through. And if he didn''t return in one piece, that Lucern Faust might just retaliate against her unconcious mother.


    So she would endure. For now.


    "Talk, bastard," she said, looking down on the masked man.


    "My name is Harlequin, milord. This would be our formal meeting. I hope you could remember my name."


    Argent looked like she didn''t care about his name at all. And she didn''t, really. Because she''s pretty certain that was not his real name. "I said talk not bber, dipshit."


    Harlequin literally felt a muscle on his face tick. This cheeky brat. "His Excellency cordially invites you to be his guest at the annual Festival of Creation that would be held at Victoria City a month from now. You could give him the sword there and he will return your mother. In perfect condition, of course."


    A month from now? And at the city where the main church of Gaia was located? Argent almostughed out loud. That was just perfect. "Tell him I''ll be there."


    "As you wish." Harlequin made a bow.


    When they thought he would teleport out of there, he disappeared and reappeared behind Argent again. He just wanted to test if what he thought earlier was right. But before he could even touch the young duke, the tip of a sword was already pointing at an artery on his neck. He looked down and saw that Argent was the one holding the sword.


    The young duke nced back at him, he didn''t even bother to hide his killing intent. That kind of intense bloodlust almost made him shiver. "Don''t push your luck, cretin."


    Harlequinughed, he was not even sure if it was because of too much anger or just because of pure frustration. "See you next month then, milord."


    Then hepletely disappeared from there.


    Argent turned her sword back into a bracelet. She had to leave Xing as soon as possible if she wanted for her n to work. When she raised her head, she was almost startled when she saw Lei Feng in front of her and staring quite intently at her. "What?"


    "Are you really going to do as that clown said?" he asked.


    "If what you mean is me going to Victoria City to meet the Pope, then yes, I will go."


    Lei Feng was suddenly filled with a cluster of emotions - panic, fear, worry. "You can''t go. It might be just a trap. There must be another way for you to save your mother instead of just going there."


    Argent wasn''t annoyed, because she could clearly see that the other party was really just worried about her. "It''s fine. Even if it''s just a trap, I''ll justy a much bigger one for them. And I have a n. I won''t be stupid enough to go there unprepared."


    Hearing that, the worry in Lei Feng''s heart slightly alleviated. "Then allow me to go with you. You know I can be a great help."


    "You can. But you won''t be going with me. You don''t have any obligation to join in my fight."


    In this short journey they had, Argent already considered Lei Feng as a friend. So she didn''t want to use him in a way that could jeopardize the life that he had. And there''s a high chance that would happen if he directly fought with the Pope. She might be indifferent to some extent but she never would have wanted for something bad to happen to the people she acknowledged.


    "What if I volunteer?" Lei Feng said, quite a bit persistent.


    "Even then. And let that be the end of the matter." She turned around and walked inside the courtyard.


    The three dark guards looked at their master. Upon seeing the determined and deep expression on his face while staring at the back of the young duke, they just knew that was definitely not the end of the matter.

 Chapter 124: the zhang couple

    Chapter 124: the zhang couple


    AURUM was walking towards the Lotus Courtyard. It was the name of the courtyard where the Zhang couple resided in. In the wealthy households of Xing, husbands and wives usually had separate courtyards. Mostly because men had a number of concubines and it would be vulgar to visit those concubines if the man shared the same courtyard with the main wife. But that was not the case in the Zhang household. Not only did General Zhang Qian Yu not have any concubines, he''s also more than happy to share a courtyard with his wife. Showing just how much the Zhang couple loved each other.


    Aurum was going there to properly say goodbye. Her brother called herst night, telling her about the visit of the person the Pope sent. That person was not a total stranger to the two of them. It was the masked man in that underground auction seven years ago. It was only for a moment that she saw him but she couldn''t forget how he watched her brother being beaten up by those men like it was some kind of entertainment for him.


    She knew that she killed a lot of people that day. But she didn''t feel guilty at all. People who could go to those kind of ces and buy other humans as if their livestocks didn''t deserve to live. It''s just a shame that Aurum didn''t manage to also kill that masked man. Argent said that his Gift was teleportation. He probably teleported out of there before she could turn his brain into mush. Really, such a shame.


    Argent also told her that they should leave Xing as soon as possible. And by soon, she meant today. Her brother said that one of the young general''s dark guards woulde for her and send her to where Argent was. But she didn''t want to leave without even saying goodbye to Madame Lin. She''d grown really close to the older woman for almost two weeks that she stayed her. It would be disrespectful of her to leave just like that.


    Upon reaching the Lotus Courtyard, the maid closest to Madame Lin - Zi Yu, immediately saw her.


    "Lady Aurum," Zi Yu bowed. "How can I help you?"


    "I have something to tell to Madame Lin, is she here?"


    "Yes, mydy. Madame Lin is inside with the General."


    The general was also here. That''s good. She could also say goodbye to him. "Can I talk to them?"


    Zi Yu looked at the young girl. She knew the youngdy wouldn''t just arbitrarily go here and ask to talk to Madame Lin if it wasn''t important. Lady Aurum was not that kind of superfluous youngdy after all. "I understand. Please, follow me."


    Zi Yu led the way and Aurum followed. They walked towards the garden of the courtyard and stopped in front of a pavilion where General Zhang and Madame Lin was sitting. The couple were peacefully drinking tea, smiling and looking at each other from time to time. Love could clearly be seen in their gazes.


    Seeing them, a sudden thought entered Aurum''s mind. Were her parents the same? She knew her mother loved their father, maybe even more than her and her brother and maybe even more than herself. She''s not bitter about that. Maybe people, no matter their situation in life, one time or another, would experience that kind of overwhelming love. The type that could consume you at any moment. Maybe she would also experience it, her indifferent brother as well - though she couldn''t really imagine it happening.


    What Aurum wanted to know was if her father also felt the same towards her mother? Because if he did, then why would he leave his pregnant wife and go on a voyage to find those sacred artifacts? Just why? The more she thought of a possible answer, the more she just became dissatisfied with this missing father of hers. Now she wondered if it''s even worth it to find him.


    "Aurum," Madame Lin called when Zi Yu announced her arrival.


    Aurum temporarily let go of her thoughts and smiled towards the older woman. "Madame, General," she first greeted.


    "Come here and have tea," Madame Lin invited.


    Aurum walked inside the pavillion. She shook her head and politely refused the madame. "I won''t be long. I just came here to say goodbye."


    Madame Lin furrowed her brows. "Goodbye?"


    "There''s been an emergency. Me and my brother have to leave Xing tonight."


    "Your brother? But he''s not here," Madame Lin said, a bit confused.


    "Did your brother and Xiao Feng already return at the capital?" the general asked seemingly understanding the situation.


    "Yes," Aurum answered.


    "Do you need any help?" General Zhang asked again.


    Aurum shook her head. "The young general already arranged everything," she answered. Then she made a formal bow. "Thank you for all your care these past days. I hope that when I get the chance to return to Xing again, I could still visit you here."


    Madame Lin stood up and helped Aurum raised herself. "This girl, there''s no need for thanks. And of course, you could visit us here. You and your brother would always be wee at my Zhang household."


    "Thank you, Madame Lin. Can I... can I hug you?" Aurum looked at the older woman hesitantly. Like a child asking for a treat and wasn''t sure if she was allowed to have it.


    Madame Lin''s heart was soft. Instead of answering, she directly hugged the beautiful girl in front of her. "Always take care of yourself, okay?"


    Aurum nodded, burrying herself in Madame Lin''s embrace. "You as well, Madame Lin."


    After a while, Aurum left.


    Madame Lin stared at the back of the young girl, she suddenly had the urge to cry. It felt like she was saying goodbye to her own child.


    "What''s this, are you sad?" Zhang Qian Yu asked.


    "Of course I''m sad. The girl had been like a daughter to me. If Lei Feng showed any sign that he liked her, I''ve long tried to match them."


    The older general remembered his son. In terms of interest, it might be more appropriate to say that he was much more interested at the older brother. He could still remember the look his son made at the barracks while watching the young duke. He knew that look. Because that''s also the way he looked at his wife.


    He sighed. Maybe in this life, he and his wife would not have any daughter-inw at all.


    Zhang Qian Yu turned to his wife and stared at her pretty little face. No matter how much time passed, it still felt like that time when he first saw her. Arguing with a peddler who tried to trick her friend into paying more gold coins. She was only wearing a simple white dress, her long ck hair was also done in a simple hairstyle. She couldn''t even be considered a great beauty. But he immediately attracted his attention.


    Maybe it was her heroic attitude, or the way she stood up for her friend, or maybe it''s just her eyes. It was bright and burning with so much emotion. She was just simply so full of life. After defending the border for so many years, killing anyone who threatened the peace of Xing, he thought his heart had already became numb. That he wouldn''t be able to feel anything for anyone. But his heart started to beat that day. And he just knew that this was the woman he wanted to spend his life with.


    That day was the day Zhang Qian Yu fell madly in love with Lin Shi Xue.


    "Why are you looking at me like that?" Madame Lin suddenly asked.


    "I always look at you this way," he answered, smiling. Then he pulled her, making her sit on hisp. He smiled even wider when he saw her ear tips turning red. His Shi Xue wasn''t the type who would blush easily but her ear tips would turn red when she''s shy.


    "What are you doing? There are people around," she scolded.


    "Don''t worry, they''re already used to seeing us like this." He hugged his wife. "If you''re really sad, do you want to make another child? This time we could have a daughter. And then let''s have another son. We''re still young. If we put our mind to it, we could have you pregnant within this year. Why don''t we start now?"


    The red on Madame Lin''s ear tips slowly spread to her cheeks. "You rogue! Have you no shame?"


    "My dear, when ites to you, I can be the most shameless man in the world."


    Madame Lin helplessly smiled, the sadness in her heart was already melted by her husband''s shamelessness.

 Chapter 125: the sulking general

    Chapter 125: the sulking general


    INSIDE the forest outside the capital of Xing, Argent was standing on a branch of a tall tree, looking up at the big moon. She was waiting for the arrival of her sister. Then they would leave directly from here using her flying shuttle. It was better for long distance travel than the flying car.


    The sun had just set and the sky was already dark. Argent was in a very inconspicuous part of the forest where people didn''t usually past through. But even without that, the three dark guards were scattered around the perimeter to make sure that no one would inadvertently walked on here. Lei Feng was also here to prevent any oversight, giving her confidence that nothing would go wrong.


    Speaking of the man, since they left Hangzhou, he hadn''t spoken a full sentence to her. Whenever she tried to talk to him, all his reply to her had been one syble words. Seeing his attitude, she felt a slight irritation in her chest. So she also stopped talking to him altogether. But she knew that couldn''t continue since she would be leaving soon. And she still had a lot of things to say to him.


    Argent looked down and saw Lei Feng leaning against the tree she was standing on. His arms were crossed against his chest, the seriousness on his face was even more profound. It''s like he''s contemting about something. Argent sighed. She took a jade seal from her space ring, it was the one that the Emperor gave her.


    She wasn''t able to use this thing that much. Because she immediately found the information she needed. She even thought that maybe she should have just flown from Albion to here. It might have saved her a lot of time. But then again, if she didn''t go through those formalities, she wouldn''t be able to meet the Emperor. If she didn''t meet him then she wouldn''t have managed to annoy him, then he wouldn''t bait her with information about the masked man who stole a map from him. That particr information was the reason why Argent was able to aplish the things she needed to aplish in the fastest way possible.


    ording to the results, her decision of going here in the guise of a business deal was still the best choice. She looked at the seal she was holding. This might be a good tool to use to start a conversation with this sullen guy.


    Argent then jumped from the tree andnded safely in front of Lei Feng. She looked at the guy who looked at her only for a second then moved his gaze away. She felt that irritation inside her chest again. She shook her head and just ignored it. She held the seal towards Lei Feng. "Could you give this back to the Emperor?"


    Lei Feng took it. "Hmm."


    "Could you also apologize to him on my ount for not saying goodbye personally? And also tell him that he didn''t need to worry because I''m going to send someone from mypany to finish our business transaction?"


    "Hmm."


    Argent suddenly felt a vein in her forehead popping. Enough of this. She stretched her hand, passing his side face, and then making her palmnded loudly on the bark of the tree behind him. "Do you have a problem with me? If you do, then stop acting so shifty and just tell it straight to my face."


    Lei Feng became speechless. Not because of Argent''s question, but because of her sudden close proximity to him. Her movements made their bodies just a few inches away from each other. Because he was taller than her, she needed to looked up to him. This way he could perfectly see her beautiful face. Her skin was delicate and refined, her eyshes were long like a fine silver brush, and her pair of purple eyes were like bright amethyst shining with anger.


    He could feel her breathing on his chin. Lei Feng couldn''t help but swallow. His whole face was slowly heating up. He had no doubt that he was as red as a ripe tomato right now. He moved his head away and gently pushed Argent.


    "Please, don''t be too close."


    After hearing that, it was only then that Argent realized their current postures. Seeing him blushing, he was probably embarrassed being this close to another man. It really was kind of awkward. What was she thinking, acting this way? She stepped back as naturally as she could, widening the gap between them. Then she cleared her throat.


    "Well, answer my question. Do you have something against me?"


    Lei Feng finally managed to breath. If he didn''t tell Argent the reason why he was acting that way, something like what just happened might happen again. He wasn''t sure if his heart could take it. So he decided to just be honest. "No. I just didn''t like the fact that you refused to let me help you."


    Upon hearing that answer, a sudden realization hit Argent. "Are you sulking?" When she saw his ear tips turning red, she knew she got the right answer. She couldn''t help butugh because of that. Who would have thought that the serious and almighty general of Xing also knew how to sulk. "You can really be cute sometimes, you know?"


    Lei Feng didn''t care about thest thing she said. Because Argent''sughing face just captivated him. How could someone be this beautiful? It''s like there''s a glowing from within her. He turned his gaze away before he really started having a heart attack.


    Argent, on the other hand, thought that he was pouting. "You can''t juste with me and you know that. You have obligations here. Although I appreaciate your offer, it''s weird to be so dedicated about it. You''re not my servant nor are you my guard. It''s not your job to take care of things for me. You''re a friend, receiving your sentiment is enough."


    At first, Lei Feng was getting more depressed after each word that Argent said. But when he heard herst statement, he felt like he was suddenly revived. "You think of me as a friend?"


    He knew it was not easy for Argent to let people enter her inner circle. Being considered as a friend was already a big step for him. He couldn''t help but just feel happy.


    "Otherwise?"


    "Yes, we''re friends," Lei Feng immediately said in case Argent changed her mind. "But I''m just worried that something bad may happen to you during that festival."


    "Something will always happen. The only thing we could do is to be prepared. So it wouldn''t turn into something bad," Argent said. "My mother''s life is at stake her, I wouldn''t act in a way that could jeopardize that. So, just have faith in me. Okay?"


    Lei Feng let out a long sigh. "I understand." But that didn''t mean he wouldn''t do anything to help.


    "Good. Oh, before I forgot, Aurum found out that the one behind the fourth prince''s attempted assassination in Albion was Concubine Hong."


    Lei Feng was a bit startled by the sudden change of topic. But when he digested what she just said, he couldn''t help but frown. "Concubine Hong? How did your sister...?"


    "It''s a long process. But you don''t need to worry because this information is pretty solid."


    "Okay. I''ll pass it on to Li Jun."


    Just then, An Si suddenly appeared and kneeled in front of them. "Master, the carriage carrying Lady Aurum and ck is on its way."


    Lei Feng nodded. "Continue to guard the perimeter."


    "Yes, Master." An Si bowed and jumped to one of the trees.


    They didn''t wait long. After a few minutes, a simple ck carriage rode to where they were. If Argent was not mistaken, the one driving was the dark guard named ''An Wu'', the one with the barrier Gift. The carriage stopped but before An Wu could open the door of the carriage, it already opened from the inside and Aurum and ck jumped out.


    When her sister and ck saw her, the two immediately ran towards her direction. Argent almost lost her bnce when both hugged her at the same time.


    "Brother, I missed you! Did you miss me as well?"


    "ck missed you, Master! Did you miss ck too?"


    The both said almost at the same time.


    Argent helplessly gave them a return hug. "Yes, I miss the two of you."


    Lei Feng looked at this scene, especially at ck who''s happily hugging Argent''s waist. His expression almost turned dark. How could this kid hug Argent as if it was the most natural thing in the world while he couldn''t even handle having her face too close to his? He sighed. Well, at least the kid was no longer crossdressing.


    After hugging the two, Argent took the flying shuttle capsule and also the remote from her space ring. She threw it on the empty space in front and pushed the ''on'' button on the remote. Her flying shuttle vehicle immediately appeared.


    She looked at Aurum and ck. "Come on, go inside."


    The two didn''t ask much and just walked inside the shuttle.


    Argent turned to Lei Feng. "Thank you for everything until now. I hope we could meet again in the future."


    "There''s no need for thanks. I''m just d that I could be of help to you. And yes, we will definitely meet again," Lei Feng said, determination filling his obsidian ck eyes.


    "I hope so as well."


    Argent said her goodbye and walked towards the shuttle.


    "Argent!" Lei Feng called before she entered the shuttle.


    Argent looked back. "Yes?"


    "Can I... can I call you from time to time?"


    Argent smiled. "Yes, just make sure you won''t call me everyday or every other day because I won''t definitely answer."


    The corner of Lei Feng''s lips tilted, showing a very rare smile. "Okay."


    With that, Argent finally walked inside the shuttle. She sat on the driver''s position, turned on the stealth mode, and flew the shuttle up.


    "Where will we go next, Brother?" Aurum asked, sitting on the seat beside Argent''s.


    "We''re going back to myb," Argent answered and she drove the shuttle towards the direction of the Western continent.

 Chapter 126: back at the island

    Chapter 126: back at the ind


    INSIDE the study of the Emperor of Xing, a certain conversation was happening. The youngest general of the country - Zhang Lei Feng - was kneeling in front of the Emperor. He just came back after more than a week of travel, the first thing he did was to report at the Imperial Pce.


    "You may rise," the Emperor said. The young general stood up. "Howe you return so early? Did Lord ckbourne already find the location he''s looking for?"


    The two pretended that the Emperor still didn''t know about Argent''s departure. The moment he returned to the Zhang household, Lei Feng knew that someone would report to the Emperor and also tell him that he returned alone.


    Because of the Emperor''s informationwork, he told his dark guards to be careful when bringing Lady Aurum and ck out of the Zhang household and made sure that they wouldn''t be followed. He also had to ask them to prepare a small ship where the twins would supposedly embark so they could leave Xing. It would just generate suspicion if they suddenly disappeared here without a trace.


    "The duke had already left Xing. We were half-way to our first destination when he received a call. There seemed to be a problem in hispany and he needed to go there to personally deal with it as soon as he could. So he needed to immediately leave from here. But the duke asked me to tell Your Majesty that your business deal will not be affected. He will send someone from hispany to facilitate the project."


    "This Emperor understands. It must be quite a big emergency. It''s such a shame this Emperor wasn''t able to meet him before he left."


    "This general is sure that the duke felt the same way."


    Li Wei stared at the young general. Lei Feng was looking down so he couldn''t really see his expression. He knew about Lei Feng''s little habit. The general was really bad at lying. But looking at him now, Li Wei could tell that he''s really trying his best not to show that habit.


    "What is your opinion of the young duke?" the Emperor thought of asking.


    "Smart, brave, determined, and very protective to those he care about," Lei Feng answered smoothly.


    "So many wonderful praises. You must really like him a lot," the Emperormented, his tone a bit vague.


    Lei Feng didn''t answer which was like a default, admitting that he did like the young duke. The Emperor raised his brow at that. His fifth son was a cut-sleeve. If Lei Feng was one too, then he guessed they''re much moremon than he imagined. No wonder he rejected his daughter.


    "This Emperor knows that the duke didn''te here just for a business transaction. Being with him, you must know what he really came here for." Lei Feng''s pupils dted when he heard what the Emperor said. The Emperor must have noticed his reaction because of what he said next; "Don''t worry, this Emperor wouldn''t care about the duke''s purpose foring here. As long as it has nothing to do with my Xing, that is."


    Lei Feng understood what the Emperor was worrying about. The Emperor was the type of leader that only cared about the country he''s leading. He wouldn''t tolerate anything that would endanger that.


    He raised his head and answered honestly, "The duke''s business has nothing to do with Xing."


    Li Wei observed the young general''s expression. After confirming that Lei Feng was not lying, he finally let go of the small worry he had. "Good." If the reason why the duke came here had nothing to do with Xing, then he didn''t care. It probably had something to do with the map that thief took 15 years ago. Li Wei certainly had no interest in some old legend. "If there''s nothing else, you can go."


    Instead of leaving, Lei Feng bowed and said, "Actually, Your Majesty, this general has a small request."


    ----------


    A flying vehicle was hovering above an empty sea located on the Western continent. The sea looked calm without so much as a wave. But when the flying vehicle started to descend, an opening appeared in the atmoshere and the vehicle directly flew down into it. When the opening closed, the vehicle also vanished.


    The vehicle did not disappear but instead entered an ind. The whole ind was cloaked using a special technology that would make it invisible to people''s eyes. Not only that, there''s also a shield surrounding the ind. If one didn''t have a particr GPS tracker, it would be hard to find it. And even if one did manage to find it and enter inside, the whole ind was armed with weapons that would immediately attack any intruders. Which meant, the only way that a person could go here safely was if Argent allowed you to.


    Argent carefullynded the flying shuttle on the open hangar attached to herb. Her sister and ck first went out and then she followed.


    "Master, ck will go to White! ck has so many stories to tell her," ck said who didn''t wait for Argent''s answer and immediately ran inside theb.


    "He must really missed White. He didn''t even wait for your permission," Aurum said.


    "I made them as a pair. It''s only natural for them to want to be together."


    "Young Lord! Young Lady!" called a very familiar voice from the opened door of the hangar.


    The twins both looked at the direction of the voice and saw Felicia who was excitedly running towards them.


    "Wee back, Young Lord, Young Lady," she happily greeted.


    "Why Felicia, you''re absolutely blooming," Aurumplimented.


    Aurum was right. Felicia''s auburn hair was arranged in a simple yet elegant style. She was wearing a very neat dress that not only lookedfortable but also showcased her curves. Her skin almost looked like it was glowing. She was even using a light pink rouge on her lips.


    "Thank you, Young Lady. It''s probably because I''m too happy these days," Felicia said with a slight blush on her cheeks.


    "Oh? I bet it has something to do with Hattori. Are the two of you finally together now?" Aurum teased.


    Felicia''s blush intensified even more. "N-no, Young Lady. I-it''s not like that."


    "Come on, you don''t have to hide it from us. We both support you and Hattori. Right, Brother?"


    Felicia''s face became even redder, if that was even possible at all.


    Argent gently knocked on Aurum''s head. "Don''t tease Felicia so much."


    "Fine," Aurum pouted. "I''ll go ahead and rest then. I kind of missed sleeping in my room." Then she walked out of the hangar, most probably going to their vi.


    Argent turned back to Felica whose face was slowly turning back to normal. "I have an important job for you, Felicia."


    Felicia''s face immediately turned serious. "Whatever it is, I''ll do it, Young Lord."


    "You should already know about the project ourpany was nning to do in Xing. I want you to go there and head that project." There wasn''t a change in Felicia''s expression which meant that she wasn''t opposed to the idea of being a project head. If this was seven years ago, she''d definitely panic. Argent was d to see her growth. "Contact Finn, he''ll give you all the details you need. Also ask him for apetent assistant and make him arrange a security detail for you."


    "About that security detail, can I do it myself?" a familiar voice suddenly said.


    Hattori Shingen suddenly appeared beside them. Argent didn''t even notice his arrival. He probably used [Mizukodo]. As expected of her master.


    "Master," Argent greeted.


    "Wee back, kid," Hattori returned. "About that security detail..."


    "Y-you don''t have to. I mean, I know that there are people after you. I-it''s safer for you to stay here," Felicia said cutting whatever Hattori was about to say.


    Hattori turned to Felicia. "What''s this? Do you think I''m weak or do you just not have any faith in my abilities?"


    "No! How could I ever think that?" Felicia immediately said. "I''m just worried about you."


    Hattori gently pinched Felicia''s cheek. "Then let me go with you in this trip. Because otherwise, I''ll be the one who will end up worrying."


    Felicia touched her cheek that was pinched. She gazed shyly at Hattori. "Okay."


    Argent stared at the two who seemed to have already forgotten her existence. How exactly did this development happen? She felt like if another minute passed, virtual flowers would bloom around the two. So she cleared her throat to remind them that she was still here.


    Felicia was flustered. What was she doing, forgetting about her Young Lord? Her face reddened again from embarrassment. "I- I''ll go and contact Master Finn," she said and didn''t hesitate to run out of there.


    "Cute," Hattori muttered while looking at Felicia''s back.


    He said it in a small voice but Argent still heard it. She raised one of her brows then she remembered Aurum''s teasing. She''s not really good with the nuance when it came to romantic rtionships. So maybe Aurum was right, there was really something going on between her master and Felicia.


    "Master, are you Felicia''s lover now?" Argent decided to just ask instead of making assumptions.


    She didn''t think it was possible, but she actually saw her master blush a little. Felicia was also blushing constantly earlier. Did that mean that she could equate blushing with romantic feelings? Then Argent remembered Lei Feng and his ear tips that constantly turned red. Was that the same for him? She shook her head and immediately rejected the idea. She just couldn''t imagine a person like Lei Feng liking her.


    Hattori rubbed his nose as if embarrassed. "No, I''m not. But if therees a time that I did be hers, would you object?"


    "No. I don''t have the right to object. But I think Master do need the approval of Felicia''s parents."


    "I''ll get to that. Eventually."


    "Are you really serious about being Felicia''s security detail?" Argent asked.


    "Of course."


    "Xing is pretty close to Kano. Trouble mighte Master''s way if you go there," she reminded.


    "Well, I can''t run all my life. I have to face them sooner orter. But just to be safe, why don''t you give me one of those choker thing that could change your face?"


    "Okay. I''ll let ck deliver it to youter."


    After that, Hattori walked out of the hangar. And Argent walked towards the direction of her innerb.


    It''s time to get to work.

 Chapter 127: i have a plan

    Chapter 127: i have a n


    ARGENT moved her head and heard the loud creaking of her neck. Not surprising since she''d been bowing down on her work table for most of the past two weeks. That''s how long since they returned from Xing. She''s been spending the majority of her time here in her work area since then. She didn''t go out and she barely slept. If there wasn''t a bathroom inside, she might end up not bathing at all. And if Aurum and ck didn''t force her to eat, she would definitely end up starving herself.


    That''s just the way she was whenever she''s working on a new project. And since she''s on a time sensitive schedule, she had to work even harder. The result? She managed to finish everything in two weeks.


    Argent looked at the result of her hard work and she couldn''t help the satisfied smile that crossed her lips. She almost wanted to pat her back for a job well done. The reason why she managed to do so much in such a short amount of time was because she already had the blueprint for the inventions involved in this project. And all the materials she needed could be found in herb storage.


    She stretched her body. Before going outside her working area, she made sure that the big device she just made was properly protected inside a barrier. It would be bad if it was identaly set off here in this ind.


    Instead of going straight to the vi to rest, Argent went to the center of theb to check on White. She was usually there most of the time to regte the traffic of sPhones. And also checked on the things that Argent asked her to.


    When she reached the central room, White was already sitting on her crystal chair. A long white tube attached to the back of her head was connected to the floating prism above. Argent sat down in front of the three big monitors.


    "White," she called.


    The little girl with pure white hair opened her eyes, showing a pair of white irises. "Yes, Master," she said in her sweet voice with no ups and downs.


    "Was there any progressed in the monitoring of the Pope?"


    "None, Master. It''s still the same."


    Argent sneered. That Lucern Faust probably realized in some way that she could use the sPhones to monitor its users. So he already made some kind of preventative measure long before. As expected of the leader of an evil organization. She wouldn''t even be surprised if his final aim turned out to be world domination.


    "How about the first princess?"


    "I think the princesspletely disconnected, Master. Her sPhone was no longer active." Argent raised her brow. The princess stopped using her sPhone? "I think it''s due to all the negative opinions slowly brewing about her."


    "What negative opinions?"


    "She''s currently being connected to an unknown organization that trafficks humans. Although there''s been no evidence yet that could prove it, just her name being attached to human trafficking is already detrimental to her reputation."


    Argent grinned. That''s probably Winter''s handiwork. So, he''s starting to move. She was d to know that the information he gave her didn''t go to waste. He must have worked really hard. She probably should tell him about Harlequin and the possible connection of his good sister to the Apostles of Gaia.


    "Did I receive any important messages these past two weeks?" she asked White.


    "You receive a message from Mr. Jaxon, asking you to call him. And a person named Viper kept sending you messages. When it reached a hundred, I decided to delete them all, except for one, since all the messages were just different variations of each other. He just kept sending messages telling Master that he missed you. If I overstepped my bounds, I apologize to Master."


    "No, you did the right thing." Argent could already feel a headacheing just by thinking of the possibility of going through those 100 messages.


    She immediately opened the monitor in front of her and connected it to her light brain. Soon, she saw the two messages from Jaxon and Viper. She first opened the message of Jaxon. Before she holed herself inside her working area, she remembered sending a message to Jaxon. Giving him a brief summary of what ured after she arrived at Hangzhou Vige. This must be a reply to that.


    [Argent, please don''t try to do anything impulsive. Fighting against the Temple of Gaia is no small joke. Your mother wouldn''t want you to put your life or Aurum''s in danger so you could save hers. I will gather every information I could about the Pope and those Apostles of his. So, please, don''t go to Victoria City. Call me once you received this.]


    Argent already expected this kind of reaction. Next she opened Viper''s message.


    [Argent!!! Do you miss me? Because I miss you already. I tried to call you like a hundred times but it''s not connecting. You''re not even answering my messages. You didn''t delete my contact did you? You didn''t, right? Of course you didn''t. How could you possibly bear to do that to your sweetheart, right? Anyway, I already told my Master about your request. But sadly, he refused. I tried to convince him the best I could, I promise I did. But he just won''t budge. He said and I quote; ''The two of us shall meet. But the time for that is sadly not now. Please, do give Argent ckbourne my apologies. And tell him that he should not underestimate Lucern Faust.'' I know, it''s annoying receiving such an unclear answer. Trust me, I''m annoyed too. But this is my master we''re talking about. I don''t have the ability to force him to do anything. But good news is, Master gave me permission to help you in any way possible. Oh, Master will also be sending another one of our assassins to help. But you could just ignore that person. There is me after all. Call me, okay? And tell me if you have a n. Bye bye!]


    What a long message. Half of it mostly nonsensical. Typical of Viper. Argent wasn''t really that surprised knowing that his master refused to meet her. Though she was surprised knowing that he''s willing to send two of his assassins just to help her. Of course, she wouldn''t reject that. She needed some manpower after all. And two assassins from Dreich Gallere were enough.


    But why would the master of Dreich Gallere send his people to help her? If you added that to the face that he banned any contract against her life, it''s just suspicious as hell. And what''s with that ''it''s not the right time for them to meet''? Was receiving vague messages from mysterious people the norm for her now? Viper was right. It''s truly annoying.


    She sighed. There''s no use thinking of that right now. Because she wouldn''t receive an urate answer no matter how much she thought of it.


    Argent first contacted Jaxon. It didn''t take long for the call to connect.


    "Argent! Thank the goddess you finally called. Where are you right now? Tell me you''re not at Victoria City," Jaxon said, obviously worried.


    "I''m not, Uncle Jax. I''m at my ind."


    Jaxon breathed a sigh of relief. Once he received that message from Argent, he''d been filled with nothing but worry. Who would have thought that the person behind Anthea''s kidnapping was the Pope of the Temple of Gaia? He knew it had something to do with those sacred artifacts Argent told him about. He was not familiar with the legend that came with those artifacts. Probably because he''s really not interested in anything rted to the mythical races. Well, except for one particr elf. Even if that interest only led to a painful heartbreak.


    But unlike him, his friend Dorian had an immense interest in those mythical races. Jaxon should have known that his disappearance had something to do with those. And now, whatever he did 15 years ago was affecting his family.


    "That''s good. Let me think of a n to help you. Just don''t--"


    "Uncle Jax," Argent cut off whatever Jaxon was about to say. "I have a n. Will you hear me out?"


    She didn''t wait for Jaxon to reply and told him her n slowly. Once she''s done, Jaxon lookedpletely bbergasted.


    "This is your n?" Jaxon said, astonished.


    "Yes."


    "And you expect it to work?" he asked as if Argent hadpletely gone mental.


    "It will," she answered without hesitation.


    Jaxon stared at Argent''s face. In the end, he could only sigh. "I understand. Do you need any help in executing this n?"


    "No. The less people involve in this, the better."


    Jaxon couldn''t help but sigh again. "Then please, please, be careful."


    "I know, Uncle Jax."


    "I will send you all the information I gathered about Lucern Faust. It might help you understand his character more."


    "Thank you."


    Then they both ended the call.


    Argent closed her eyes. The fatigue she umted for the past two weeks was slowly setting in. She could barely keep her eyes opened. At the end, she just chose to message Viper instead of calling him. Because talking to Viper, even if it''s just by phone, could take a lot of energy. Energy that she currently didn''t have.


    [Festival of Creation, Victoria City. Meet us there.]


    Then she stood up. "Good job, White."


    "Thank you, Master," White said.


    Argent walked out of the central room, going straight out of theb. Now, she could finally allow herself to sleep properly.

 Chapter 128: initial preparation

    Chapter 128: initial preparation


    ARGENT woke up because of a little bit of pain in her stomach. She reluctantly opened her eyes and she immediately heard a loud growling sound. She massaged her stomach for a bit and sighed. She''s hungry it seemed. She looked at the digital clock on her bedside table, it''s already 11 o''clock in the morning. No wonder her stomach wasining to her. She didn''t eat dinner yesterday and just simply went straight to bed. And now, she even missed breakfast. Looked like she was really tired after all.


    She stood up and stretched a bit then walked out of her room. As soon as she did, a delicious scent wafted in the air. Argent went to the direction of the dining room and saw her sister putting dishes on the table. Aurum''s golden hair was tied in a messy bun. She was also wearing a frilly white apron.


    Aurum raised her head and immediately saw her brother. "Oh, good. You''re awake. Come and sit before the food gets cold." Argent sat down at the head of the table. "You didn''t eat dinnerst night, you didn''t even eat breakfast. Brother, how many times do I have to tell you not to skip your meals? This could affect your health, you know?" Aurum scolded.


    Argent smiled helplessly. "I know. I''m sorry for making you worry." She looked at the variety of dishes on the table. "Did you cook?"


    Since they started living on this ind, Aurum made Felicia teach her how to cook. It''s because she didn''t like the food prepared by the smart robots made by her brother. And since Felicia started to get busy with her work in thepany, she didn''t have time to cook food for them. They couldn''t really let other people enter this ind just so they could cook them the food they wanted. The location of this ind was top secret after all.


    Of course if they were not on this ind and there were servants around, Aurum wouldn''t be so dilligent.


    "I did. These robots you made always make nd food, how could I let you eat those? And besides, on this ind, who else would pamper you to this extent?"


    After hearing what Aurum said, Argent inadvertently thought of Lei Feng. During their stay at Xing, almost all her food was made by Lei Feng. Following what her sister said, was she actually being pampered? Argent shook her head. She''s probably just thinking too much.


    "Thank you. I actually missed the food you made," Argent just said. Because just like Lei Feng, Aurum knew exactly what her taste was like. She didn''t like her food to have overwhelming vors on them.


    The twins started eating.


    "Has Felicia and Master already left?" Argent thought of asking.


    "Yes, more than a week ago already. And don''t worry, I already told Felicia your message that she should coordinate everything with Finn," Aurum answered. "I bet when they get back, Hattori would have already proposed to Felicia. Do you think Gregory and Nelly would approve of him?"


    "Master is a good man. Gregory and Nelly would certainly see that."


    "True. And he seemed to really care about Felicia. That''s already plenty of reason to approve of him."


    After they finished eating, Argent started putting the dishes on the dishwasher. Aurum was by her side, drinking hot chocte.


    "Brother, when will we leave for Victoria City?"


    "Tomorrow."


    Aurum was slightly surprised. She didn''t expect that they would leave so soon. The Festival of Creation would be held 16 days from now. If they go there using her brother''s flying shuttle, they would arrive there in no less than two days. "So soon?"


    "We will do some reconnaisance first in order to avoid any problems that may ur afterwards."


    Aurum only understood one thing from what her brother said. "Then Brother, do you already have a n?"


    Argent nodded. Then started telling her sister about her n. The more Aurum heard, the brighter her eyes became. As expected of her brother. Now, she couldn''t wait to beat those people up.


    ----------


    Before preparing things for their trip tomorrow, Argent went out of the vi to look for ck and White. A major point of the n hinged on the two, so she needed to at least properly exin everything to them. She found the two at the part of the ind where a lot of wildflowers were blooming.


    ck was holding a lot of flowers in his hand, his face full of concentration. White was sitting beside him. Although her face showed nothing but calmness, Argent could still see a hint of happiness in her eyes. Finally, ck finished what he was doing and excitedly turned to White. He happily put the crown of flowers on White''s head, making her show a rare smile.


    A certain memory suddenly shed inside Argent''s mind when she saw this scene. She shook her head and chose to ignore it.


    Argent decided not to bother the two for the time being. She leaned on the closest tree and opened her light brain to check for any messages. As expected, she found one from Viper. There were probably more but White probably just filtered it out for her. She opened it.


    [Argent! Why are you not answering my calls again? Can you feel my grievance? You totally could, right? You have to appease me. So just tell me where you are and we''ll go together to Victoria City.]


    After reading it, Argent replied; [No. Let''s meet on the exact day of the Festival of Creation.]


    After sending the message, she then thought of calling Winter to tell him about the possible connection of his good sister to the Temple of Gaia. Soon, a handsome young man with blue hair and ice blue eyes appeared on the screen. Suprised clearly written on his face.


    Winter was indeed surprise. He didn''t expect Argent to call him. He didn''t know why but he suddenly felt nervous and excited at the same time. It was a very unexplicable feeling. He wanted to call Argent a number of times but he always stopped himself. What if he called and Argent was busy, wouldn''t the young duke just end up being irritated with him? Especially since he didn''t really have anything important to say. Wouldn''t he only be wasting both of their time if he did that?


    He actually nned on calling the young duke once he deposed Icelyn and blocked any possibility that she could fight for the throne. But it was taking a little bit longer than he expected. And now Argent already called him.


    Winter first returned his expression back to his usual cold face before speaking, "Argent."


    "I have some information for you here," Argent said immediately getting to the point. "The man I told you about, the one your sister was in cahoots with. He''s connected to an organization under the Temple of Gaia."


    Winter wrinkled his eyebrows when he heard what Argent said. "The Temple?"


    "They are called the Apostles of Gaia. If you mention it to your father, he would know who they are." If the Empress of Xing knew about them, there''s no way that the King of Albion didn''t. "But be subtle about it. Don''t directly mention the Apostles, just slowly hint about them. The King might doubt you himself if you just go and tell it to him directly. If you do this, your father will definitely deal with your sister himself. And if all goes well, he might not only remove her from the line of session, he might even sent her to prison."


    Knowing that her daughter was connected to an organization like the Apostles of Gaia, the King would definitely feel threatened. He wouldn''t be able to stop himself from thinking that the first princess was nning something against him. Even if she was his daughter, he would definitely not allow her to do something that could potentially ruin him. No matter how low the possibility of that was.


    "Can you tell me about these Apostles of Gaia?" Winter asked. He''s not doubting Argent. He just wanted more information so he could be ready if something went wrong along the way.


    "They''re a group established by the current Pope. They mostly work behind the scene and do the Temple''s dirty work. That''s all I know about them right now. But in my opinion, they''re bad news and couldn''t be trusted."


    "I understand. I will slowly mention it to my father," Winter said. "Thank you for telling me this."


    "Well, your sister is annoying. I''d be more than d to help you get rid of her," Argent shrugged. And she hated the Apostles. So removing one of their pawns was definitely not something she would lose sleep over.


    "Master!" ck called when he noticed her presence. He pulled White towards her direction.


    "Well then, I still have something to do. I wish you luck."


    Winter still had a lot of things to say but in the end he could only say, "Thank you."


    Argent ended the call the same time that ck and White arrived in front of her.


    "What are you doing here, Master? Are you going to y with ck and White?" ck asked, his eyes shining.


    Argent crouched down in front of the two. "I''ll y with youter. But I have something to tell you first. You have to listen carefully, okay?"


    "Yes, Master," the two said at the same time.


    And she carefully told them about the n.

 Chapter 129: to victoria city

    Chapter 129: to victoria city


    THIS world was created by the goddess, Gaia. That was the prevalent thought among the people since long ago. Not soon after that, people just started to worship her and consider her as the goddess of this world. Then small churches started appearing all over the world, all brandishing the teachings of the goddess. But it didn''t take long for one church to dominate them all.


    The Temple of Gaia.


    The one thing that set them above the rest was because they were extraordinarily organized. It all started at the Southwestern continent. There were priests assigned to different small towns, spreading the words of Gaia. The words were all beautiful, convincing people that only good things would happen once you give your faith to Gaia.


    A few of their teachings were as follows; Haveplete faith in Gaia and she would lead you to paradise. Sinners could have their salvation if they just believe. Do good deeds and your would be rewarded. Do something bad and you would receive retribution.


    Those were chaotic times. Countries keep warring against each others and constantly fighting for territories, there were famines everywhere, people were dying left and right. The ones being affected most by these events were the poor masses. So the promise of paradise and salvation just became a big attraction to the poor. And since the poption of the poor was infinitelyrger than those of the rich, the spread of the teachings of Gaia just became faster and faster.


    In just a short amount of time, the religion founded by the Temple of Gaia slowly extended to the other four continents where humans flourished. They built churches, established hierarchical order among the priests, gather exorbitant donations from their followers, until the Temple became what it was today - the biggest religious group in the world.


    Argent sneered in her heart. In her opinion, what the Temple did was just a big con. They conned the people during their most vulnerable moment. Made them believe in something again, giving them hope to continue living their lives. And while they do that, they slowly emptied the people with everything they had. From their money to their soul. Throughout the years, they slowly became a huge fixture in history. Representing all the goodness in the world.


    What a load of bullcrap.


    If selling people in underground auctions and brainwashing children and even raping them were considered good because the one behind them were those ''good'' people, then Argent was a saint. And she bet there were even more dark things going on behind the Temple''s closed doors.


    Argent looked at the map screen in front of her. They were already closed to their destination. She and her sister were currently riding her flying shuttle. They left her ind yesterday morning and after a day of travel they would soon arrive at Achea. A town to the south of Victoria City. They n to travel from there to the city also known as the Holy See - Victoria.


    Victoria City was enved within the country of Vitalya at the Southwestern continent. It''s an lesiastical state mainly ruled by the Pope. They were independent from Vitalya, making them exempted from the country''s rules andws. It had an area of 45 hectares and a poption of about a thousand. It''s probably the smallest sovereign state in the world. And it was also the home of the Temple of Gaia.


    They nned to enter the city by hiring a carriage from Achea. It would be just much safer that way. ording to Argent''s research, the only way to enter the city was through the entrance people called as the Holy Gate. It''s a 40 meter tall gate attached to a wall of the same height surrounding the whole city. To enter, one needed to pay 10,000 gold coins for each day that they would stay. In short, if you needed to stay there for five days then you have to pay 50,000 gold coins. Clearly showing that the only one who could enter there were the creme de creme of high society.


    Not only that, they would also be given a red cystal sphere the size of a ping pong ball. Everyone who entered the city needed to hang it around their body, symbolizing their status as guests. That would differentiate them from the citizens living there. Themon people wore a green crystal while the clergies and the knights wore yellow.


    Once the duration of your stay ended, the crystal would automatically turn ck. Which in turn would alert the Knights in the city. If you''re only a dayte from leaving, the Knights would hunt you down and force you to leave. Some might even send you to prison.


    Those were the reasons why it''s so hard for an outsider to enter there. Once someone even tried to illegaly enter, the full force of the Temple Knights would run down on them. Doing that would only be equivalent to suicide.


    True, they could just go straight there and steal those red crystals from other city guests. But that would just be too much work. Especially since they wouldn''t know how long the crystal they stole wouldst. Why would they do that when they could just pay for one, right?


    "Brother, do we really have to wear this human skin mask?" Aurum suddenly asked, cutting Argent''s thoughts.


    Argent nced at her sister. Her golden hair was now turned into a long ck wig. Her current face was still pretty but not at par with her original face. The only sign that she was really Aurum was her pair of beautiful amber eyes. She tried to wear the contact lens that Argent made but it only irritated her eyes. So they had to give up on that.


    "Yes, didn''t I already tell you why?" Argent said.


    Just like her sister, she was also wearing a human skin mask. It''s a handsome and arrogant face. His hair was also reced by a ck wig. She was also wearing a special ck contact lens. Argent wanted to use a in human skin mask. But then she thought, they would go there as some small country''s aristocrats. To justify why they had money to enter Victoria City. It wouldn''t be really convincing if they had faces that people wouldn''t even look twice.


    She also thought of just posing as wealthy merchants. But strictly speaking, merchants weren''t really interested in going to events like the Festival of Creation. And acting as aristocrats would give them more freedom. Since aristocrats were given much more importance than merchants.


    But the main reason Argent chose to use human skin mask instead of her holographic choker was because of the Pope. She could still remember the meeting they had at Shandra. Now knowing everything she knew, there''s a high probability that Lucern Faust probably already knew who she was the moment he saw her. And that''s the reason he approached her in the first ce.


    He probably longed wanted to dispose of that pig of a bishop and he just used her as an excuse. Or he knew already at that point that the ckbourne blood could get the sacred artifacts he''s searching for and he just wanted to test her. She''s more inclined to believe it was thetter.


    Though why he would know it was her despite her using a holographic choker to disguise her face was beyond her. Her disguise was wless. Then he thought of the Pope''s Gift - light. Her holographic choker needed light so it could function. Even when it''s dark, her choker had a built-in light source so it could still work. Maybe he could see through the hologram because of his Gift?


    So to be on the safe side, Argent decided that they should just used human skin mask.


    "But it''s so itchy," Aurumined. "Are you sure I won''t get rashes with this?"


    "It''s because you''re too concious that there''s something on your face. And no, you won''t. I test these masks personally myself. Just don''t think about it. Mind over matter. We still have to wear these masks for another two weeks. Just bear it for a little while."


    Aurum sighed. "Okay."


    Now she wished they brought ck with them. That way, she could bully him to release a bit of her frustration.


    A few more minutester, their flying shuttle was already hovering over the forest near the town of Achea. Argent slowlynded the shuttle towards a clearing. It was already the middle of the night, so she was not worried that someone might see them.


    "Brother, there''s no one around. We could go now," Aurum said after checking the surroundings using her Gift.


    Both of them went out of the shuttle. Argent immediately turned the flying vehicle back to its capsule form and put it in her space ring.


    "We''ll camp here for tonight. Then tomorrow morning, we''ll hire a carriage at the town," Argent said.


    After that, they would go straight to Victoria City.

 Chapter 130: being robbed

    Chapter 130: being robbed


    THE early morning sun shone brightly on the town of Achea. There were wonderful shops everywhere. A lot of vendors on the side selling different trinkets. A variety of people could be seen on the streets - nobles and rich merchants wearing expensive clothing, hawkers and peddlers selling their goods, and ordinary people enjoying their morning. A group of guards could also be seen roaming around town. But their presence didn''t detract the enjoyment of the people around.


    On the street, a pair of ck haired siblings were walking amongst the crowd. The girl was pretty and the boy was handsome. Both were wearing expensive clothing and had a certain temperament that was unique to those who came from nobility. But no one paid them too much attention. Because in this town, seeing nobles was almost an everyday urence.


    The town of Achea was the closest town to the city of Victoria. If someone wanted to enter Victoria City, it''s inevitable that they had to pass in this town first. That''s why almost everyday, there were noblesing and going in this town. Their purpose was mostly to visit the holy city. They treated the town of Achea as a resting stop before continuing their journey. With the help of those nobilities, it''s only natural for the town to be prosperous.


    But it was not only the nobles, there were also a lot of ordinary citizens who passed by Achea. Although some of them couldn''t really afford to pay the amount needed to enter Victoria City, they were satisfied just being able to nce at the magnificent gate of the city. These ordinary people also added to the prosperity of Achea.


    Especially during this particr time when the day of the Festival of Creation wasing closer and closer.


    The two ck-haired teenager walking on the street were of course Argent and Aurum.


    Aurum looked around the busy street. It''s only morning and yet there were already many people walking around. This town sure was lively. "Brother, do you think most of the people here will go to Victoria City to celebrate the Festival of Creation?" she thought of asking.


    "If they could afford it," Argent simply answered.


    The Festival of Creation was an annual event celebrated across the five continents. It was said to be the day when Gaia created everything in this world. Different countries have different ways of celebrating it. Some just offered a simple prayer while others nned an event that couldst for days. Although there were some ces that didn''t necessarily celebrate it, most of the countries in the world still did.


    But it was a widely known fact that the most extravagant and magnificent Festival of Creation was the one given by Victoria City.


    "Why do you think the Pope chose the day of the Festival of Creation to meet with us?" Aurum asked. "Wouldn''t he be, like, super busy that day? Or does he n to give Mother back while he''s giving one of his speeches?"


    From what Aurum researched, the festival was mostly being supervised by the Pope. It would start and end with one of the Pope''s hypocritical speeches. As the current leader of the Temple, he needed to be there during the whole celebration. When would he have the time to negotiate with them?


    "That''s his problem, not ours. But considering who we''re dealing with, he definitely already has a n." The face of Lucern Faust with his deceptive smile shed in Argent''s mind. "He''s the type of enemy that''s hard to deal with."


    She remembered the report that Jaxon sent her about the Pope. He was a kid born in a small vige in the Northern continent. When he was tested and found that he had an SS level light Gift, he was taken in by the Temple of Gaia. And by taken, it meant that the Temple bought him from his parents. Who more than dly sold their son.


    The Temple put high importance on people with light Gift. Light was like the symbol of holiness and purity, the one that could vanquish the darkness. It was the perfect match to the image of goodness they wanted to portray. That''s why most of the Popes elected were people with light Gifts. Like Lucern Faust.


    He grew up in the Temple, given the best education, and slowly cultivated to be the perfect priest. The Temple''s teachings all paid off when he was ordained as the Pope ten years ago. The former Pope suddenly died and Lucern took the Papal seat. He was only 16 then but not one priest in the Templeined about his designation. It''s enough to show just how much trust the Temple had on his ability.


    After being ordained, he easily took control of everything. With his high level Gift, the priests of the Temple respected him. And with his charm, the masses adored him. He became the perfect Pope.


    But Argent already learned not to trust whatever mask he''s showing. She wouldn''t even be surprised if she found out that he killed the former Pope just so he could have his position. A man like that, someone who''s cunning and ruthless, was the kind of enemy that was most difficult to handle. Because they had the brain to analyze any situation and they wouldn''t hesitate to kill anyone that got in their way.


    "Even so, we will make him pay. Along with those annoying sidekicks of his. Won''t we, Brother?" Aurum said.


    Argent grinned at her sister. "Of course we will."


    "But before we do that, let''s eat breakfast first. I''m kind of hungry," Aurum said while patting his stomach.


    "Then, shall we eat here?" she said, stopping in front of a luxurious restaurant.


    They entered the restaurant and a waiter immediately led them to a private box. They ordered food and it didn''t take long before the waiter brought the food they ordered to them.


    The waiter was about to leave when he thought of something. He observed the two teenagers, from their high quality clothing to the way they moved and talked. They were clearly nobles. But unlike the other nobles that came in this restaurant, these two didn''t have any servants with them.


    "Respected guests, is this your first day in Achea?"


    "Yes, we just got here," Aurum answered.


    "Then may I ask where are your servants?"


    Aurum was a bit confused why this waiter suddenly asked that. She wanted to read this waiter''s mind to know if he was nning something against them. So she looked at her brother who only nodded at her. Which in her interpretation meant that she could what she wanted. She spread her Mana towards the waiter and she easily read what he was thinking. When she found out that there was not any bad or dirty thoughts in his mind, Aurum genuinely smiled at the waiter.


    "We don''t have any servants with us. Actually, we secretly came here just so we could participate in Victoria City''s Festival of Creation. We wanted to go there for years now but our parents just wouldn''t take us. So we just ran away," Aurum easily lied. "Don''t tell it to others, okay? It will be our secret," she added yfully.


    The waiter blushed slightly when Aurum smiled at him. But he didn''t forget his purpose in asking that question. After hearing that they ran away from home, he just shook his head. Kids these days were just bing more and more rebellious. But looking at the two, they seemed to be good children. So the waiter didn''t hesitate anymore to give them warning.


    "I should warn the two respected guests. There''s a thief roaming around town for a week now. He targets nobles such as yourself. He kidnaps them and then takes all the gold coins in their space ring. He even dares to do it during daytime. The two guests should be careful."


    Argent raised her brow in interest. This thief was probably the reason why there were guards roaming around the streets.


    "Thank you for your warning. We appreciate it," Aurum said and took a small bag containing a thousand gold coins from her space ring. She gave it to the waiter. "Please, ept this."


    "Oh, no, no. I didn''t tell you that just so I could receive this," the waiter declined.


    "I know. But still." Aurum liked people like this waiter. Honest and kind. He almost reminded her of Felicia. "Or else I''ll cry if you don''t."


    The waiter didn''t have any choice but to ept the bag and thanked them. Then he went out of the private box.


    "I take it he''s telling the truth?" Argent asked.


    Aurum nodded. "Should we be concerned about this thief?"


    "Well, if a petty thief could rob us, then we might as well deliver ourselves on the Pope''s doorsteps."


    After they ate, their next stop was to hire a carriage that would take them to Victoria City. There was a station in town dedicated for that, so that''s where the twins went. Argent had a map of the town in her light brain. ording to that map, from where they were, they would arrive at the station faster if they entered the next alley. So that''s what the two did,pletely disregarding the waiter''s warning.


    That''s why when they entered the alley, they totally didn''t expect what happened next. Argent was suddenly surrounded by a cage made of soil. Then she heard Aurum calling her. She put her hand on the surface of the cage and it immediately disintegrated. But Aurum was no longer there.


    A violent glint passed through Argent''s eyes. That thief, he really dared-! She opened her light brain and followed the signaling from her sister''s bracelet.

 Chapter 131: the identity of the thief

    Chapter 131: the identity of the thief


    AURUM was still confused. Everything just happened so fast and unexpected. One moment they were walking to this narrow alley, then the next, some kind of cage surrounded her brother. Before she knew it, someone already grabbed her waist. She wasn''t even sure if it was a man or a women. Then that someone spread soil in the air that they took from their space ring. And that soil turned into a small tform that they used as a stair as they jumped while holding her.


    When the thiefnded on the roof of a building, that''s only when Aurum fully realized what''s happening. "Put me down, you bastard!" she shouted as she struggled.


    She tried to use her Gift but it didn''t work. Which meant that this person has a Gift higher than A level.


    "Stop moving or I''ll drop you," the thief warned with a clean masculine voice, confirming that he was a man.


    Aurum really did stop moving. Not because of the thief''s threat but because of his voice. It was so darn familiar she was sure she heard it from somewhere. She raised her head to see the face of the thief, but all she saw was his hair and his eyes - his hair was a messy reddish-brown while his eyes was a deep dark brown color. The lower part of his face was hidden under a ck mask.


    But even with that mask, seeing those pair of dark brown eyes was enough for Aurum to recognize him. Add that to his Gift and she was almost sure who this thief was. So she just rxed her body. And even if she was wrong, she wasn''t scared. Because remembering the waiter''s memory, this thief never really hurt anybody. He just robbed people of their things. And in the off chance that he tried to hurt her, she''s still wasn''t worried. Because her brother would surelye for her.


    If Aurum''s guess was right regarding the identity of this guy, then he''ll just let her brother handle him.


    "Having a docile captive, that''s a first," the thief muttered while jumping from ce to ce.


    Aurum became irritated when she heard that. "Don''t equate my silence to docility. I just decided to let my brother handle you."


    "Pray first that he would be able to find you."


    "Oh he would." She raised her head and arrogantly grinned. "And then he will kick your ass."


    The thief stayed a little. Because the grin on this girl''s face seemed really quite familiar.


    ----------


    Argent was following the red dot blinking on the map on her light brain. That red dot represented the signaling from her sister''s limiter. She jumped. She probably already jumped on the roof of about six buildings already. And she''s starting to get really irritated.


    She had no doubt that some people already noticed her jumping around town. As much as possible, Argent didn''t really want to attract attention when they''re so close to the ce where the Pope lived. She only had this one human skin mask. If this incident became a major event, there''s no way that she and her sister could remain low-key. And she needed for them to be low-key.


    But she couldn''t just slow down her pace just so people wouldn''t notice her. Her sister had just been kidnapped. There''s no way she wouldpromise her safety. That''s why Argent was really getting more and more irritated by the minute.


    Half of this was a little bit her fault. Argent was cocky and didn''t really put the thief in her eyes. So she didn''t think much when she chose to enter that narrow alley with her sister. And this was the result. Her being taken by surprised and her sister being kidnapped right in front of her eyes.


    If she and her sister caught the attention of the authorities in this town because of this, she swore she would really shred that thief to pieces.


    She sped up even more. She didn''t hesitate to use [Mizukodo] to increase her pace. Then she noticed the signal going on the towards the direction of the very edge of town. Probably to avoid the crowd. Well, at least this thief still had the sense to finish his robbery in a much isted ce. She thought he was nothing but reckless considering how he just grabbed Aurum in broad daylight.


    This was good. Even if Argent identally killed him, no one would know.


    Then the signal stopped. A minuteter, Argent jumped in front of a dpidated building. She didn''t hesitate to run inside, immediately turning her bracelet into a sword. Soon, she heard two voices talking. One of it belonged to her sister and the other belonged to a man. Argent frowned because the voice really sounded familiar.


    "Just give me all the contents of your space ring and you can go," a man''s voice said.


    "Why don''t you try to take it from me? If you couldn''t even force a weak girl like me to give it to you, then you''re nothing but a sloppy thief," Aurum''s voice said, clearly mocking the thief.


    Argent arrived where the two were. She finally breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her sister. Based on her arrogant posture, Argent could easily tell that she was not hurt. But that didn''t lessen her irritation towards what happened.


    That''s why she immediately went and attacked the thief. The thief, of course, managed to dodge. But just barely. Aurum immediately got out of the way. She didn''t tell her brother who she suspected this thief to be. He deserved to be kicked a little for dragging her all over town.


    The thief took some soil from his space ring and turned it into tiny little daggers. He controlled it and it flew towards Argent''s direction. Argent moved fast and cut everyst one. When she was about to run forward, her feet suddenly refused to move. She looked down and saw that her feet was stuck in mud. A mud that was probably also controlled by the thief.


    "Brother, he''s running away!" Aurum called.


    Argent looked up and saw that the thief was indeed running. [Oh, so you think you can just run like that, huh?]


    She shed down her sword, easily breaking the mud that stopping her from moving. The she used [Mizukodo] to move as fast as she could. She managed to catch up with the thief in no time. Then she jumped up and shed down her sword towards his face. The thief was able to step back in time. But her sword still managed to cut the lower mask he was wearing. Completely revealing his face.


    Argent was slightly surprised when she saw the thief''s face. Because she knew that face. Someone that she, her sister, and ck met a little bit more than five months ago.


    "y?"

 Chapter 132: a sudden cooperation (once again)

    Chapter 132: a sudden cooperation (once again)


    CLAY was stunned upon hearing the ck haired teenager who was just trying to cut him in half called his name. Then as if a button was turned on inside his head, a sudden realization hit him. He suddenly thought of everything that had happened in thest 15 minutes. The unexpected familiarity he felt with the ck haired girl and the savvy swordsmanship of the teenage boy. If his mind wasn''t full of getting money, he would have probably recognized the two much sooner.


    "Argent ckbourne?" Then he turned to the girl. "Blondie?"


    Aurum almost ckened her face. Why did this guy never bothered calling her by her name? She walked beside her brother and looked at y arrogantly. "I told you my brother will kick your ass."


    Seeing that the two didn''t refute what he said, it readily confirmed his guess. Truly, what a coincidence. Meeting in this kind of ce. Then he remembered what Aurum just said. "Wait- have you known it was me the whole time?"


    "Not with full certainty. Just thought that your voice was annoyingly familiar." No wonder she stopped struggling when she heard his voice. "Why are you robbing people anyway?"


    That was the part Aurum didn''t quite understand. It was weird enough to suddenly meet him here, it''s even weirder to find out that he suddenly became a thief. She might not know y that well, but she knew he''s not the type to just go around taking things from other people for no reason.


    y felt ashamed. It''s one thing to be a masked thief, it''s another for an acquaintance to discover that he was that thief. He''s not really that proud of what he''s doing right now. But he had to do it.


    "You needed money to go to Victoria City. That''s the reason why you''re running around town, robbing nobles, isn''t it?" Argent said.


    y just shrugged helplessly and answered, "Yes."


    He wasn''t really that surprised that Argent figured it out that easily. This guy was the young genius who founded Silver Corporation after all.


    "Why would you do that so close to Victoria City?" Aurum said, a bit confused. "You should have robbed enough people in other ces before going here."


    "Nice advice," he said sarcastically. "Going to Victoria City wasn''t in my n. But circumstance forced me to. How about you two, what are you guys doing here?"


    "We''re also nning to go to Victoria City," Aurum answered.


    Although he already kind of expected that answer, y was still slightly surprised. Then an idea entered his mind. If he could ask these two to bring him along with them, then he could enter Victoria City without a problem. At the rate he''s going he still needed to steal a lot in order to stay in Victoria at least for a couple of days.


    "Could you guys take me with you?" he said, his tone a bit hesitant. "I promise I''ll pay you back."


    Aurum turned to her brother because the decision was hers to make. She saw Argent thinking, meaning she''s considering y''s request.


    "Why do you need to go to Victoria City?" Argent asked instead of immediately giving answer to y''s request.


    y wondered if there''s a way he could lie his way through that. But in the end, he thought better of it. Maybe if he told them the reason why he''s really here, they could help him. But then again, Argent ckbourne was not really the type to be moved by a sob story. The only way he would agree to help him was if he gave him something of importance in return.


    He sighed and just answered truthfully. "I''m here to save someone."


    "It''s not your sister again, right?" Aurum asked before he could borate more.


    "No, my sister is somewhere safe and sound, thank you very much," y said, a muscle on his face twitching. "As I''ve said, I''m here to save someone. The information I received told me that the person would be here in Achea but when I got here, I found out that the person was moved to Victoria. I was not prepared to go there so I have no choice but to resort to thievery."


    "You need to borate more on that," Argent said.


    "It''s kind ofplicated."


    "Then exin it properly," Argent simply said.


    y hesitated for a bit then at the end he could only grit his teeth and exin everything. Maybe if he did, then Argent would find it interesting and decide to help.


    "When we left Shandra, me, my sister, and the others decided to help the children in other viges like the one we grew up in. There''s a lot of those scattered all over the world. But sadly, we could only help those that were being thrown away because, like us, the Temple didn''t manage to brainwash them. They were few and far between. Even if we wanted to save the others, they wouldn''t want to go with us."


    Most of those kids were thoroughly brainwashed by the Temple. They would probably think that they were kidnapping them instead of saving them. Which was truly sad. He wanted to save those kids because he wanted them to live the life that they should have if they weren''t taken in by the Temple. And it was also a way for y to retaliate against the Temple. y understood that he was powerless to fight against them on equal grounds. But with this, he could at least make a ripple. And soon, he promised he would turn that small ripple into a big tidal wave.


    In thesest five months, they managed to find three viges and saved seven teenagers. Her sister, the others, and those teenagers were now in a certain mountain range in this continent. It was quite isted, which meant safety for now. y wanted to at least build a vige or even a proper house for them. But he didn''t have the financial power to back that up. Which was really quite frustrating.


    "Wow. You really became a crusader, huh," Aurummented.


    That was dumb in some way, if you considered his status and who he was up againts. It''s like a dwarf trying to win againts a giant. But it was also quite admirable. It showed just how much guts this guy had. Not to mention, the fact that he did have a very big heart.


    "Well, it''s s good way to piss off the Temple," y shrugged.


    Aurum gave him a thumbs up. "I like that answer."


    "Anyway, in thest vige we went to, we encountered a problem. When we tried to save the kids that were being thrown up, a masked man wearing a white cloak passed by and just overwhelmed us with his Gift. Some of the knights who were pursuing us died on the spot." He still felt chills whenever he remembered how those knights ended up.


    "We would probably also end the same way if that boy didn''t appear. He shielded us and took the attention of the masked man away from us. We didn''t have time to think too much and we just ran the hell out of there. When we were in somewhere safe, I wanted to go back and help the boy but I knew it was already toote.


    "Then one of the teenagers we saved said that the boy was brought to the vige three days before that particr day and that he escaped the day before. He heard that he was just there for a pit stop until his escort came. The masked man was his escort and they were going to take him to Achea. Thus why I''m here. I''ve been here for three weeks now.


    "For the first two weeks, I searched every nook and cranny of this town. But I still didn''t find any traces of them. Thenst week, I heard about a special auction that would be held on the eve of the Festival of Creation. My instinct tells me that the boy would be sold in the auction. So I wanted to go to Victoria City as soon as I could."


    y wanted to save the boy. That''s the least thing he could do. Because if not for him, he would definitely be nothing but a corpse now. He owed him his life. So he would make sure he would save his.


    The twins looked at each other, digesting everything that y said. The masked man he mentioned, that was definitely an Apostle. Which meant this boy y was talking about was of some importance to the Temple if an Apostle was sent to personally escort him.


    "What makes you so sure that the boy would be at the auction?" Argent asked.


    "Because he''s an elf."


    Well, that answer was certainly something the twins didn''t expect.


    "You mean an elf, elf?" Aurum asked, quite unbelieving.


    "Yes, the one with the pointed ears."


    "An elf would certainly be a good finale in an auction." But Argent doubted that the Pope would just sell a member of one of the mythical races at an auction. He probably needed him for something else. And it was most probably rted to one of the sacred artifacts. "Okay. We''ll bring you with us. I''ll even help you save the elf. And as an added bonus, I''ll also fund your crusade."


    y was surprised and a bit confused too when he heard what Argent said. "You will fund us?"


    "Sure. I have a lot of extra money. If you''re going to piss off the Temple, then I''ll be more than d to help you," Argent said. "But I need something in return."


    y just knew there''s a catch. "What is it?"


    "I want you to tell me all the information you have on the artifact that your family was trying to protect. And when I said all, I mean everything."


    He became even more confused. Why did the artifact suddenly pop up in this conversation? But despite his confusion, he still considered everything seriously. He weighed all the pros and cons and finally arrived with a decision. "I understand. I''ll tell you everything that I know."


    "Good." Argent grinned. "Let''s have a good cooperation once again."

 Chapter 133: another artifact

    Chapter 133: another artifact


    "SO, tell me everything you know about that artifact your family was trying to protect," Argent said immediately, going straight to the point.


    With Argent''s question, y couldn''t help but wonder what''s with this sudden interest with the artifact? y wasn''t stupid to not notice that Argent was giving a particr high level of importance to this matter. If not, he wouldn''t be offering to help him and even fund his cause. But he clearly remembered when he first inadvertently told them about the artifact, Argent only showed a tiny bit of interest.


    So what changed? The only reason he could think of was that in thest five months since theyst met, they discovered something rted to the artifact. Maybe once he told them all the information he had, they could also shed some light on the reason why the most powerful religious group in the world didn''t hesitate to massacre an ordinary family just for an old relic. What exactly could this artifact do?


    With that thought in mind, y finally started telling the twins what he knew.


    "The information I have is limited. When I was young, Father would often tell us a tale about our family''s ancestor. The ancestor was a farmer who was born in a vige covered by snow all year round. He was a mute and an orphan who was shunned by the vigers. Because he had no family and no one wanted to take care of him, he lived outside of the vige. He build a home at the foot of a mountain. Even though the weather was not favorable to growing a lot of nts, he still persisted in nting them. He was happy and contented with his life. He loved the forest and the mountains.


    "Then one morning, the farmer found a wounded silver doe in the forest. He patched it up and brought it to his home. The meager food he had, he shared with it. He slowly brought the doe back to health. But then, a viger found out about the silver doe. He called other vigers with him and went to the foot of the mountain to take the doe from the farmer. The other vigers didn''t hesitate to agree. Because ording to legend the blood and meat of a silver doe could not only increase the level of a Gift, it could also prolonged one''s life and heal any kinds of ailments.


    "When they reached the home of the farmer, they told him that he must give them the silver doe. Of course, the farmer refused. No matter what kind of threat the vigers said, the farmer still didn''t give them the doe. They were furious and became violent. They tried to take the silver doe by force. But the farmer protected the doe with all his might. Even when his body started to be covered with wounds, he still continued to protect the doe. But when someone was about to bash his head with an axe, a ring white light suddenly appeared. And when that light subsided, the most beautiful woman they had ever since appeared before their eyes.


    "She has long moonlight silver hair and a pair of emerald green eyes. Her ears were pointed, a clear sign of her race. She was an elf but not just any elf. It was the Elven Queen. The silver doe rescued by the farmer was the queen''s most important spiritualpanion. She punished all the vigers that tried to hurt the farmer. Forever expelling them from theirnd. Then she rewarded the farmer for his kindness. She gave him the ability to speak. She made thend where he was standing the only ce where flowers would bloom in that vige covered in snow. Then she gave him her most beloved ring. Asking him to protect it and letting the future generations of his family to be it''s guardian.


    "The farmer was grateful and greatly ttered. He promised the queen that he would do as she asked. Soon, the farmer married and had a son. So as not to forget the Elven Queen''s request, he would tell the tale to his son every night. Then on his deathbed, he told his son where he could find the ring and asked him to be its next guardian. It continued on until it was broken in my father''s generation."


    y finished. He tried not to get emotional. Telling them that story was like remembering all those nights that their father would tuck him and his sister to bed. Those memories were still painful for him to remember. On another note, that story was probably the reason why he felt very sympathetic towards the elven boy.


    Aurum felt like she just heard a very nice children''s story full of life lessons. She looked at her brother who was still silent at this moment. A lot of things was going on inside her mind after she heard everything that y said. She was sure that there was definitely even moreplicated things going on inside her brother''s head.


    Aurum was right, dozens of things truly shed inside Argent''s mind all at the same time once he heard the things that y said. She needed to rearrange it all first. But with the mention of the Elven Queen and the ring, there was no question now in her mind that y''s family was indeed the family that inherited the sacred artifacts of the elves. She remembered what Jaxon said about the family in Sarmatia that the Elven Queen chose. That family was most undoubtedly y''s family.


    "You said your family was from Southeastern continent?" y nodded, not sure where Argent was going with this. "Are you originally from there or did you move from Sarmatia?"


    y furrowed his brows. "Yes, we moved from there when Flora was born. How did you know about that?" he asked, a little bit doubtful.


    "There was a legend in Sarmatia talking about how the Elven Queen gave her favorite jewelry to a family living there and asked them to guard it. That''s why I asked to make certain that your family was the same one that the legend was talking about," Argent answered.


    "This artifact, why does the Temple want it?" y said, finally asking the thing he most wanted to know.


    "I don''t know," Argent answered honestly. She didn''t know what the Temple wanted with the three sacred artifacts. But she do have an idea. "I just know that there''s three of those artifacts and the Temple wants them all."


    There were three? "Don''t tell me the three represents the three mythical races?"


    "Wow. You actually have gotten smarter since west met," Aurummented.


    y almost didn''t cken his face. Aurum ckbourne sure had a way with her words. "What''s your connection to those artifacts?" he asked Argent, ignoring his sister.


    "I can''t tell you. But let''s just say, just like you, I''m also trying to piss off the Temple," Argent just mysteriously said. "Now, did your parents tell you where the ring was?"


    y didn''t insist on knowing Argent''s n. Because there was no point, this guy would definitely not tell him about it. "No," he said, answering the duke''s question.


    "Then did they left something to you?" Argent noticed him hesitating. So she reminded him, "Remember, you said you''re going to tell us everything."


    y sighed. "My father gave me an amulet before we separated from them."


    That caught Argent''s attention. "Where is this amulet?"


    "It''s with my sister''s." y left it to Flora before going to Achea. Since he''s trying to save someone from the Temple, there''s a high chance that he would be caught. He couldn''t risk the chance that the Temple might take the amulet.


    "Well, it looks like we already have our next destination once the Festival of Creation ends," Argent said to her sister.


    Aurum immediately understood what her brother wanted to say. "We''re going to go to his sister then?"


    "Yes." And they''re going to discover what secret that amulet held. If y''s father gave it to him knowing that he might be killed in the next minute, then there''s no doubt that the amulet was the key in finding the Elven Queen''s ring.


    "You do both know that I''m still here, right? Don''t just make decision without hearing if I agree or not," y said, understanding that the two nned to go with him once the festival ended.


    The twins ignored y and just walked out of the abandoned building.


    Aurum nced back at y. "What are you doing, slowpoke? Hurry up, we''re now going to Victoria City."


    y just shook his head and followed the infuriating twins.

 Chapter 134: one morning with the pope

    Chapter 134: one morning with the pope


    HALF of thend area of Victoria City was being upied by the Temple of Gaia. The biggest structure inside was the Holy Temple - a tall, white building with spires and stained sses. It was known as the biggest church in the world. Beside it stood the Apostolic Pce, the official residence of the Pope. Then on the other side were the Temple Museum and the Temple Library. The museum contained a lot of famous artwork and the library had the biggest collection of historical books.


    In front of the church was a wide and spacious za where people gathered whenever the Pope did a public mass. It''s also the ce where most of the activities for the Festival of Creation ured. At the back of the church was a garden with fountains, statues, and specially cultivated flowers.


    At present, all the priests stationed at Victoria City were busy preparing for the Festival of Creation. Inside the Apostolic Pce, the young Pope was having a conversation with a middle-aged looking man. The man has a few white strands on his ck hair and an innate arrogance that couldn''t be hidden in his gaze. The man''s name was Marcus Stillwell, one of the five Archbishops of the Temple of Gaia.


    He was there to assist the Pope for theing Festival of Creation. Every year, at least one of the five Archbishops came to Victoria City during this time of the year to give their support. This time, it was Archbishop Stillwell''s turn.


    "Your Holiness, I heard that you captured the elf. Could I perhaps have the authority regarding the welfare of it? Being that I''m responsible for the Midnight Auction, I would really love to have that elf as a finale," Archbishop Stillwell said.


    "Marcus, we already discussed this. Didn''t we?" Lucern looked up from the paper he''s reading and smiled at the archbishop. "Or did I not make myself clear?"


    Marcus suddenly felt chills ran down his spine. Then he couldn''t help but secretly gnashed his teeth. He hated this fear. He shouldn''t be feeling like this. Cowering over this bastard. He had a noble upbringing, a powerful family, a high level Gift. He''s not just some nameless orphan that the Temple picked up. And yet why? Why was this person the one sitting at the very top?


    When the former Pope died, he expected to be the one annointed as the next Pope. He was the youngest out of all the Archbishops. He was the one with the most potential. But things didn''t happen as he expected. For some reason, the other four Archbishops chose a young priest to be the next Pope. A 16 year old boy with no experience whatsoever. The only thing he got going for him was his light Gift. He tried to protest but it all just fell on deaf ears. And just like that, an orphan boy named Lucern Faust sessfuly became the next Pope.


    It was simply uneptable. He tried a lot of ways to take Lucern down but it all just ended in failure. Slowly, he learned the hard way that despite being young, there was nothing remotely simple about the new Pope. That behind his kind and gentle facade was a terrible monster. Even if Marcus didn''t want to, the fear he had of him already became soul deep before he even realized it.


    But Marcus still couldn''t ept it. Bowing down to someone so beneath him, how could he do it?


    "But Your Holiness, many of our guests are already expecting a top quality item for the finale--"


    "Marcus, don''t make me repeat myself," Lucern said, cutting off whatever else Marcus had to say. "You know that my patience is very limited. And you keep on testing that patience over and over again. This is going to be yourst warning. Don''t have any idea you shouldn''t have. Or you might just end up the same way as Charles. Am I understood?"


    Marcus couldn''t help but feel that unprecedented fear again. Of course he knew about Charles Dupont. The bishop who was sent to Shandra. After that scandal, he disappeared. No one asked about his whereabouts. But they tacitly knew that he was probably already dead. And the one who disposed of him was none other than their saint like Pope.


    Marcus lowered his head. "I understand, Your Holiness."


    "Good. Then you may go."


    He stood up and bowed, then walked out of the Apostolic Pce.


    Once the Archbishop was gone, there was a swirl of Mana beside the Pope and a man with long gray hair and a domino mask on his face suddenly appeared.


    "You know you should just get rid of that idiot. He''ll definitely be a problem in the long run," Harlequin said pertaining to the archbishop.


    "He still has his uses. And besides, it''s hard to pick a new priest that could rece him," Lucern simply answered before turning to Harlequin. "Are the twins already here?"


    "Yes. And their currently pestering Limos."


    "That''s better than having them causing havoc in the city. Tell Limos to temporarily supervise them."


    "Yes," Harlequin answered. "I have news to report, Your Holiness," he added.


    "What is it?"


    "It seemed like the second prince of Albion already knew about the first princess'' connection to us. Once the King find that out, it wouldn''t be long before she ends up being kicked out of the Albion royal family. How should we handle it?"


    "Let it be. She''s just a single pawn in a big chess board after all," Lucern said, seemingly unaffected by what he heard.


    "But what if she says something unnecessary?"


    "Then kill her."


    "That would be easy. Since we already have an Apostle hiding in their midst." Harlequin longed wanted to kill that annoying princess, so he was all in on that n. "But I do wonder how the second prince found out about her connection to us."


    The second prince just didn''t have the resources to know something like that.


    Lucern reached for the pen on his desk and yed with it. "Just think about the timing. This happened right after your trip to Xing."


    Harlequin widened his eyes unbelievingly. "No way... Argent ckbourne? But how?"


    The timing was really a bit coincidental. Just after he appeared in front of the young duke, the second prince of Albion suddenly received news about the first princess'' connection to the Temple. But was that really enough for Argent to put two and two together?


    "Don''t underestimate Argent ckbourne''s means," Lucern said, a small smile on his lips. "Didn''t you contact the princess a number of times before this?"


    "Just because of that?" Harlequin said, still full of doubt. "But how the heck would he know about that?"


    "Probably by using the sPhones."


    Harlequin was unsure on how exactly those sPhone got anything to do with the young duke knowing hismunication with the first princess. But if the Pope said it was, then it most probably was. Though if one thought about it, Argent was the one who invented those things, so he probably had a way to use it to spy on people. Was that the reason why the Pope never allowed them to use the sPhone?


    If it was, then His Holiness was still the most fearsome. Because he managed to think of that possibility that early.


    "Speaking of, is Your Holiness certain that the duke wille here in Victoria City?" Harlequin asked, choosing to change the topic.


    "Oh, he will definitelye. He''s probably already here now, wearing a different face."


    "Should we look for him then?"


    "No. Let him y to his heart''s content."


    Because whatever Argent chose to do, it wouldn''t affect his overall n. Lucern looked outside the window of his study. An ambiguous smile shed on his lips. His blue eyes were suddenly filled with excitement.


    [I''m waiting, Argent. Just how will you entertain me this time?]

 Chapter 135: inside victoria city

    Chapter 135: inside victoria city


    THE carriage carrying Argent, Aurum, and y parked at the designated parking space for carriages and the likes. It''s because these vehicles were not allowed to enter the city. Argent walked out of the carriage followed by the two. Then she stared at the looming wall in front of them. She already knew that the city was surrounded by a tall wall. She just didn''t expect it to be this tall.


    "What an overkill," Aurummented when she saw the wall.


    "It even has a tighter security inparison to other small countries," y added. The ck mask covering the lower part of his face was now reced by a thin white mask that Argent gave earlier. It now covered the upper half of his face. He still chose to wear a mask just in case. "A lot of high ranking knights are stationed here. All to protect the city and the Pope. We should be careful or else we might not get out of here in one piece."


    Aurum raised one of her brows. "What''s this, are you actually scared?"


    "No." If he was, y wouldn''t even bother to go here and risk his life to save that elven boy. "I''m just worried. I still want to leave here alive."


    "As long as you won''t do anything stupid, you won''t die," Argent said. "Let''s go."


    They walked towards the gate toll. It''s an area just beside the entrance where one needed to go first before they could enter the city. It was being guarded by two knights while there were another two knights standing on both sides of the entrance.


    The three lined up and it didn''t take long before it was their turn. Which wasn''t really much of a surprise. It''s still 12 days before the Festival of Creation. People nning to visit the city didn''t go there this early. Normally they would go five, three days before the festival.


    Argent paid the amount for three people who nned to stay in the city for 13 days. The toll gatekeeper almost immediately stared at her for a second longer. Probably because she didn''t even bat an eye paying such a huge amount. But seeing her temperament and the expensive materials of her clothes, the gatekeeper no longer stared. Probably thinking that she was a rich noble.


    The gatekeeper took a box containing three red spherical crystals that were each attached on three separate armbands. "Please wear this before entering the city. There are no inns or hotels inside. You could only live at Casa Royale. Present these crystals there and you''ll be able to stay there for the duration of your visit. And please be reminded that you have to leave the afternoon after the day of the Festival of Creation."


    Argent took the box. She didn''t know that there were no inns inside the city nor that they would personally provide a ce for their guests to stay. Well, considering the high amount one needed to pay in order to enter the city, it''s only right for them to do that. She gave the two crystals to Aurum and y. The three tied the armband where the crystal was attached to into their arms. Then the three walked inside the gate.


    The inside of Victoria City waspletely different from that of Achea. There were no people crowding the streets, there were no vendors selling on the side, it was quite peaceful and harmonious. Argent wondered where they would find the Casa Royale, but she really didn''t need to worry. Because on their right, a ten storey building stood. A sign at the entrance said ''Casa Royale'' in graceful font.


    "Is that where we''re staying?" Aurum asked looking at the tall building. "Should we check in?"


    "Let''s look for a restaurant to eat lunch first," Argent said taking back her gaze away from the building.


    They didn''t need to look that far because just two buildings away was a restaurant. Walking there, they noticed that most of the people they passed by were wearing a priest''s robe while other''s were wearing a knight''s uniform. The same could be said when they entered the restaurant.


    A waiter very entusiastically weed them once he saw the red crystal hanging on their arms. "Wee, dear guests. Would you want a table for three or your own private box?"


    "Private box," Argent answered.


    "This way, please."


    The waiter led them to a private box on the second floor. They ordered food and it didn''t take that long for the food to arrive.


    "Are all the people in this city rted to the Temple?" Aurum asked while eating her sd. "We only saw, what, two to three civilians so far? Aside from the waiters in this restaurant, of course."


    "It''s because most of the poption living here are either priests or knights. Even the shopkeepers in restaurants like this one is most probably connected to the Temple one way or another," y said, cutting his steak.


    "You sure do know a lot," Aurum said with a bit of a teasing tone.


    "Not nearly enough. What I know are just the things that I found out while I was staying in Achea."


    "The people here are most definitely connected to the Temple. This is their turf. The people who could put up a shop here are those that were approved by the Temple. That''s why we need to be careful. Don''t say things we shouldn''t when there are people around. We should also avoid discussing things when we''re at that Casa Royale. Since it''s a ce directly connected to the Temple, they probably have ways to spy on their guests," Argent said.


    The two nodded in understanding.


    "What''s our next step going to be then, Brother?" Aurum asked reaching for the orange juice.


    "I''ll do surveince. You and y find information about that elf," she answered.


    Aurum furrowed her brows. "Do I really have to work with this guy?"


    "It will be more productive if the two of you work together. And doing surveince would be better if I''m alone."


    "You''re not even worried that I''m going to be alone with a guy? You changed, Brother. You don''t care about me anymore," Aurum said, full of grievance in her voice, with matching fake tears.


    "Don''t worry, I''m not interested in you in that way," y said in azy tone.


    Aurum didn''t understand but that answer kind of really pissed her off. She turned to y. "Oh really? Well, the feeling is very mutual."


    Argent looked at the two. She wouldn''t really leave her sister with someone with a questionable character. Good for them, y wasn''t one.


    "Then it''s decided. We''ll start tomorrow."


    ----------


    Kingdom of Albion, Royal Pce.


    "Are you certain about this?" the King asked his second son.


    Winter was standing in front the King''s desk inside the royal study. "Yes, Father. ording to the information I found, that person older sister has been in contact with is connected to an organization under the Temple of Gaia. I''m just not sure what that group was," he said, making sure to not mention anything about the Apostles and just led the King into thinking about them. Just like how Argent said.


    "An organization under the Temple of Gaia?"


    "Yes. I heard it was personally founded by the current Pope."


    Arthur frowned. The only group he could think of was the Apostles of Gaia. They were a dangerous group. Although the Temple was powerful, he never once thought of attaching his kingdom to them. Because he knew that once he did, they would be the one in charge. Not him, not the royal family of Albion.


    And yet his oldest daughter actually attached herself to them anyway. He didn''t doubt what Winter said. Because he knew he was not the type to lie about these things. Even if he did hated his sister. Did Icelyn actually sell this kingdom just so she could be Queen? If it was so, then he needed to immediately cut that ambition.


    "Call the head of the royal guards," he said.


    "Yes, Father," Winter answered. He turned around. Now this would definitely be the end for Icelyn.

 Chapter 136: the fall of icelyn

    Chapter 136: the fall of icelyn


    ICELYN walked back and forth inside her room. She hadn''t been out of this room since that sted birthday party. Which meant she''d been confined here for close to four months already. Yes, there were still a lot of servants catering to all her needs. But the fact that she couldn''t go outside was just grating on her nerves.


    That bastard Winter just kept on using that opportunity to attack her. Recently, reports of her being connected to a man that trafficked humans started surfacing on [Jiffy]. She was deeply baffled. She knew those posts were talking about Harlequin. And she also understood that the source of it all was that bastard, Winter. But what she couldn''t understand was how in the hell did Winter find out about her connection to Harlequin?


    Icelyn had always been careful. She never met with Harlequin in person. Whenever she called him, she always made sure that she was alone. So just how? But before she could even think of a reason, those posts just became bigger and bigger. Even without concrete evidence, the people in Albion started to see it as the truth. She knew it wouldn''te to that without someone''s instigation. She had no doubt that Winter was the one behind it. She couldn''t even defend herself against those malicious posts.


    All she could do was to drown in hate. She hated and hated to the point that she almost destroyed this whole room. At the end, the only thing she managed to destroy was her sPhone. Because she knew that if she continued on reading all those things, she wouldpletely lose her mind.


    Her pristine reputation was nowpletely down the drain. Her fatherpletely ignored her pleas. Her mother was useless. The only one Icelyn could rely on was Harlequin. No, to be more precised, it''s the man behind Harlequin. The current head of the most powerful religious organization in the world - Lucern Faust.


    Icelyn met the Pope when he visited here in Albion six years ago. She was 16 then and was given the responsibility of entertaining the Pope''s entourage. The first time she saw him, it''s like she was directly looking at the sun. He was so bright anyone would want to be surrounded by his light.


    During those times, Icelyn already guessed that his father had a preferential treatment over his bastard son. Icelyn spent all her life to get her father''s approval. But that bastard easily received it. All because he had an SS level Gift simr to their father''s. It was unfair to say the least. She wasn''t that strong mentaly then. Everyday, all she wanted was to destroy Winter. And it just showed on the day of the Pope''s visit.


    Winter who was asked to showcase his great control over his Gift in front of the Pope was apuded. While Icelyn who prepared almost everything for the Pope''s visit didn''t even get a nod of appreciation. Her self-control almost snapped that day. Before that could happen, she decided to just walk away. She went to the garden to cool her head. What she didn''t expect was that the Pope would follow her there.


    Even now she could still remember the conversation they had.


    =Six years ago...=


    "Are you alright?" said a very gentle voice from behind her.


    Icelyn turned around, startled. She couldn''t help but feel flustered when she saw the Pope''s handsome face. "Y-Your Holiness."


    The Pope walked to her side. "I couldn''t help but follow you. I noticed earlier how you''re feeling down. I want to make sure that you''re alright. Since it''s because of your arrangement that me and mypany have been having afortable stay here." He smiled down at her. "I think it''s only proper to give my thanks."


    "Y-Your Holiness, k-know?" she said, unbelieving. Her father didn''t even appreciate what she did. And yet, here was a man, a stranger, showing her his gratitude. She almost had the urge to cry.


    "Of course. With your attention to details, I think the first princess would definitely make a wonderful Queen."


    =====


    That simple sentencepletely resonated with her whole being. For the first time in her life, Icelyn truly felt that she could be the Queen. That even without his father''s approval, she could be one.


    Then after the Pope left Albion, Harlequin suddenly appeared in front of her. Telling her that the Pope sent him and that he would help her to get the throne. She didn''t want to believe at first, but Harlequin contacted the Pope using a defaro crystal. And the Pope himself confirmed his decision to help her. She suddenly felt like she was on cloud nine. This amazing man believed in her ability. How could she not be happy?


    From that time on, Harlequin had been assisting her in everything she needed to be the next ruler of Albion. It was going well so far. Until that birthday party happened.


    Since then, it became harder and harder for her to contact Harlequin. And just recently, that contactpletely disappeared. She couldn''t even get a hold of him. It''s like she was... abandoned.


    Icelyn shook her head. No, His Holiness wouldn''t do that to her. She was sure, one of these days, he would definitely help her.


    Then suddenly she heard a number of marching footsteps outside her room. Before she could even think of what it was, her door was unceremoniously opened by the captain of the royal guards. A number of royal guards were standing behind him.


    "What''s the meaning of this?" she asked,pletely offended by the sudden barging in of the guards in her room.


    "Icelyn Jade di Albion, you are used of treason by coborating with unsavory characters who could cause harm to the stability of the whole kingdom. And thus, you will be stripped off of your title. You are hearby sentenced to imprisonment until the King decides otherwise."


    Icelyn stared incredulously at the captain of the guards. What did she just hear? Her father wanted to imprison her? She couldn''t move. It''s like she was nailed on the ground. She didn''t evenpletely understood what was happening until the captain put restraint on her. The cuffs were made of nullum stone that could temporary stopped her Mana.


    "No! Let go! Don''t touch me!"


    But the guards just dragged her outside her room. When they walked a few steps away, they saw the Queen running towards them. She lookedpletely panicked.


    Icelyn''s eyes brightened when she saw her. "Mother! Mother, save me!"


    Callista stopped in front of the guards. When she heard about the order that Arthur had given out, she immediately ran here. She still couldn''t believe that he would really imprison their daughter. But standing here, seeing the guards holding Icelyn, the facts were already staring straight at her. How could Arthur do this? He already exiled their first born and now he''s nning to imprison their daughter? What else would he do next, kill her other two children?


    "Stop right there! Let go of the princess right at this moment!" Callista ordered.


    "Our apologies, Your Majesty. But this is the King''s order," said the captain of the guards.


    "No, Mother, please save me. I don''t want to go to prison!" Icelyn begged. She could no longer keep her calm.


    Callista felt heartache seeing her daughter like this. "I said let go of her!"


    "Pardon us, Your Majesty." The captain nodded to two guards who moved the Queen out of the way. And then he proceeded on dragging the first princess.


    "No, Mother! Mother!"


    "Icelyn!"


    At a distance, Vale was watching all these farce. His blue eyes were filled with condescension. He took a defaro crystal from his pocket. There, an image of a man with long gray hair and a ck domino mask appeared.


    "Icelyn was just sent to prison," he said.


    "His Holliness already gave permission that if she said anything she shouldn''t, you can go ahead and kill her," Harlequin said.


    "Understood," he answered as if the one Harlequin was ordering to kill was not his sister.


    "And please, don''t mess this up like you did on the ind."


    Annoyance shed in Vale''s blue eyes. "I didn''t mess up. That duchess was not taken and that son of hers agreed to the exchange, didn''t they?"


    Harlequin rolled his eyes. "Yes, if you think that almost dying from poison was not messing up, then go ahead and delude yourself."


    Vale just ended the call before he ended up destroying the crystal. "Prick."


    And then he walked out of there.

 Chapter 137: flustered

    Chapter 137: flustered


    AURUM and y were walking near the big za of Victoria City. They were at the northern area of the city, looking for information regarding the elf. While Argent went to the southern part to start her reconnaissance work. They chose the northern side of the city because this was the area where the priests did most of their activities.


    Aurum looked around. She really had no idea how they should start looking for that elf. They couldn''t just carelessly go around, asking people about him. They might as well announced their presence to the Temple if they did that. She thought of just probing the minds of the people here. But even with that, she had to be super careful.


    If she continuously released her Mana and just read the mind of all the priests they came across to, sooner orter, someone would definitely notice. And that someone might report it to the Pope. Something that they should avoid at all cost. At least until before the day of the Festival of Creation. That meant if she had to use her Gift, then it should be on a person who would at least have an idea about that elf''s whereabouts.


    "I''ve been meaning to ask this, but where''s ck?" y asked, cutting Aurum''s train of thought. "You didn''t bring him with you?"


    "He has something to do. But he''ll be here on the day of the festival." And Aurum hoped that the kid wouldn''t mess up the task given to him by her brother. But then again, White was with him so that seemed to be very unlikely to happen.


    "I see." Though y did wonder how that kid would actually go here by himself. "What are you two nning to do at the festival anyway?" he asked, a bit curious to know the answer.


    "Something big. You''ll probably like it."


    "I take it, it has something to do with messing with the Temple. Am I right?"


    "What else would we be doing in this ce otherwise? We''re not that devout to go here personally just to celebrate the so-called day that Gaia created everything in this world."


    "You won''t let me in in this n of yours?"


    "If you want to join in the fun, ask my brother."


    y somehow already expected that answer. But he still couldn''t help but be curious on what the twins were nning. Just based on the fact that they''re here on disguise, they definitely didn''t want what they''re going to do to be connected to them. He already thought of a lot of possibilities. But whatever it was, it''s probably going to be something big. Now, he wondered, just how deep was the enmity between the Temple and the twins or rather, their family?


    "How did you even search information about that elf when you were in Achea?" Aurum thought of asking y.


    "By lurking in dark corners. Which didn''t really produce that much of an oue."


    "Clearly. What does that elf look like anyway?" If she did end up probing someone''s mind, she at least had to have a clear vision of that elf. So she could pinpoint it in that person''s memory.


    "He had pale blond hair that looked almost white and a pair of emerald green eyes. His skin was also really white that it almost looked transluscent. In short, he''s a little beauty."


    Aurum nced at y and saw that he seemed to be deeply remembering the face of that elf. She scrunched her brows. "Wait- do you actually have a thing for that elf?"


    y almost tripped when he heard that question. He turned to Aurum. "You''re joking, right?"


    "No, why would I be?" After her experience at Xing, Aurum was now more open to different types of rtionship. Like same sex for example.


    y looked incredulously at her. "He''s a boy!"


    "And so? Two guys could fall in love with each other too."


    "When I said ''boy'', I meant that he looked like he was only about seven or eight years old."


    Oh, Aurum actually didn''t expect that. She thought the elf would be at least an adult. Then she suddenly remembered an important detail. "But elves age really slow. He might look like a child but for all we know, he''s already the same age as you."


    An elven child could actually have the same age as a human teenager. That''s because they aged really, really slow. If humans started aging slowly once they reached a certain age of maturity, like 18 for example, then elves aged slowly the moment they were born. A 50 year old elf could easily look like someone who just entered puberty.


    "Even if that''s the case, I''m straight. I don''t y on the other team," y said with the emphasis on the word ''straight''.


    He couldn''t believe he''s having this kind of conversation with someone. They were just talking on how that elf looked like. How could Aurum just suddenly think that he''s interested with the elf in that way? Now he couldn''t help but wonder what exactly went on inside this golden haired girl''s head.


    "Oh." And here she thought she could encounter another gay rtionship. "All say that elves are the most beautiful race in the world. So, how would you rate the beauty of your first elf? Was it earth shattering and mind boggling?"


    "He was beautiful. But his looks was probably a tad bit lower than yours."


    "What''s this, are you actually saying that I''m more beautiful than the elf?" she asked with a bit of joking tone.


    "Yes. You are, actually."


    Aurum felt like her face suddenly heated up when she heard that straightforward answer. It''s a good thing she was wearing a human skin mask or else her face would definitely be red by now. She couldn''t understand why she would suddenly feel flustered just because of a simplepliment. Those words had been said to her far more times than she could count. She should be used to it by now. And yet, what''s with this reaction?


    Because of that, she couldn''t help but feel annoyed. She stopped walking and red at y. "I thought you''re not interested in me."


    "In that way, yes."


    Aurum just became more annoyed when he answered her without even a tiny bit of hesitation. "Then stop flirting!"


    y looked at Aurum like she just said a not so funny joke. "I''m not! If I am, trust me, you''ll know."


    Aurum stomped her foot, turned around, and continued walking. She was obviously pissed off just by looking at her gait. y suddenly felt like he''s going to have a headache. Just what''s with this girl today? Did she actually eat the wrong medicine this morning?


    He immediately followed and walked beside her. "Are you angry with me?"


    Aurum took a deep breath. Her reason already returned to her. This was not the time for her to act like some petty kid. "I''m not. Let''s just do what we should do here. So, do you have a n on how we should proceed?"


    y let out a sigh of relief seeing that Aurum was no longer throwing a tantrum. "I think finding out more about that auction was our best choice right now."


    "Then let''s do that," Aurum agreed. "Where shall we start?"


    "How about there?" y said, pointing at the Holy Temple.

 Chapter 138: holy temple

    Chapter 138: holy temple


    ARGENT was on a ck horse, riding on the street of the southern part of the city. There''s a ce in the city where people could rent horses to use as transportation. Since public vehicles were not allowed inside the city, horses was the next best thing as transportation. And because not all people here, especially the guests, wanted to walk from one area to another, renting horses became quite popr.


    She stealthily threw a very small camera towards the nearest wall, the one surrounding the city. She made sure that no one noticed what she did. When she saw the camera attaching to the wall, she continued riding on with her horse. With this, she already had attached three small cameras on three different locations here in the southern area.


    Those three cameras would now serve as a surveince tool for her to monitor everything that''s happening in this area. She nned to do the same at the northern, eastern, and western part of the city. Once she''s done, she''d have the whole city under surveince. That would not only be helpful to them now, but it could also give an advantage once they left the city. Because that could mean that from here on out, she would be able to monitor this city. The city where the Pope lived and served as the headquarters of the Temple of Gaia.


    In Argent''s estimation, she would be able to finish everything in another two or three days. It would be a challenge once she reached the northern area. Because aside from the fact that the area was teeming with priests and knights, it was also the ce where the Pope''s pce was. She didn''t only need to look for the right ce to put her cameras, she also needed to carefully put another device around the Holy Temple. It''s important that she managed to do thetter. Since a big part of her n depended on that.


    It''s noon now. She wondered if her sister and y were doing okay on their side.


    ----------


    Aurum and y walked across the big za and towards the Holy Temple. ording to many, this was the biggest church in the world. Seeing it in person, Aurum could only agree.


    Before entering the church building, one could first see the huge, life-like statue of a woman. She had long, wavy hair that reached the ground. Wearing a loose long dress. Her whole body surrounded by carved leaves. Her eyes were closed and her hands were sped together as if in deep prayer. No one could doubt that this beautiful statue was that of the goddess Gaia.


    Behind it was a tall white building with a height that almost reached the wall surrounding the city. Its design was almost simr to a pce. The only difference was it only had a single building. Its windows were made up of stained sses that just added character to its design.


    The two walked inside and the first thing that Aurum noticed was the ceiling. It was painted with different images. A mural that told the story of how Gaia created everything in this world. There were dragons, elves, beastkins, andstly, humans. The art was so life like that it almost felt like they would jumped out in any minute.


    She suddenly remembered Ruby while looking at this mural. That girl would certainly be ecstatic once she saw this beautiful art. She took her sPhone and decided to take a photo of the mural. She would send it to Rubyter. After that, she returned her sPhone back to her space ring.


    "How should we do this?" y asked.


    Aurum looked around. There weren''t many people inside. There were a few locals, as evidence of the green crystals tied on their arms, praying. Two or three altar boys cleaning around and a young priest that seemed to be supervising them. She smiled when she saw the young priest.


    "Wait here. Let me handle it."


    She didn''t wait for y''s answer and walked towards the direction where the young priest was standing. She acted like she just inadvertently walked there.


    "What a beautiful church," she said.


    The young priest turned to her. She also turned to the priest as if she just noticed his gaze. Then she smiled. This face might not be as beautiful as her original face, but she could still use it to her advantage. Because no matter what face she used, her smile would still be the same. A smile that could capture anyone''s heart.


    As expected, the young priest suddenly blushed.


    "I''m sorry. Did I disturb you?" Aurum apologized. "I''m just too excited being here."


    "There''s no need to apologize," the priest said then he noticed the red crystal on her arm, indicating that she''s a guest. "Is this your first time here?"


    "Yes. My brother and I, he''s the one over there," Aurum paused to point to where y was standing, then she continued, "have been wanting to attend the Festival of Creation for a long time now. It''s only recently that we managed to get permission from our parents to go here. We arrived as early as we could so we can have the time to go around the city before the festival. Oh, I''m sorry for bbering too much. Once I get excited, I just couldn''t seem to stop talking."


    "It''s okay, mydy," the young priest said calling the pretty young miss in front of him with a respectful title. With her temperament and obvious wealth, she was undoubtedly a noble. "Have you been enjoying your stay so far?"


    "Oh yes. It''s been wonderful. Your city is beautiful. It''s truly like a gift from Gaia."


    The young priest''s good will towards the youngdy just increased exponentially when he heard that. "Thank you. We always strive to make Victoria City the best ce for all the believers of our goddess Gaia."


    "Then you have my thanks. Because of dedicated priests like you that guests like me and my brother can have a wonderful time here," Aurum said smiling sweetly at the priest.


    The priest blushed again. "I-if you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I''d be more than d to give you an answer the best I could."


    "Thank you." Aurum smiled again. "Come to think of it, I actually heard something while we''re having lunch earlier. Some people were talking about an auction? Is there going to be an auction during the festival?"


    The young priest hesitated to answer. The youngdy was probably talking about the Midnight Auction - a special auction that''s being held the eve before the Festival of Creation. But not all was allowed to go there. One needed a special invitation to at least be able to enter. He looked at the pretty young miss with her big innocent ck eyes.


    "It''s a special auction held on the eve of the Festival of Creation," the priest still answered in the end.


    "That seems interesting. Is it possible for me and my brother to attend that auction?" Aurum asked, she made sure that nothing could be seen in her eyes but great interest.


    The young priest hesitated again. But looking at the young miss and her expectant gaze, he couldn''t bear to refused her. "I- I could talk to Bishop Ernst and asked him if you and your brother could go. Y-You can meet me here again tomorrow and I''ll tell you if he agreed or not."


    "Really? You''ll do that?" Aurum reached for the young priest''s hand. "Thank you so much!"


    The priest blushed ever fiercer. "I-it''s nothing."


    After a while, Aurum said her goodbye and walked back to where y was. She told him about the things she and the priest talked about.


    y nced back at the priest who was still staring longingly at Aurum then he took his gaze back and looked down at the girl walking beside him. It''s not even half an hour and she already got that priest under her spell. Poor sap. Seeing Aurum in action, he had almost forgotten how good she was at acting the sweet and kind youngdy.


    "So we''re going to go back here tomorrow? What if we didn''t get a positive reply?" y asked.


    "That''s fine. We''ll just go directly to that Bishop he talked about."


    The both of them walked out of the Holy Temple.


    "You know, seeing you work your magic on that guy was really kind of scary," y thought of saying. And also maybe a bit fascinating.


    Aurum frowned at him. "It''s not magic. It''s just my charm."


    y only raised his brow at her. "Where did you learn to act like that anyway?"


    "Sometimes, people needed to act a certain way so the people around them could like them. Having a likable attitude and a perfect exterior is a surefire way to make that happen," Aurum vaguely answered. "That''s infinitely better than being ostracized or being treated like a monster."


    y stared at Aurum a second longer when he heard that answer. In those simple sentences, he suddenly understood that this seemingly perfect girl might not have had a perfect life. Maybe she even had a very painful experience that forced her to learn how to act like that in front of others.


    "I''m not going to say that I understand. But I guess each one of us has their own way of surviving in this world." He patted Aurum''s head. "You''re definitely a strong one."


    Aurum swatted his hand. "Don''t touch my head!"


    "Yes, yes. Though I must say that I''m d you''re not doing that kind of act in front of me."


    "Why, afraid that you''ll sumb to my ''magic''?"


    "No. It''s tiring, right? Acting in a way that''s not truly you." y looked at her. "Since you don''t have to be anything but you when you''re with me, then having me around won''t make you that tired. That''s why I''m d."


    Aurum suddenly felt breathless, like something was squeezing inside her chest. She bit her lip and then scowled at y. It''s all this guy''s fault. "Who said it''s tiring? Stop making assumptions. Hmph!"


    Then she stomped away from him. Stupid y.

 Chapter 139: a small seed

    Chapter 139: a small seed


    WHEN evening came, the three - Argent, Aurum, and y - met up at the restaurant closest to Casa Royale. After ordering dinner, they talked about the things they did that day. Well, more urately, it was Aurum who did all the talking.


    "Are you optimistic about getting a positive reply from that priest?" Argent asked when Aurum finished rying the events of today.


    "Not really. But even if that young priest didn''t seed, I can just go directly to that Bishop and convince him myself. In that regard, I''m very confident."


    Argent knew about her sister''s ability to charm her way into anything. So she didn''t ask more. But looking at Aurum right now, she couldn''t see the usual confident expression that she would usually have during situations like this. Instead, there was a faint troubled expression betweent her eyebrows.


    Argent couldn''t help but worry. But then when she turned to y, he looked like he had no problem at all. In fact, his expression was quite rxed. Which only made Argent more curious. The two had been together for the whole day. What could have happened that could affect her sister but not y?


    She thought of the possibility that y might have done something to Aurum. But she immediately refuted that idea. y wouldn''t be able to sit here all leisurely if he did do something to her sister. Aurum would definitely turn his brain to mush if he even so much as touch her the wrong way. Besides, this guy was not the type who would do that. Even when he saw her sister''s real face, he didn''t have the least bit of awe or even a speck of admiration. Showing that he''s not the type who''s easily moved by a person''s face.


    So then, what exactly did happen?


    "I understand. Then, I''ll just leave this matter to you two," Argent only said. But she was already thinking of how she should ask her sister if there was something wrong.


    After eating dinner, Argent turned to y. "y, could you go back first to Casa Royale? I have something to talk about with my sister."


    y looked at the two, Argent was still his usual indifferent look, Aurum, on the other hand, didn''t even bother to look at him. He was a bit confused. They were still fine this morning but after they left the Holy Temple, she suddenly started ignoring him. He didn''t think that something was wrong at first. But after silently observing her throughout the whole dinner, he realized that there was definitely something wrong.


    But he couldn''t think of what. Finally, he just chose to me it to a girl''s moodiness. Being hot at first and then cold the next second. His sister was the same. He didn''t think about it anymore, shrugged, and just walked out of the private box where they had dinner.


    Argent looked at Aurum when y left. "Did something else happen today? You seem troubled."


    Aurum looked at her brother when she heard her question. She saw her purple eyes filled with worry and somehow she suddenly felt guilty. The reason they''re here was to retrieve their mother and to get back at the Temple. And here she was, worrying about unnecessary things. Really, what was she thinking?


    She clenched both her fists and tried to show a normal expression. "It''s nothing, Brother. I''m just feeling a bit under the weather."


    Argent stared at her, observing every bit of her expression. "Are you sure?"


    Aurum hated lying to her brother. But in this situation, she didn''t have the courage to tell the truth. Could she say that it was all because of y? That all of a sudden she was feeling some kind of emotion that she shouldn''t? No, she couldn''t. It would only make her sound like some simpering girl pining for some guy.


    She''s not that girl. She was young, yes. But she had longed shed the mask of a child. Since that moment she killed those servants at the age of four, she was already forced to grow up. Staying in a tower for three years with no one to talk to could do that to a child. Then she met her brother and her world slowly widened. She understood and learned a lot of things and matured in a very fast rate. All her experiences couldn''t bepared to other girls her age.


    Then why was she, at this moment, acting like some lovelorn girl? Aurum understood herself better than anyone else. So she knew exactly what this emotion brewing inside her was. But she couldn''t ept it. Not when she and her brother was doing something that''s rted to the happiness and safety of their family. She wouldn''t be that girl who would put a man over what''s really important.


    "Yes," she said, answering her brother''s question. Her amber eyes filled with silent determination.


    Aurum already decided. She would cut off this feeling slowly growing inside her. Because she didn''t need it.


    But what she didn''t know was even if she did that, a seed had already been nted inside her heart. And it would take more than that topletely uproot it.


    ----------


    The next morning, Aurum and y went to the Holy Temple after they had breakfast. Aurum was already back to normal. And by normal, it meant that she''s her usual snarky self again. Which only proved y''s guess that the girl was simply being temperemental.


    They both entered the Holy Temple. Aurum immediately saw the priest she talked to yesterday. She walked towards him, leaving y alone.


    The young priest also saw Aurum and he didn''t hesitate to meet her half-way.


    "Good morning," Aurum greeted with a sweet smile on her lips.


    The priest immediately blushed when he saw that smile. "G-good morning. I didn''t expect you toe so early."


    "Well, you see,st night while we''re having dinner, we heard a lot of stories regarding this auction. It kind of made us excited, so we couldn''t help bute here so early," she answered. "I hope it''s not too much of hassle," she added apologetically.


    "Oh no, it''s fine. It''s just that you may end up disappointed," he said, his expression a bit tangled.


    "Did the Bishop not agree?" Aurum asked, disappointment clear on her pretty face.


    "Yes, Bishop Ernst did not agree." The young priest suddenly regretted that he didn''t try harder to convince the Bishop. Then he wouldn''t have to see this expression on this girl''s face. "But, there might be another way for you and your brother to be invited."


    Aurum''s expression immediately brightened. "Really?"


    The young priest still hesitated at first if he really should tell this to the girl, but upon seeing her bright smile, he still chose to tell it to her at the end. He knew he would definitely be scolded by Bishop Ernst. He was already terribly scoldedst night. But he just didn''t have the heart to make this girl disappointed again.


    "The Bishop will hold a dinner party three days from now. Archbishop Stillwell will be there. He''s the one in charge of the auction. If you can somehow convince him to give you an invitation, then you and your brother can definitely go to the auction," he said. "I''m sorry if all I can do is to take you there."


    "No. That''s already plenty." And Aurum meant it. Meeting the person in charge of the auction, that''s definitely better than just talking to a Bishop. "Thank you so much. I really don''t know how I could show you my gratitude."


    "You don''t need to. I''m d to be of help. Just, may I know your name?" the priest said shyly.


    "Then can I know yours too?"


    "I''m Father Heinz Magnus."


    Aurum smiled. "I''m Lady Ste Deveraux. It''s a pleasure meeting you, Father Heinz."


    Father Heinz also smiled shyly at her. Then they talked about where and what time they would meet on the night of the dinner party. After that, they said their goodbyes.


    Aurum walked back to y and they both went out of the Holy Temple. She told y about the things she and Father Heinz discussed.


    "I guessed your magic is very effective on him," y only said once he heard everything.


    She turned to him. "I told you, it''s my charm." Then she walked onwards.


    y watched Aurum''s back and a smile he didn''t even notice appeared on his lips.

 Chapter 140: what was the truth?

    Chapter 140: what was the truth?


    "I''M done. Can you see everything?" Argent asked her sister who was on the other end of the line.


    She was currently at a corner of a narrow alley. She picked that ce so no one could see her using her light brain. She just finished putting up the hidden cameras at the northern area of the city. With this, Argent finally had the whole city under surveince. Well, not really the whole city since she couldn''t really set a camera inside the much more important establishments. Like the Apostolic Pce for example. She could but it would be too risky. She didn''t want to do something that might ruin her n. At least not until the day of the festival.


    "Yes, I can see everything clearly," answered her sister''s voice.


    Aurum was inside her room at Casa Royale, holding her sPhone in one hand and a rectangr device simr to an sPhone but much bigger, that her brother called a tablet, on the other. ording to her brother, this tablet was connected to all the cameras she set up all over the city. Using this, they could monitor the things that''s happening in the city while they''re here. Maybe if they''re lucky they could even find the whereabouts of that elf much faster thru this.


    While talking, her gaze identally shed to a small, unassuming violet stone attached on the wall atop the bed. Because of her brother''s suspicion that Casa Royale had a way to monitor its guests, they swept their rooms as early as the first night and did find a magical tool. It''s the stone. It''s some kind of tool that could record every sound in the room. That''s why they never had a meeting in any of their rooms.


    Really, these people from the Temple were nothing but a bunch of snakes who couldn''t even respect the privacy of anyone.


    "You''re really okay just staying in your room this day?" Argent asked.


    Her sister volunteered to stay in her room to watch the tablet connected to the cameras Argent set up. While y, to her knowledge, went out to search additional information about the elf if ever in the off chance that they couldn''t find him in the auction.


    "Yes, Brother. I''ll be fine here," Aurum reassured her brother.


    "Okay, then."


    Argent ended the call. She was d that Aurum seemed to be back to normal. Looked like her worry was unfounded after all. She walked out of the alley. Although she finished putting up the cameras in this area, she hadn''t set up the much more important device involved in her n. She needed to be much more careful in setting that up. She''s not in a hurry though. She just have to make sure that she would be able to set it around the Holy Temple before the Festival of Creation.


    For now, she''s rtively free. So, she''s going to do one of the things she had nned to do the moment they got here - read the books in the Temple Library. She heard it had the oldest collection of history books in the world. She might be able to find some of the important information she needed there.


    Argent continued to walk and then stopped in front of a building that looked like a Greek pantheon. A very big pantheon. She walked inside the building and she immediately noticed how much bigger it was inside. It had five floors. There weren''t that many people around. Most of them were just young priests, maybe some were even priests-in-training. Everywhere she looked, all she could see were books, books, and more books. She inhaled deeply, smelling the scent of old paper.


    A small smile crossed her lips. Ever since she came to this world, this had been one of the smell she came to love. Probably because her original world didn''t have much physical books to begin with. Long before she was born, almost all the books had been turn into a digital copy. Paper became a raremodity and having a physical book became some kind of luxury.


    She walked towards the front desk where an old man wearing a priest''s robe was sitting. He''s probably the chief librarian here.


    "Good day," she greeted. "Where could I find books about history?"


    The old man looked up at her. "It''s rare for a young person like yourself to visit an old ce like this," he said with a kind and gentle smile on his face.


    Argent was quite surprised. This was probably the first priest of the Temple she encountered that didn''t seem like a scum of the earth. The old man genuinely looked like he''s truly kind and gentle. Maybe that''s why he''s here looking after all these books instead of being a Bishop or an Archbishop.


    "I love reading books," she just said.


    "Then you can read all the books you like here. At least before five in the afternoon that is. Because that''s the time the library closes," the priest said with a little bit of teasing tone. "The history books are in the second floor. But I suggest you check the card catalog over there first," he said pointing to a row of cabs with small shelves. "It would be much easier for you to look for the books that you wanted if you check there first."


    Argent nodded. "Thank you."


    She walked towards the card catalog and searched for the locations of books rted to Mythos continent and the war that happened 500 years ago. Because the cards were arranged alphabetically, it wasn''t that hard for her to look for the books she wanted. After remembering the locations of the books written on the cards, she climbed the stairs towards the second floor. There were shelves after shelves of books. It took a while before she found the books she wanted. Then she took them to one of the tables so she could immediately read them.


    She first read the book titled, ''Mythos: A History''. ording to the book, Mythos was a continent personally crafted by Gaia. That''s why the three races born there were the ones who received most of Gaia''s blessings. The dragons with their unimaginable power and bravery, the elves with their beauty and wisdom, and the beastkins with their strength and their desire for victory.


    Before the continent closed off, Mythos was the center of trade in the world. Mainly because they have a lot of resources not avable anywhere else and the three races could turn resources into wonderful magical tools. They lived peacefully with humans. Although their poption was infinitely smaller, no one could doubt their power. The three races ruled over the world.


    The same things were said in two other books she read.


    Then she went off and read about the war that happened 500 years ago. In Argent''s opinion, most of the things happening to her and her family right now was closely rted to the event that happened then. All the three books she found told of one thing. That the war was caused by someone called the Silver Witch.


    She instigated the three races into fighting with humans. She used the weird contraptions she made into seducing the three races to be on her side. Then at the end, with the lead of the Temple, the humans won. They burnt the witch alive and the three races closed off themselves inside the Mythos continent.


    But were all of these true?


    She remembered what the remnant of the dragon king said to her that the reason the war started was because of the obsession of a certain demon. That was so far off from the details she read from these books about the war. Unless the demon was that Silver Witch. Which she doubted.


    There was something about this Silver Witch. Something that the Temple was hiding. She''s like a sword hanging over the head of the Temple. Like a time bomb just waiting to explode. If not, then they wouldn''t hate Silver Corporation just for the reason that Argent had the same silver hair as that so-called witch.


    Argent closed off thest book. They said that history was written by the winners. So she couldn''t really trust the things written in this book. Especially about that Silver Witch.


    So what exactly was the truth?


    That''s the only thing running inside her mind even after she left the library.

 Chapter 141: shopping

    Chapter 141: shopping


    AT THE open area of a cafe located just beside the za, a tall young man was leisurely drinking tea. He picked the cup on the table, his slender white fingers almost blended with the porcin tea cup. He slowly drank the tea inside. His movements was elegant. It''s the kind of innate elegance that not many people could copy. Unless you were naturally born with it. Despite the indifferent atmosphere surrounding him, passers-by and customers alike couldn''t help but stare at him.


    What they didn''t know was that this seemingly handsome teenager was actually a youngdy in disguise.


    Argent ignored the eyes that fell on her. She continued to stare at the Holy Temple standing tall at the distance. She already managed to nt one of the device yesterday. But she needed to nt three more of the same device - each of which should be at the four corners of the Holy Temple. She couldn''t do it all at the same time because she would only look suspicious. Especially since she''s doing all this during the middle of the day. She didn''t think of doing it at night because she knew that would be riskier.


    She put down the tea cup back on the table. Tomorrow night was the date of the dinner party that her sister and y would attend. Their purpose, of course, was to get an invitation to the auction from that Bishop Ernst. Argent thought of recing y but she immediately refuted the idea. Although y was wearing a mask, the both of them still had different builds, not to mention, different hair colors. That young priest would certainly notice the difference.


    Besides, Argent had confidence in her sister. She knew that Aurum would definitely do great whether she came with her or not.


    Currently, Aurum was shopping with y in a high-end clothing store. The two were going to buy clothes for the guy because he didn''t have clothes appropriate for a dinner party. Since they''re going to post as nobles, y couldn''t go there all shabby looking. Argent didn''t want to go shopping with them, so she decided to just wait here at this cafe until they''re done. She could pass time here and at the same time observe the surrounding of the Holy Temple. Maybe while she''s here, she could think of other ways to set up her device.


    "Excuse me, Sir," said a girl''s voice in front of her.


    Argent looked up and saw a girl wearing a waitress'' uniform and holding a tea pot in her hand. "Yes?"


    The girl suddenly blushed for no reason. "Do you want another serving of tea?"


    By the waitress'' question, she just noticed that the tea she''s drinking was almost gone. She looked up again at the waitress. "Sure."


    Being looked at by this handsome customer, the waitress blushed once again. She carefully poured tea on his tea cup and then shyly walked away.


    Looking at the waitress back, Argent couldn''t help but be slightly confused. The waitress'' blushing face meant that she''s shy. But what was she being shy about though? Because of the waitress'' appearance, Argent suddenly remembered someone. Lei Feng whose ears always turned red whenever he was embarrassed.


    Before leaving Xing, she remembered Lei Feng asking her if he could call her. She agreed. But it''s been three weeks now and she still hadn''t received a single call. He''s probably busy, he''s a general after all. Or maybe he had already forgotten about her. Thinking that it might be thetter, she felt a sudden squeeshy feeling inside her chest.


    Argent frowned and just chose to ignore it.


    ----------


    y walked out of the dressing room and Aurum immediatelyughed. He was now wearing a frilly shirt paired with a bright red trousers. It was so not in line with the elegant white mask covering the upper half of his face. That''s why it was even more funny.


    This was the third dress that Aurum forced y to try, each one was more ridiculous than the other. This was the only form of revenge Aurum could think of - so she could at least release some of her frustrations these past few days. Who told this guy to confuse her? And now she even had to shop clothes for him? She hadn''t even done that for her brother. It''s only right for her to have some fun.


    y stared at Aurum who''sughing so happily and just sighed helplessly. He already noticed her low mood earlier when Argent left them. If this could lift her mood, then he didn''t mind indulging her. She probably didn''t want to choose clothes for him. Which he couldn''t really me on her. If he could, he would rather choose clothes for himself. But sadly, he didn''t really know what clothes an aristocrat should wear to a dinner party. So he really needed help from someone.


    y couldn''t really expect any help from Argent. Even if he knelt in front of Argent and asked him to help him chose clothes, that indifferent guy would probably just kick him. So he''d rather have the temperemental sister help him. He didn''t mind beingughed at by her. That''s definitely better than being ignored.


    "Well, at least one of us is happy," he said.


    "It''s only right for you to make me happy. After all, I''m the one buying," Aurum said with her particr proud tone.


    "I''m going to pay you and your brother back."


    "Don''t bother. We don''tck money. Besides, didn''t my brother said that he would sponsor you and your cause? Just think of this as an early investment," Aurum said. "Or are you the type of guy whose pride couldn''t handle having a girl spend money on him?"


    "That''s not pride. That''s simply being conceited. So no, I''m not the type of guy who couldn''t handle something like this," y said with a grin on his face.


    Besides, he knew that Aurum was not insulting him by doing this. So he had no problems epting clothes bought by her. He experienced too much set backs in his life to even be bothered by something like this.


    Aurum stared at the grin that crossed y''s lips and she just had a sudden impulse to remove the mask on his face. She clenched her fist and immediately extinguished that impulse. In turn, she no longer yed around and seriously chose clothes for y.


    She picked a pair of ck suits and pants as well as a white inner shirt. She gave it to y. "Try this."


    y silently epted the clothes and went back to the dressing room.


    "The young miss and the young master have a very good rtionship,"mented by the salesdy assisting them. She was standing on the side so she saw the interaction between the two. "Are the two perhaps in a special rtionship?"


    Aurum''s face heated up because of that question. But she immediately stopped whatever feeling that started to rise inside her. She looked coldly at the salesdy. "I''m not here to gossip with you, so stop."


    The salesdy suddenly trembled. How could this girl be so scary? "Yes, my apologies, miss."


    Then the dressing room opened and Aurum immediately forgot her annoyance. y, with the ck suits and with the addition of the white silk mask on his face, looked like a true nobleman. Even with a rather rough temperament, it didn''t detract from his charm. Instead, it just only added to it. One couldn''t help but want to remove the mask on his face to see what''s hidden behind. Now Aurum could agree that clothes do make a man.


    "How do I look?" y asked.


    Aurum raised one of her brows. "Are you fishing forpliments?"


    y grinned. "I look good then."


    Aurum snorted then turned to the salesdy. "We''ll take this set of clothes."


    After buying the clothes, the two left the clothing shop. They nned to go immediately to the cafe where Argent was waiting when they suddenly heard a cry in an alley that they were just about to pass by. They turned on the direction of the alley and saw a man holding a knife to a little boy.


    "You''re a devil! You should die!" the man shouted and raised the knife he was holding as if to stab the boy.


    Before y could think, his body already moved inside the alley where the man and the boy were.

 Chapter 142: trouble or not

    Chapter 142: trouble or not


    CLAY rushed forward, inserting himself between the two and sessfuly gripping the hand of the man holding a knife. Completely stopping the man''s action of trying to stab the boy. "What are you doing?"


    "Let go! Let go! I have to kill that devil!" the man shouted madly, still struggling and trying to stab the kid.


    The little boy gripped the hem of y''s shirt tightly. "B-big brother..."


    y looked down and his face sank when he saw the condition of the boy. His golden brown hair waspletely messy. Even with his sun-kissed skin, anyone could clearly see the bruises on his arms and face. The swollen left eye was even more eyecatching. It was so swollen that one couldn''t even see the color of his iris. Which was actually the same golden brown as his hair.


    y immediately felt a deep anger. One of the things he hated was the abused of children. Growing up in an environment where kids were constantly abused by people of high authority could do that to a person. So he couldn''t turn a blind eye whenever he saw a child being abused by others. This kid didn''t even look like he''s more than ten years old. Which only made y''s anger deeper.


    "Don''t be afraid. I won''t let him hurt you. I promise," he said gently to the boy.


    The boy only held the hem of his shirt tighter, showing that he was still afraid.


    y turned to the crazy man who was still madly struggling and shouting nonsense.


    "I will kill you, you devil! You must die! Die! Die--"


    The man didn''t manage to finish what he was saying because y didn''t hesitate to break the man''s hand holding the knife. The man screamed in pain. y let go of him and kicked the knife that had fallen on the ground. He gently pulled the boy away from the screaming man. Then they suddenly heard a series of footsteps. y looked to his right and saw Aurum leading two knights in their direction.


    "What happened here?" asked one of the knights looking at the man on the ground and then looking sternly at y, as if everything that happened here was y''s fault. "What did you do to this man?"


    This kind of attitude immediately aroused Aurum''s annoyance. "Are you deaf as well as blind? Did you not even understand a single word I said to you earlier? That man squeeling like a pig over there was trying to stab that boy. My brother was obviously trying to help. So what''s with your tone? Is this the attitude of the knights in Victoria City towards their guests? Hah. You really refreshed my views today."


    y''s mouth twitched, trying hard not tough. This kind of arrogance without thinking of the consequence, he''d only seen it in the ckbourne twins.


    The face of the knight who just spoke turned red in embarrassment. It looked like he wanted to refute what Aurum said but the other knight was faster.


    "Our apologies, mydy. Myrade here just spoke out of turn. Please, forgive him," the knight said amiably.


    "Then take that guy away. If you''re advertising this city as a crime free ce then you should do a better job in keeping peace. You''re not being paid to just stand around and do nothing, are you?" Aurum said, not even curbing her arrogance a little.


    "Yes, mydy." The knight took hold of the arm of the man on the ground. The other knight, despite his obvious dissatisfaction, still held the man''s other arm. "What about the child, mydy?"


    With the knight''s question, the boy didn''t hesitate to hug y''s arm. A silent indication that he didn''t want to go with the two knights.


    "We''ll take care of him for the time being," y answered.


    The knight added and the two pulled the man out of the alley. But even with that, the man continued his mad shouting.


    "You''ll regret it! That kid is the devil! He''ll kill you! Hahaha!" the man shouted while letting out a crazedugh.


    Aurum frowned looking at the back of the man. She tried to read the man''s mind, because that kind of madness was not like he was installing it. It''s like he truly believed that the kid was the devil. Aurum wanted to make sure if he was telling the truth. Because if he was, then that meant this kid was trouble. She didn''t want to bring in an unknown dangerous factor during this sensitive time.


    But what surprised Aurum was that the man''s mind was so messy she couldn''t even get one proper scene. It''s like opening a book and you found out that the words inside were all jumbled up. At the end, you couldn''t understand a single thing. That''s how Aurum felt when she looked inside the man''s mind.


    She suddenly remembered something that one of her teachers at Starlight Academy taught her. A person with telepathic Gift at the highest level was not omnipotent. Yes, they could do a lot of things that involved the human mind. But when faced with a person stronger than you, you''d just be the same as a sitting duck in that person''s eyes.


    Another factor was if a person was trained to strengthen their mental defense. Yes, a telepath could break that mental defense, especially if their Gift level was higher. But it would take a lot of effort. And if that person happened to have a very strong mentality, then whatever effort you put might just be all in vain.


    The final thing to consider was the person''s mental state. If a person''s mind was broken, you wouldn''t get any specific information you wanted. Because their thoughts were incoherrent. Trying to read or control a broken mind could just bring a negative effect on the telepath. It might even break their own mind if they were not careful.


    So Aurum took back her Mana and no longer concerned herself with the mad man. Instead, she turned her attention to the boy.


    The boy looked like he was about nine or ten years old. All his exposed skin was full of bruises and scratches. He definitely looked like he experienced a lot of abuse. Considering how she acts in front of people, Aurum long learned not to trust things at face value. Especially when it came to humans. Because she knew personally how easy it was to deceive a person''s eyes.


    She slowly spread her Mana towards the boy. And then it felt like she encountered a very thick wall. No matter how hard she pushed, the wall didn''t move. Aurum no longer tried and just took back her Mana. And then she frowned. That wall was definitely this boy''s mental defense. Could a kid with this strong mental defense be ordinary? The answer was definitely a big no.


    The kid looked up at her and hid behind y. As if afraid of Aurum.


    y noticed his little move and then kneeled in front of the boy. "Don''t be scared. That big sister just look fierce but really she''s kind and sweet."


    Aurum was annoyed by y''s small rhetoric. Kind and sweet your ass.


    "What''s your name?" y asked the boy with a gentle tone.


    The boy fidgeted, as if full of nervousness. Then he looked up, the eye that was not swollen was clean and full of innocence. "S-Solis. My name is Solis."

 Chapter 143: a bit interesting

    Chapter 143: a bit interesting


    "WHERE do you live? We''re going to drop you off there," Aurum said. If she couldn''t determine the danger level of this kid, then it''s better to get this hot potato away from them as fast as possible.


    "I--"


    Before the kid finished what he was about to say, he suddenly fell on y''s arms. Both Aurum and y saw that the kid fainted. Aurum frowned. Because she wasn''t sure if the kid was acting or if he really did lose conciousness.


    "Take him to the Healing Center. I''ll go get Silver and go thereter," she said.


    y was slightly confused why Aurum suddenly referred to Argent as ''Silver''. Then she reached for his hand and a sweet voice suddenly entered his mind.


    [Don''t be confused by that kid. Being pitiful doesn''t automatically mean trustworthy. What you see may not really be the truth. Your gentleness may just bring unprecedented trouble to us. Since my brother agreed to help you, everything you do could affect us. So think carefully before you cause an irreparable damage.]


    Aurum let go of y''s hand. This was the first time she tried to ry her thoughts to someone with a Gift level higher than A. But that didn''t mean that she could now freely control her Gift at S level. As evidence of the fact that she still needed physical contact before she could truly ry her thoughts to the other person. She was just d it worked. But at the same time, she couldn''t help but feel a kind of worry.


    Telepaths were not the most weed group of Gift user. A person who could control a another''s mind and mess with their head was generally someone who people could not trust easily. There was even a hint of fear. If not for her background and good acting skill, those people who knew about her Gift definitely would not treat her with the least bit of politeness.


    What if y was the same as those people? Treating her with kindness when she''s around but then looking at her like she''s a monster when she''s not.


    Aurum no longer entangled with that thought and just walked out of the alley. Her destination? Of course, the cafe where her brother was waiting.


    After hearing Aurum''s voice inside his head, y who was only confused at first felt like he was suddenly dosed with cold water. He looked down at the boy who was still unconcious in his arms. He couldn''t refute that he really wanted to help this kid. His experience with the Temple gave him the natural tendency to help any child in need. But Aurum''s warning really woke him up.


    He almost forgot, in this world they lived in, not all children could be innocent. As sad as that sounded, it was the truth. Either they were forced by their circumstance or the environment they grew up in. The same thing could be applied to this boy.


    If this happened in another ce or another situation, y might be tempted to find out the truth and then help the kid if he could. But this was Victoria City. The reason he was here, first and foremost, was because of that elf. He identaly met with the ckbourne twins and asked for their help. If this kid was really not as simple as he looked, then helping him might just lead to unprecedented problems just as Aurum warned.


    y didn''t want to be the one to bring trouble to the twins. When he agreed to Argent''s conditon in exchange for his help, they were already standing on the same boat. No matter what the twins were nning to do here, y already decided that he would stand on their side. From then, all his actions could affect their ns. He didn''t want to be that useless guy who ruined everything just because of his soft heart.


    He sighed. He would bring this boy to the Healing Center and then leave immediately after that. That way, if this boy turned out to be no good then he couldn''t cause any trouble to them. With that decision in mind, he walked out of the alley.


    What y didn''t notice was that on top of the building on the left side of the alley was a boy. He saw everything that happened in the alley. A silent expectator. So silent that no one even noticed his presence. He had pale blond hair. His skin had an unhealthy white hue. His gray eyes were looking at the direction where y went. No expression could be found on his delicate face.


    ----------


    Aurum immediately saw her brother. She was sitting on one of the tables on the open area of the cafe, drinking tea elegantly. Aurum noticed the nces being given to her brother by thedies around. She shook her head. Her brother was wearing a human skin mask and yet she could still attract a lot of butterflies. What''s more if she was sitting there with her original face. Thesedies might not just nce at her, they might even throw themselves at her feet.


    Argent already saw her sistering. She called the waitress who served her tea and paid. Once again, she noticed the waitress blushing. By the time the waitress went away, Aurum already walked to her side.


    "Why do you think that waitress blushed?" she suddenly thought of asking Aurum for no reason. "Blushing meant being embarrassed, but what was she being shy about?"


    Aurum, who wanted to immediately tell her brother about the things that happened in the alley, almost choked. She looked at Argent and saw that she was not joking. And then she couldn''t help but sigh. Her brother was good at everything. But when it came to understanding different emotional nuances, she''s like a baby chick.


    No, it''s probably more urate to say that Argent didn''t really put any effort to understand. Her brother probably could if she wanted to. After all, she could perfectly understand Aurum''s every emotion. She''s probably just toozy to do it to other people. Of course, Aurum was ttered because of her brother''s attention. But she still couldn''t help but worry.


    If her brother couldn''t even understand why a person would blush in front of her, then that could only mean that no one could move her heart. In the romantic sense. If this continued, Argent might never even want to reveal her real identity as a girl and just keep on living as a man.


    Aurum shook her head. This was not the time to think about that. Both of them were only 14. No, they would turn 15 next month. They were young and many things could still happen. For all they knew, a man would soon appear who would move her brother''s heart and would make her want to live as a girl.


    "It''s because she thinks your handsome and looking at your face makes her heart beat faster," Aurum simply answered her brother''s question.


    Argent turned to her sister and thought about her answer. Well, that''s actually pretty reasonable. That''s probably the same feeling as seeing your favorite celebrity or something. Then Lei Feng''s image appeared in her mind again. She remembered the times when his ear tip would turn red for no reason. Was it also because he found her handsome?


    "Brother?"


    Aurum''s voice stopped Argent''s train of thought. So she no longer dwelled on that problem and just turned her full attention to her sister. That''s when she noticed the absence of y. "y?"


    Aurum hugged her brother''s arm. "Let''s walk first."


    Once they were away from the crowd, Aurum began telling Argent about the things that happened at the alley. From when they found the mad man and the kid up to the point where the two knights took the man and the kid fainted.


    "What''s your opinion, Brother?" she asked once she''s finish.


    An unknown smile crossed Argent''s lips. "It''s a bit interesting."

 Chapter 144: just like that, the man died

    Chapter 144: just like that, the man died


    "IT''S a bit interesting," Argent said after she quietly analyzed everything that her sister said.


    "Only you could find this situation interesting," Aurum said with a bit of a helpless tone. "What do you think, was the kid just pretending to be a victim?"


    "Before I answer that, was the man trying to stab the kid really mad? Do you think he''s born like that or was he simply too stimted that he turned crazy?"


    Aurum seriously thought of the answer to her brother''s question. She tried to remember the feeling she got when he read the mind of the man and immediately got the answer she was looking for. "It''s probably thetter."


    The man''s mind was too broken. That kind of brokenness was too artificial. As if someone forcefully took his mind apart and didn''t bother to put it back together.


    "If it''s thetter, then there''s an 80% chance that the kid was not as meless and innocent as he pretends to be," Argent said. "My guess is he pushed that man into madness. He let himself be taken to that alley. Let other people see that man try to stab him. He probably spent days making that man crazy just so they could arrive in that kind of situation."


    Aurum''s brows furrowed. That possibility actually didn''t cross Aurum''s mind. "Then does that mean his injuries were also false?"


    "No. He''s injuries were true. Or else y wouldn''t be emotionally affected. That''s why I said it''s interesting."


    A kid who wouldn''t hesitate to harm himself just to push someone into total madness. If that wasn''t madness itself, then Argent wasn''t sure what was.


    "Then what''s his goal?" Then Aurum suddenly remembered something. "Do you think this is rted to that bastard Pope? This situation is particrly simr to what happened to you in Shandra. You know, when that bastard pretended to be some innocent priest so he could give you information about that pig Bishop."


    Argent also thought of that. But she immediately refuted it. Because it''s just too coincidental. She didn''t think that the Pope was that omnipotent that he could even know that they''re already here in Victoria City and even immediately discover their disguise.


    "No, I don''t think he''s targetting you and y per se. I think anyone who passed by that alley in that particr instance, even if it''s not you two, would do. He just needed someone to witness what''s happening and for that someone to save him. In this case, that someone would be you and y."


    "But why would he do that?" Aurum asked, still a bit confused.


    "Maybe it''s a game for him. And you two should be his next target," Argent answered, shrugging. "It''s a good thing you''re smart and didn''t immediately sumb to the kid''s victim act."


    "Of course. I''m your sister. How could I be dumb?" Aurum said proudly, even raising her chin in a proud manner.


    Argent smiled. "Yes, my sister is definitely the smartest."


    Aurum grinned. "But Brother, how did you arrive to that conclusion?"


    "Maybe because I also have a certain madness in me."


    "How could that be?" Aurum immediately refused the idea of her brother being mad. "If we''re talking about craziness level here, I''m definitely crazier than you. But I didn''t even think of the possibility you thought of. So you''re reasoning is invalid."


    Argent didn''t stop herself fromughing. Only her sister could lighten up her mood like this. "Let''s just go to the Healing Center and find out from the kid himself if my deduction was right."


    Aurum agreed and the twins walked to the direction of the Healing Center. It didn''t take long before they reached their destination because the Healing Center was also located near the za.


    They saw y walking back and forth in front of the center. He only stopped when he saw theming.


    "The kid?" Aurum asked.


    "I left him inside," y answered. "I thought about what you said and I agree that the boy could bring us trouble. So in the light of that, let''s just leave him here."


    "That''s certainly a wide decision. But I want to talk to this kid first," Argent said.


    She didn''t exclude the possibility that the kid might be rted to the Temple or even to the Apostles themselves. After all, a boy who''s not even more than ten years old and having a mind like that was certainly not something a normal child could have.


    y looked at Argent. This guy probably had something nned up so he didn''t disagree to his decision.


    They all went inside the Healing Center. The inside was made up of pure white walls. There were rows of beds, some upied and some not. Women wearing white gowns were walking around, assisting anyone who needed assistance. They''re probably the nurses here.


    y led them to the backmost area only to see an empty bed.


    "No, this was where I left the boy," y said. "You wait here, I''ll look for the nurse I talked to earlier."


    "Don''t bother," Argent stopped him. "The kid''s probably gone anyway."


    "What do you mean?" y asked.


    "I don''t know. Maybe he no longer wants to y with you two," Argent shrugged.


    y totally didn''t get what Argent said.


    Argent didn''t care for his confused look and just turned around. "Let''s go. We won''t find anything here."


    She walked and Aurum followed without question.


    y looked at the back of the two and, at the end, just helplessly followed.


    ----------


    Later that evening, inside a prison cell of the knight''s garrison, a man was trembling in the corner. He was rocking back and forth in the corner he was sitting, continuously mutteringplete nonsense. If Aurum and y were here, then they would immediately recognized this man as the man who tried to stab a boy in the alley earlier.


    Then suddenly, the prison bars opened. A boy with pale blond hair slowly walked inside. His skin had an unhealthy white hue. He almost looked like a pale ghost under the dim light. His gray eyes with almost no emotion pierced the man sitting in the corner. The man trembled even more when he saw the boy.


    "No... no... no! Devil, it''s the devil! Devil!"


    "You lost. The penalty is your life," the boy said with a voicecking in emotion, like some mechanical puppet.


    "You can''t kill me! You can''t! The game hasn''t ended yet. Yes. That''s right!" The man stood up with a maniacal smile on his face. "I can still do it. I can still kill the other devil!"


    "Brother already said that you lost," said another voice. It came from another boy who walked inside the prison cell. He had the same face as the other blond haired boy. But unlike the other, his face was rich in emotion. His hair and eyes were golden brown. His skin was also golden brown like being kissed by the sun. But all his exposed skin was full of bruises and scratches. "So you''re going to die now," he added in a very sweet voice.


    He walked to the side of the blond haired boy and sped his hand. When the man saw that, his trembling became even fiercer. His body exuding the intense fear he was feeling.


    "No! No! Stay away from me! Stay away you monsters!"


    Then the blond boy suddenly reached for the man''s arm. The man convulsed. He felt an intense pain. It was so intense it felt like all his organs were slowly being cut into tiny pieces.


    "Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!"


    Wounds appeared on the man''s skin. At the same time, the bruises on the boy with golden brown hair slowly disappeared. Then blood poured out of the man''s orifices. It didn''t even take a minute before he fell down and lost his breath. Just like that, the man died.


    The boy with golden brown hair looked at the man with a gleeful expression. While the blond haired boy only stared with no emotion.


    "This toy is no fun," the boy with golden brown hair said, pouting. "The masked man earlier and hispanion seemed to be a lot of fun. Brother, why do we have to let them go?"


    "They''re not simple," answered the blond haired kid. "Luc said, while we''re here, we could only target simple toys."


    The other kid seemed to understand his brother''s answer and no longer sulked. Then hand-in-hand, they both walked out of the prison cell.

 Chapter 145: a rather unexpected encounter

    Chapter 145: a rather unexpected encounter


    AURUM twirled around, the skirt of the dress she''s wearing moved at the same time she did. "What do you think?" she said, asking her brother who''s sitting in front of her.


    They were inside Aurum''s room in Casa Royale, preparing for the dinner party that would happenter in the evening.


    Argent stared at her sister with a look of pride and appreciation. Aurum was wearing a ck and white gradient dress. The upper part was ivory white while the lower part was ck. The skirt was studded with diamond sequins. Making it looked like a beautiful starry night sky. The lenght of the skirt was just two inches below the knee. The silver sandals she''s wearing had long straps that surrounded her delicate calf like silver vines.


    "You''re beutiful, as always," Argent answered honestly.


    "Even with this face?"


    Argent stood up and put a strand of Aurum''s current ck hair behind her ear. "As long as it''s you, you''ll always be the most beautiful in my eyes."


    Aurum smiled more brightly. If it''s not her standing here but another youngdy, they would definitely swoon just by what her brother said. How could Argent be such ady killer? And she''s doing it all so naturally! Sometimes, even she thought that her brother was born the wrong gender.


    "I like thispliment," she said, her eyes bending into crescents.


    Argent took out a crystal brooch from her space ring. It was shaped like a blooming lotus with seven colors cascading inside it. It was beautiful and, obviously, very expensive. But that''s not what''s most important. Embedded inside was a small and very high definition camera. Argent pinned the brooch on Aurum''s dress. With this, everything that her sister would see and hear during that dinner party, she would also see and hear.


    "Remember everything I said earlier?" she reminded Aurum.


    "Don''t worry, Brother. I know."


    They couldn''t really talk much here because of the magical tool that records every sound in the room. So when they were having lunch earlier, Argent told Aurum of what she should pay attention to. It''s not really much, just a few reminders. Mainly about her safety.


    "Then you''re good to go," Argent said.


    They both walked towards the door. Argent opened it and saw y standing there. He looked like he was about to knock on the door.


    "You clean up well," Argentmented.


    And y did clean up well. The ck suit he was wearing perfectly lined his tall and lean body. The upper half of his face was covered by a delicate ck mask. His reddish-brown hair was smoothly swept back. All thesebinations were very attractive to a lot of women.


    "Well, considering who my partner is, I couldn''t just let myself look so shabby, couldn''t I?" y said, his gazending on Aurum. He bowed and raised his hand towards her. "Mydy?"


    Aurum gazed down, hiding the emotions swirling in her eyes. Then she calmly put her hand on y''s palm. She turned to her brother. "We''re going."


    Argent nodded. The two walked down the stairs while she walked towards her own room. She''s not worried. Because she trusts her sister. She knew she would do well in this kind of situation.


    When Aurum and y reached the lobby, she noticed that there were a few guests there dressed up like they were also going to a dinner party. She didn''t have time to think more about that because she saw a familiar figure standing inconspicuously on one side.


    The young man was wearing a very simple yet elegant white robe. His light brown hair was neat and tidy. He had the kind of face that could easily get the goodwill of others. He was fidgetting and anyone could see the nervousness in his dark blue gaze. It was the young priest they met at the Holy Temple.


    "Father Heinz," Aurum called and walked towards the priest together with y.


    Father Heinz turned to them. Some of his nervousness clearly subsided upon seeing them. "Lady Ste," calling Aurum by the fake name she gave him.


    "I didn''t expect you toe here. We''re just about to go," Aurum said with a gentle smile on her face.


    "I wanted to take you to the dinner party. I- I just thought it''s only right to do that since I''m the one who invited you."


    "Thank you. That''s very generous of you." Aurum smiled sweetly then turned to y. "Right, Brother?"


    y didn''t speak. His assigned character right now was someone who''s cold and indifferent. He''s really not good at pretending. But this set, he could still do. All he had to do was immitate Argent, even if just a little, and let Aurum do all the talking. This way, he could avoid showing any faults that could lead to people thinking that he''s not an aristocrat.


    "I must apologize for my brother. He''s not really the type who likes to talk," Aurum said apologetically.


    "Oh no, it''s alright," Heinz immediately said. He nced at the masked man then back at Lady Ste. It''s a little bit weird but he couldn''t really feel, even the slightest, that the two were siblings. He shook his head. What was he thinking? There''s no way a sweet girl like Lady Ste should lie about that.


    "Oh, that''s right. How rude of me. I almost forgot that I haven''t introduced the two of you properly," Aurum said as if she really just remembered this matter. "Father Heinz, this is my older brother, Lord Stephen Deveraux."


    Aurum used the surname ''Deveraux'' because it was thergest noble family in Gaul. The main family had many side branch. There were so many of them that even the upper nobility of Gaul didn''t know all of the faces of its members. So even if Aurum and y used this identity, no one would really doubt them immediately. And if she performed perfectly, then the chance of that happening was even lower.


    "Nice to meet you, my lord," Heinz said politely.


    y only nodded.


    "Should we go now?" Aurum inquired after.


    "Yes, there''s already a carriage waiting outside," the priest said, leading the way.


    When they walked outside, they saw three carriages. Some of the people Aurum noticed earlier walked towards the first two.


    "Are they also going to the Bishop''s dinner party?" she asked Heinz in a low voice.


    She already thought that they probably were. After all, how could there be two dinner parties just coincidentally happening at the same time? And besides, from what they investigated, this Bishop Ernst had the highest position here in Victoria City. Not counting the Pope and the visiting Archbishop, of course. Who would dare arranged a dinner party the same night as him?


    Heinz could feel the soft breathing of Lady Ste from his ear. His face immediately reddened. "I- uhm... yes. Bishop Ernst invited some of the visiting nobility."


    Aurum nodded. There''s only a week left before the Festival of Creation. A lot of guests already started pouring in into the city.


    "This is the carriage I rented," Heinz said going to the third carriage.


    Aurum and y followed. The young priest opened the door and wanted Aurum to go inside first. But before she could even walk inside the carriage, her steps suddenly faltered. Because there was already someone sitting inside.


    The man had a slightly huge built. His dirty blond hair was cut haphazardly. His body was filled with agressive energy. His dark blue eyes were like a pair of daggers wanting to pierce Aurum on the spot. So she could immediately tell that this agressive behavior was definitely directed towards her.


    Aurum frowned. Not just because of this man''s attitude, but because it felt like she had seen him somewhere.


    "Heath! What are you doing here?" Heinz asked, shocked and surprised when he saw the man.


    "Well, I just wanted to meet the fox who''s tricking my foolish brother into doing things for her," the man named Heath said, grinning mockingly at Aurum.


    Then as if a light bulb was turned on in Aurum''s head, she suddenly remembered where she saw the man. In Shandra. It''s the knight that her brother beat up when she saved y''s sister!

 Chapter 146: collision before dinner

    Chapter 146: collision before dinner


    "HEATH! Please, don''t be rude to Lady Ste," Heinz tried to reprimand but because his voicecked power, it didn''t really have the effect he wanted.


    The knight, Heath, only snorted and still looked at Aurum like she''s some witch trying to seduce his brother.


    Aurum calmly gathered her emotion. Aside from her initial surprise, nothing could be seen on her face besides the gentle smile on her lips. From what this man said, she could safely assume that he was the brother of the young priest. Though she couldn''t really see the resemnce, aside from the same dark blue eye color. They couldn''t be more different than night and day.


    "It''s okay, Father Heinz. Your brother must only be worried about you." Aurum turned to the knight sitting inside the carriage. "I apologize if I gave you a bad impression. But I''m not malicious to your brother."


    Anyone who could hear her gentle tone and see the sincere expression on her face would be moved. Like Heath''s foolish brother, for example. But not Heath. No matter how pretty the girl looked, he could just smell the falsehood in her. Inciting his dislike. That''s what his instinct was telling him. And he always trusted his instinct.


    When Heath heard that his older brother asked Bishop Ernst if he could bring two people to his dinner party, he immediately suspected that his brother was being swindled by someone. Based on his brother''s soft character, that was highly possible. Everyone knew that attending the Bishop''s dinner party was a good way to obtain an invitation for the Midnight Auction.


    Bishop Ernst had been assisting Archbishops responsible for the auction for years. Making him have a bit of authority when it came to the auction. The people attending the auction were usually the top nobility of different countries, as well as some very wealthy merchants. Their invitations were sent a month before the Festival of Creation.


    The Bishop developed a habit of inviting guests that arrived early at the city. He usually did it a week before the festival. Of course, not all people who visit the city early were qualified to attend his dinner party. He still picked those who he thought had the capital. Unless, there''s a special circumstance. Like a personal request from his most obedient priest.


    If Heath knew about that, then it wasn''t weird for other people to know about it too. Getting close to his stupid brother just so they could go to the Bishop''s dinner party and then in turn obtained an invitation for the auction. He had no doubt that this girl was capable of that.


    Just one nce at her and he was immediately reminded of that hypocritical Pope. So he couldn''t bring himself to believe the words that came out of her mouth. She was definitely just using his brother for her own purpose. Using that face to confuse him. Only his brother was too stupid to notice it.


    "Stop acting. It''s disgusting," Heath said with a matching disgusted expression on his face.


    Before Aurum could say anything, y already stood in front of her, pulling her behind his back and standing between him and the annoying knight. "Don''t talk to her in that tone."


    y''s voice was calm and steady but there was strenght behind it. His stance was not agressive, but Aurum knew that if the knight ever tried to hurt her in any way, he wouldn''t hesitate to fight back and protect her. Even if he ended up hurt and wounded. This cognition made Aurum''s chest tight. But there was also some kind of sweet taste inside.


    "Oh? What would you do, fight with me?" Heath said mockingly. "Unfortunately, you''re not qualified."


    From what he heard, this masked guy was the girl''s brother. He didn''t like the girl, so of course, he also didn''t like this guy. Heath didn''t feel threatened. Because he knew he''s stronger. This guy couldn''t even evoke a tiny bit of excitement for battle from him.


    On that note, he suddenly remembered that bastard he fought with at Shandra. He still couldn''t forget that fight. How could he, when he almost died from blood lost? He swore, if he could find that bastard, he would break every bones in his body.


    Because he was thinking of other things, he didn''t notice a pellet that was flying towards his direction at a very fast speed. When he did, he immediately moved to the side. But it still grazed his cheek. If not for his fast reflex, the pellet probably wouldn''t just graze his cheek but it would be embedded on his face instead.


    He looked sharply at the masked guy who smirked at him.


    "Am I still unqualified?" y said.


    y recognized this ''Heath'' person the moment Aurum opened the door to the carriage. It was a good thing he was wearing a mask or his surprise would definitely show on his face. He didn''t n to fight or even argue with him. But he couldn''t just let him insult Aurum continuously. Yes, they were really just using the young priest. But they were not nning to hurt him or anything. And, well, y just simply didn''t like this guy. Especially his tone.


    Heath bared his teeth, like an awakened beast. "You''ll pay for that."


    "Stop!" Heinz shouted before Heath could initiate an attack. He turned to his younger brother. "They are my guests. You acting this way towards them is only bringing shame to me. If you have nothing good thing to say, then please, just leave."


    Heath looked at his brother and knew that he was really angry. He snorted and jumped out of the carriage. "This is not over," he said to y and Aurum before walking away.


    Heinz let our a tired breath. He turned to Lady Ste and her brother. "I apologized for my brother. He''s not usually like that."


    Truthfully, Heath always had a bad temper. When their parents died, it became even worse. He fought with anyone who looked at him the wrong way.'' He''s like a mad beast, sheating his ws at anyone who approached his territory. There was not a single day he wouldn''te home without a single wound on his body. Heinz couldn''t help but worry. Every day that passed, that worry only intensified.


    He was 17 then while Heath was 15. He didn''t know how he should curb Heath''s violent tendecy or if he even could. He was already on his path to priesthood then. And the Bishop he was studying under suggested that he could let Heath apply for knighthood. With his brother''s strength, he would definitely pass the knight''s admission test. It could also be another way for him to vent his excess violence.


    Heinz persuaded his brother to apply. Reluctantly, Heath did. And now, six yearster, he was a priest here in Victoria City and Heath was already a high-ranking knight. Some would say that this was already a good end for a pair of orphans with no rtive background whatsoever.


    But when he looked at his brother, he sometimes wondered if he actually made the right decision.


    "It''s okay," Aurum said using a very gentle tone. "I noticed your brother''s dress. Is he a knight?"


    "Yes. Not just any knight. He might act rough but he''s actually one of His Holliness'' bodyguard," Heinz said, obviously very proud of his brother.


    His Holliness? The Pope? Aurum truly didn''t expect that. Could that jerk actually be rted to the Apostles? She looked at the young priest in front of her. It''s probably good luck that they came across this guy. He might not know much, but his brother probably did. Being a bodyguard to the bastard Pope and all. Maybe they could even export some information from him.


    "Let''s go, or we''ll bete," y''s voice said.


    Aurum collected her thoughts. She should talk to her brother about thister. "Yes, let''s go."


    The three entered the carriage and it traveled towards the Bishop''s residence.

 Chapter 147: at the bishops residence

    Chapter 147: at the bishop''s residence


    THE Bishop''s house was located at the Eastern part of the city. That part was known as the residential area of the city. Many priests and knights lived there. As well as some of the wealthier locals. A simple ck carriage stopped in front of a three-storey mansion. A gentle-looking man first walked out, followed by a man wearing a mask, then a pretty ck-haired girl.


    Aurum looked up at the mansion, this was probably the biggest house she''d seen in the area so far. Quite understandable since this was the home of the only Bishop in the city. There were already a number of carriage parked outside. Which meant that there were already guests inside.


    "My lord, mydy, please follow me," Heinz said and led them to the front door of the mansion.


    Aurum and y followed. The young priest rang the doorbell and a middle-aged man wearing a butler uniform opened the door.


    "Wee Father Heinz," the butler said amiably. It was clear in his tone that he was very familiar with the young priest. "His Excellency is already in the parlor."


    "Thank you, Alfred." Heinz turned to the two behind him. "Let''s go."


    Aurum took a deep breath and then showed her signature smile before walking inside the house. y walked calmly beside her.


    "You don''t have to be nervous. Bishop Ernst is really kind. If you properly tell him the reason why you wanted to attend the auction, I''m sure he would give you an invitation."


    Aurum couldn''t really put that much trust in what Heinz said. Not with that pig Bishop in Shandra as an example. Yes, maybe this Bishop Ernst was kind in front of people. But who knew, maybe he''s actually a pervert in secret. She really didn''t care that much. Her purpose ining here was to get an invitation for the auction. So whether the Bishop was a pervert or not didn''t really matter.


    They walked towards the parlor. When they entered, there were already eight people inside, including the Bishop. Some of the people were the ones Aurum noticed in Casa Royale earlier. So, she was right. They were really heading here. Most of the people''s gazes fell on them. Particrly on Aurum. Thedies had envy in their eyes while the men had admiration.


    Aurum was used to this kind of attention so she wasn''t that affected. y didn''t really care that much. He just chose to think that these people were part of the furnitures. Heinz, on the other hand, was blushing up to his ear. Clearly, he wasn''t used to people staring at him. But his steps didn''t falter and continued on to where an amiable looking old man was standing.


    Aurum could only assume that this was Bishop Ernst. Most of his ck hair were already gray. There were clearugh lines on the side of his face, a sign that he always smiled. He was wearing an elegant white robe. But because of the kind smile on his face, he didn''t look imposing but very friendly instead. If she saw him on the side of the street, she would think that he''s just an ordinary old man and not a high-ranking priest.


    "Your Excellency," Heinz greeted when they reached the Bishop.


    "Heinz, you''rete," he scolded but there really wasn''t any heat behind his words.


    "It''s our fault, Your Excellency," Aurum quickly said. "It''s because Father Heinz is kind enough to fetch us first. If he didn''t, I''m sure he would already be here much earlier."


    Aurum chose to interfere because from what she witnessed so far, this Bishop was very fond of Father Heinz. On the surface, at least. So protecting Father Heinz would definitely give the Bishop a good impression on her.


    "Oh no, it''s my fault for not leaving much earlier," Heinz immediately said.


    The Bishopughed. "Okay, I understand. It''s nobody''s fault." He then turned to Aurum and y. "These are the siblings you''ve mentioned?"


    "Yes, Your Excellency. These are Lady Ste and Lord Stephen Deveraux," Heinz said, introducing the two.


    "A Deveraux? How is Lord Richard?" the Bishop asked. "I thought he''d be attending thising festival."


    "Uncle is currently on vacation with Auntie," Aurum answered with a sweet smile on her lips.


    Anyone who heard her would believe that the ''Uncle'' and ''Auntie'' she was talking about was truly on vacation. Aside from that, they would also think that she was extremely close to them.


    The secret to lying was you must first believe what you''re saying so others would think that what you''re saying was nothing but the truth.


    As expected, the Bishop didn''t doubt what Aurum said.


    Truthfully, when Bishop Ernst first heard about these two siblings, he thought that Heinz was being deceived. Considering his soft character, that was highly probable. That''s why he didn''t immediately agree when Heinz asked if he could invite the two to the auction. But he didn''t reject his request either. Because it''s not often that Heinz requested anything from him.


    Ever since Heinz was assigned to him here in Victoria City, the young man had always been obedient and kind. He''s naive with almost a child-like innocence in him. As much as possible, Ernst didn''t want him to touch the darker side of the Temple. Because that would surely taint his innocence. Maybe that''s just his vanity talking. But he really wanted to protect the kid. At least to the extent that the Temple would allow him to.


    So, he justpromised and asked Heinz to invite the siblings to his dinner party. Then he would be the judge if the two were really who they said they were. Or if they''re just a pair of con artists.


    When Ernst first saw the Deveraux girl, his guess that Heinz was just being deceived solidified. Fooling a naive man was as easy as taking candy from a kid, especially if it was done by a pretty girl such as this. But when he managed to talk to her, his opinion immediately changed. Her temperament and confidence were not something an ordinarymoner could copy. No matter how good she was at acting.


    And now that she answered his question about Lord Richard Deveraux without even batting an eye, Ernst was even more convinced that she really was from the noble Deveraux family in Gaul.


    "From what Heinz said, you two are interested in going to the Midnight Auction?" Bishop Ernst opened.


    "Yes, Your Excellency. My brother and I heard about it identally and it just piqued our curiousity," Aurum answered. "Well, actually, it''s just me. My brother is just indulging me," she added shyly.


    Bishop Ernst looked at the silent man who Heinz introduced as Lord Stephen. He looked like the type of cold and indifferent noble lord. Ernst had seen a lot of that, so he didn''t think much even if the young man wasn''t speaking.


    "You two must have a really good rtionship," he said.


    "Yes, we do," Aurum said smiling and hugging y''s arm at the same time.


    And y just kept his high-cold act.


    "There''s no problem in giving you two invitations. But I must first ask for a sizable donation. I hope you could understand."


    Well, that''s not subtle at all. Sizable donations meant very big donation. Aurum had no problem with that since she and her brother always carriedrge amount of money with them. "Of course, Your Excellency. It''s our honor to help the church. Would a million gold coins be enough for three invitations?"


    If y was drinking something at that moment, he would probably spit it out identaly after hearing the huge amount of money Aurum was willing to give. Was she carrying a bank or something?


    Bishop Ernst was quite surprised by the amount she mentioned. His doubtpletely disappeared after that. Then he noticed that the girl said three instead of just two. "Three?"


    "For our bodyguard. It would be disadvantageous for us if we go there unprotected. Especially if we find something we wanted to buy from the auction. Not that I''m looking down at your security measure. But there''s no harm in being prepared," Aurum said with a bit of apologetic tone.


    "Of course," Bishop Ernst said. "Thene tomorrow at my office. Heinz will take you there. I will give you the invitations and you can also give your donations there."


    "I understand. Thank you, Your Excellency," Aurum said with a smile on her pretty face.


    Then the butler appeared announcing the arrival of Archbishop Stillwell. Bishop Ernst excused himself and walked out of the parlor to personally greet the Archbishop.


    y bowed down to Aurum. "Good job," he said in a voice that only the two could hear.


    Aurum smiled. This time, it was real. "I know."

 Chapter 148: dinner party

    Chapter 148: dinner party


    THE butler announced that dinner was served and the guests at the Bishop''s house lined up to enter the dining hall. Standing at the front was a man wearing an elegant blue robe with beautiful golden embroidery. The man seemed to be middle-aged. His neat ck hair had a few gray strands on it. He stood there with his chin held high as if he''s looking down at all the people around him. Maybe he was.


    This man was one of the five Archbishop of the Temple of Gaia - Marcus Stillwell.


    He walked first inside the dining hall, followed by the Bishop and Father Heinz. y and Aurum went next. Then the other seven guests followed as well.


    Upon entering, you could immediately see that the long table was set beautifully, filled with gorgeous tablewares. Rows of servants were lined up in both sides, ready to serve at any time.


    Archbishop Stillwell sat at the head of the table while Bishop Ernst sat at the other end. Five guests sat on the left side while the other five was on the right, forming a perfect bnce. Aurum was sitting at the left of the Archbishop while y was sitting on his right. Father Heinz, on the other hand, was sitting at the other end of the table, on the right of the Bishop.


    Aurum was slightly surprised by the seating arrangement at first. Then she realized that the position she was sitting on was dedicated to whoever donated the most money to the Bishop. Considering that she was the one sitting here, that meant that the donations she gave was thergest. And based on the Bishop''s attitude towards her and y, he was quite satisfied with the amount she nned to donate.


    Now she was d that she didn''t hesitate to give that amount of money. Because this way, it would be easier for her to read the mind of the Archbishop. All she had to do was turn off her limiter and look for any information about the elf from his mind. Even if she could only do it for five seconds, she could take a lot from it as long as she had something to focus on. She just hoped his mental defense was not as strong as that of the kid they met yesterday.


    She nced at the arrogant looking man sitting at the head of the table. He hadn''t spoken to anyone besides the Bishop since he came. His mouth had a disdainful sneer. As if he couldn''t be bothered giving his attention to the people here.


    The Bishop nodded to the butler and the servants began serving food. With that, dinner started. First thing to be served was the entree which was veal cutlets.


    Aurum looked at y and let out a sigh of relief when she saw that his eating etiquette was just right. Before this, she gave him a crash course on the proper etiquette during a dinner party like this. That included which cutlery should be used on what food, as well as other do''s and don''ts.


    Like how you shouldn''t smell or examine your food. Chewing with your mouth open or speaking with food in your mouth was also forbidden. Food was to be enjoyed and not rushed. It was considered bad manners to eat too much of anything, to the point that it was noticed. You also needed to show decorum by refraining frommenting overtly about any of the dishes - everything should be considered as favorable as the next.


    "This veal is very good,"mented by one of thedies sitting beside y.


    Aurum almost winced. Well, it seemed this girl was not taught the proper etiquette.


    As expected, Archbishop Stillwell reacted. He looked at the Bishop. "Richard, it looks like the quality of the guests in your dinner party gets lower and lower each year," he said calling the Bishop by his first name. Then he nced at the girl who just spoke and didn''t hide the disdain in his eyes.


    The girl''s face turned red in embarrassment and then she looked down, bit her lip and turned silent.


    "My apologies, Your Eminence, my daughter is just a little bit excited," said the man sitting beside the girl with a ttering smile on his face.


    The Archbishop ignored the man, as if he didn''t hear what he said.


    Bishop Ernst smiled at the Archbishop. "Marcus, be a sport. Don''t bring your bad mood at the dinner table."


    The Archbishop only snorted. Aurum raised her brow. It looked like the rtionship between the two was quite good.


    "Now, Your Eminence, if you say that, I couldn''t help but feel sad," Aurum said with a bit of spoiled tone.


    The Archbishop nced at the girl, as if only noticing her by now. The girl had ck hair and a pair of expressive ck eyes. She was pretty and delicate. Her rosy lips had a sweet smile, making people want to smile back at her. His interest was slightly piqued. "Oh, and why is that?"


    Aurum picked the goblet of wine and sipped a little, making her lips redder. "Because I do believe my quality is not that low."


    The Archbishop suddenlyughed. "Yes. I believe you''re not. What did you say your name was?"


    "Lady Ste Deveraux, Your Eminence."


    "A Deveraux. From Gaul?"


    "Yes."


    y couldn''t help but marvel at Aurum''s interpersonal skill. With just one sentence, she managed to grab the Archbishop''s attention. Even alleviating the man''s obvious bad mood. He just worried that this attention would turn into a deep interest. It would be hard for them to leave if this guy suddenly suggested that he wanted to spend more time with Aurum after this. He didn''t notice that he already tightly gripped the fork and knife he was holding after thinking of that possibility.


    Bishop Ernst appreciation towards the girl only deepened because of that. He really didn''t read her wrong. While Father Heinz admiration towards Lady Ste also grew.


    The Archbishop''s conversation with Aurum continued until they reached the main course.


    "Your Eminence, it is true that your responsible for the uing auction?" Aurum thought of asking, steering their conversation towards this particr topic.


    "Yes."


    Aurum showed an amazed look. "How wonderful. I heard so many good things about it. Your Eminence is really amazing."


    Because the way she acted was not like she''s purposedly ttering anyone, it only gave off the feeling that what she said was her true thoughts. Making people think that they truly were what she thought they were. Even the Archbishop was not exempted.


    "Are you interested in going?" the Archbishop asked.


    Aurum smiled. "Fortunately His Excellency is kind enough to give me and my brother invitations. I couldn''t wait to attend. Would there be a lot of interesting things to be sold at the auction?"


    "Of course," the Archbishop said proudly.


    "The finale must be a one of a kind item."


    At the mention of that, Marcus couldn''t help but frown a little. Yes, the finale should be a one of a kind item. But because of that bastard Lucern, the item he wanted to auction as the finale would have to be reced.


    Noticing his change in mood, Aurum took that chance to turn off her limiter and spread her Mana towards the Archbishop. As luck would have it, she didn''t face any resistance. She searched for the elf and the auction. Because he was already thinking about those two things, she managed to get a lot of useful information. When she''s done, she immediately turned her limiter back on.


    Aurum organized everything inside her head. Remembering the face of the elf that she saw, she couldn''t help but clenched both her fists. Doubts filling her mind.


    How could that elf have that face?

 Chapter 149: he has the same face

    Chapter 149: he has the same face


    THE dinner party ended and all the guests started to say goodbye to their host - the Bishop - and also thank him for the wonderful dinner. Althought it''s a long stretch to call it wonderful. Most of the men who attended the party wanted to deepen their rtionship with the Temple, especially to the Archbishop. That''s the main reason why they attended this dinner party.


    But who would have known that the Archbishop''s attention would be upied by a girl all throughout dinner? They couldn''t even insert one sentence to their conversation. Even now that they were leaving, the Archbishop still couldn''t be bothered with them. But who would be willing to just leave like this?


    One of the men gathered his courage and walked towards the Archbishop. "Your Eminence, I heard that you are fond of collecting rare gems?" He took a ck squared box from his space ring and presented it to the Archbishop. He opened it and inside was a luminous ck pearl. "This ck pearl is a hundred years old. I don''t know if Your Eminence could like this?"


    Marcus barely nced at the pearl. Then he sneered. What did this man think, that he could be bought by a cheap pearl? He turned his attention back to the ck haired girl standing beside him. "Do you think he''s bribing me?"


    The man suddenly panicked. "N-no, Your Eminence! I--"


    "Am I talking to you?" Marcus said, cutting off what the man was about to say. Then he looked back at the girl. "What do you think, Lady Ste?"


    Aurum acted like she was thinking about the answer. "I don''t think he''s bribing you, Your Eminence. Though I must say, this pearl certainly doesn''t suit you."


    Marcus raised his brow in interest. "And why is that?"


    "It''s fake."


    The man''s face turned red in embarrassment. "You--!"


    The Archbishop, on the other hand,ughed out loud. Making the man''s face even redder. He gripped the small box, bowed his head, and walked away. The people who wanted to do the same thing as the man, after seeing this scene,pletely changed their mind. It''s better to just leave here quietly than to leave a bad impression to the Archbishop.


    "Ah truly, Lady Ste, you''re the only reason this dinner can be tolerable," the Archbishop honestly said.


    "Only tolerable, Your Eminence?"


    Marcus couldn''t help butugh again. He really found this girl quite interesting. It''s such a shame that they were not in his own turf or he wouldn''t hesitate to bring this girl back to his own pce. He knew he couldn''t act carelessly here in Victoria City, not in a ce fully controled by Lucern. Especially after what happened to that Bishop in Shandra. Nobody asked but everyone knew that the one who killed Charles Dupont was Lucern.


    Lucern Faust might appear all kind and gentle, but that''s only his facade. A mask he wore for the public. Everyone in the upper circle of the Temple of Gaia knew just how ck his heart was. He was capable of anything. Marcus was not even sure if he had any bottom line at all. A simple cold gaze from him could easily invoke fear on others.


    That fear was the only thing Marcus could think of why the other four Archbishops chose to annoint him as the next Pope when thest Pope died. Or else, why would they choose an orphan with no background whatsoever?


    Marcus sneered inside. He was not like those four old men who''s fine with having that bastard reign above them all. He swore, there woulde a time when he would pull him down his throne. All he needed was an opportunity.


    "Then, Your Eminence, my brother and I would also go. It''s already gettingte after all. And I know you and His Excellency still have a lot to discuss."


    The girl''s voice pulled him out from his thoughts. Although reluctant, he could only let her go. "Go. Don''t forget to greet me during the auction."


    Aurum smiled. "Of course."


    She walked towards the opened door of the parlor where the Bishop and Father Heinz were standing together.


    "Your Excellency, thank you for such a wonderful evening," she said.


    "No need for any thanks. Your presence has been a joy," the Bishop said quite generously.


    Aurum only smiled more sweetly. "Then, I''ll be seeing you tomorrow for the donation?"


    The Bishop nodded.


    Then she turned to the young priest. "Father Heinz, thank you as well. You''re the reason my brother and I could attend this dinner party."


    Heinz immediately shook his head, his face blushing red. "Oh no, no. I only did what I have to."


    "And because of that, I''m thankful," she said, smiling at the young priest.


    Heinz blushed even harder which made the Bishopugh.


    Aurum said goodbye to the two and walked towards the entrance of the mansion. Once she was out, the smile on her facepletely disappeared.


    y was already outside, standing beside the carriage that would take them back to Casa Royale.


    "Done?" he asked.


    Aurum nodded and both of them got on the carriage. When it drove off, y couldn''t help but stare at the girl sitting in front of him. There was some kind of anxiety on her face. It was negligible when they were having dinner. But now that they were alone, itpletely showed.


    He noticed it earlier while they were having the main course. Something threw her off. Nobody else noticed because she was just that good at acting, not even the Archbishop she''d been talking to. But y did. Maybe because his eyes never left her face all throughout dinner. That''s why he immediately saw that slight change in her expression.


    But what could have possibly happened during that dinner? They were just eating after all. He could only think of one possibility.


    "Did you see something disturbing inside the Archbishop''s mind?"


    He knew she had a telepathic Gift, he could easily deduce that when he suddenly heard her voice inside his head during the incident with that kid yesterday. Since it looked like that particr information was not something that''s open to the public, he didn''t bother to ask more about it.


    Aurum was startled by y''s sudden question. She looked up at him. She had almost forgotten that she used her Gift on him. It was because he''d been acting normally that she forgot about it. Now that she did remember, that sweet feeling inside her chest emerged again. Because he didn''t treat her any differently even after knowing about her Gift. There was no disgust, no fear in his eyes.


    She shook her head. This was not the time to think about something like that. "I need to call my brother," she said instead. She took her sPhone out and called Argent. "Hello, Brother? Can you go to that restaurant where we often eat our meals? I have some urgent news to tell you."


    ----------


    After Argent received Aurum''s call, she immediately went to the restaurant and reserved a private box. Good thing it was open until midnight. She wondered what this urgent news Aurum wanted to tell her was.


    She saw everything that happened since Aurum and y left Casa Royale. The small camera inside her sister''s brooch was connected to her lightbrain, so she knew everything that Aurum experienced. From meeting that knight - who Argent had almost forgotten - until she left the Bishop''s residence.


    Argent must say that the biggest surprise for her this night was finding out that the knight she fought with in Shandra was actually one of Lucern Faust''s bodyguard. She started to think if she could use him somehow. But she was certain that he had nothing to do with what Aurum wanted to tell her. It most probably had something to do with what her sister read in the Archbishop''s mind.


    Was it connected to the elf?


    She waited for another 15 minutes before Aurum entered the private box.


    "y?" she asked when she saw that her sister came in alone.


    "I told him to go back first to Casa Royale," Aurum answered, sitting opposite her.


    Argent raised one of her brows. This meant that what Aurum was about to tell her was not something that y should participate in. "What''s this news you wanted to tell me?"


    "It''s the elf," Aurum started and then took a deep breath before continuing, "Brother, he has the same face as Uncle Jax."

 Chapter 150: the twins are up to no good (again)

    Chapter 150: the twins are up to no good (again)


    ARGENT''s eyes widened a bit, an indication that she was surprised by what her sister said. Out of all the things she thought Aurum would tell her, this was thest thing she expected to hear. No, actually, it didn''t cross her mind at all. "You mean the elf has simr facial structure as Uncle Jax?"


    "Not just simr. He looks like the younger version of Uncle Jax! Well, aside from the white blond hair and long pointy ears," Aurum said. "Imagine my surprise when I saw that. Good thing my acting ability is great or else the shock I felt would definitely show on my face. What do you think this mean, Brother?"


    "It could mean a lot of things. One answer is that the elf and Uncle Jax share amon ancestor. Elves are known to be pure creatures. I read once that long before Mythos Continent closed off, elves had a tradition of letting their newly matured young elves to go outside and travel the world. Because most of those young elves were gullible and easy to be tricked, a lot of humans were able to force them into a sexual rtionship. Sad thing was, they didn''t even understand they''re being fooled. Due to that, there''s a gradual increase in the poption of halflings.


    "But before things turned into a truly serious problem, both for the elves and the humans, the newly crowned Elven Queen at that time rectify that. She no longer approved of young elves going out of their sacred forest without being educated about the dark side of humans. They also had to change their appearance and disguised themselves as ordinary humans. But some things had already happened. And those elves who gave birth to halflings became the ancestors of some of the humans living in the world today."


    Was there still such a thing? Her brother always read some weird books so Aurum never doubted if what Argent was saying was true of not. For her, her brother was always right. "Then you think that the McAllisters have elven blood in them?"


    "Not necessarily. But in my opinion, probably not."


    "Why?"


    "I read a study before made by a famous historian. ording to that book, people with elven blood are often born with Gifts rted to nature. That historian made a conclusion that it was because elves were the darling of nature. So most of the people who have even a tiny drop of elven blood in them tend to have nature rted Gifts. Of course that was not always the case. Especially if there were other strong bloodline mixed in, like the blood of a dragon or a beastkin for example. I don''t think that''s the case with the McAllisters."


    The McAllisters were just a normal business family. They only rose to power hundreds of yearster after Mythos Continent closed off. So having intersection with more than one of the three mythical races was almost improbable. So the reason why Jaxon, as well as Finn and Ruby didn''t have Gifts that were nature centered was not because they have two or three powerful blood in them but because they didn''t have a drop of elven blood at all.


    "So, what''s the other possibility?" Aurum asked, her curiosity was almost at its limit.


    Argent looked at her sister. "The elf is Uncle Jax'' son."


    Aurum felt like she just had an auditory hallucination. "Brother, can you repeat that again? I don''t think I heard you properly."


    "That elf, I think he''s Uncle Jax'' son," her brother repeated.


    She almost stood up in shock. "How could that be?"


    "How could it not be?" Argent countered. "How old does this elf boy seem like?"


    "About seven or eight?"


    "Young elves who haven''t reached maturity yet age three times slower than normal. Theypletely stop aging once they reached that mature age. So if that elf boy seems like he was six or seven, then he''s real age is probably between 21 to 24. But if he''s a halfling, that would make his aging a bit faster than normal elves. Then he''s real age is probably between 14 to 16. If we assume that, then somewhere 15 to 17 years ago, Uncle Jax met a pureblooded elf. In between that time, he was still travelling with our currenlty missing father. He might have met her that time."


    After her brother said that, Aurum really saw the possibility of that elf being Uncle Jax'' son. "Then should we tell Uncle Jax about this? If we ask him now if he somehow had an affair with an elf years ago, we''ll immediately know if that elf really is his son."


    "I don''t think that''s a good idea. If I''m right and that''s really his son, then Uncle Jax would surelye here. Trying to rescue that elf himself. That would onlyplicate our n. We couldn''t afford to add too many factors in the equation."


    "Then what should we do?"


    "We''ll just have to rescue that elf ourselves. And since we already agreed to help y in rescuing that elf, it wouldn''t really cause too much change in our n. So, did you see in the Archbishop''s mind where they were keeping the elf?"


    Aurum shook her head. "He only saw him one time, when the elf was given to that bastard Pope. The Archbishop wants him to be the finale for the Midnight Auction, but the bastard Pope didn''t agree. That''s why the Archbishop was so salty about it."


    So the Pope was keeping the elf? Even if the elf was a halfling, he still should have a considerable amount of Mana. Huge enough to get himself out of this city. So why hadn''t he?


    Argent didn''t even think of the possibility that the elf might not be a halfling but someone who had just a quarter of elven blood. Having those long pointy ears was evidence enough that his elven blood was in high quantity. He could only be a pure or a halfling. So the only reason he''s not escaping was because he couldn''t.


    There''s a possibility that his situation was the same as her mother, unconcious and being bombarded by nightmares. It''s also possible that the Pope had his handle so he couldn''t allow himself to fight back. Or Lucern Faust, that bastard, was just too strong that he could easily overpowered him. Personally, she thought it''s thest one.


    "Attending the auction is probably useless if the elf wouldn''t even be there," Aurum added.


    "Not exactly," Argent said, a n already unfolding in her purple gaze.


    "What do you mean, Brother?"


    "We just have to convince the Archbishop that he needed to take that elf to the auction at all cost," she said, a yful smile crossed her lips.


    Aurum immediately understood what her brother was trying to say and also smiled. "Is ''convince'' really the right word?"


    "''Convince'', ''exploit'', ''manipte'', it''s all the same," Argent shrugged. "Can you do it?"


    Aurum smiled confidently. "Of course. When will we start?"


    "Tomorrow would be good."

 Chapter 151: will you play with us?

    Chapter 151: will you y with us?


    CLAY entered the office of Bishop Ernst. It was located at a side building attached to the Holy Temple. He was there to get the invitations for the auction which the Bishop promisedst night. The one guiding him was Father Heinz who currently looked like he just lost his favorite candy. He was still energetic when he weed him at the door of the Holy Temple. But when the young priest found out that Aurum was not with him, he started to have this look.


    y knew that the one Father Heinz was really excited to see was Aurum. But could you please not be so obvious? If he really was a noble of some importance, he would definitely be offended. He might be even angry because of the unusual attention you''re giving to his ''sister''. But he''s not. And he did understand why this young priest would be attracted to Aurum.


    Because if that girl wanted to shine, then it would be easy for her to be the brightest existence in a room. Anyone would be drawn to her.


    "Lord Stephen, is it alright if I visit Lady Steter?" Father Heinz suddenly asked.


    It was because the reason y gave him why Aurum was not with him today was because she was not feeling well.


    "No. She didn''t want to be disturbed."


    "Oh," the young priest said in disappointment.


    y chose to ignore his disappointed tone. What else could he say? He couldn''t possibly tell him that Aurum was not really sick and that she''s currently nning to do something probably bad to the Archbishop together with their ''bodyguard''.


    This morning, the twins suddenly told him that he should go to the Bishop''s office alone. Because they''re nning to go to the ce where the Archbishop was residing. They didn''t tell him what they''re going to do there but he had a feeling that it probably had something to do with the elf and the auction. Knowing the two, it definitely wasn''t something good.


    y didn''t bother to force the two to borate their ns to him. If they needed his help, he was sure that they wouldn''t hesitate to ask him. But because they didn''t ask him to do anything, that meant that they had everything under control. He didn''t really care if they''re nning to do something bad. Since they''re on the same boat now, whatever they nned to do, he would resolutely support.


    Soon, they arrived at Bishop Ernst office. It was big for an office, filled with books and the smell of parchments. The Bishop was sitting behind his desk, writing something. When they entered, he raised his head and an obvious confused expression showed on his face when he only saw y.


    "Lord Deveraux. Your sister?" Bishop Ernst asked. Truthfully, he already forgot the name of this young man. He didn''t really leave any impression on himst night. Unlike his sister who was the center of attention at the dinner party. The presence of this young man was just too weak.


    "She''s not feeling well," he simply said. Since he''s sporting a cold character, it''s better if he said less.


    "I see. That''s unfortunate." Although he''d rather deal with Lady Ste than this brother of hers, it couldn''t be helped if she''s not feeling well. "I will pray to the goddess Gaia so she could immediately regain her spirits."


    y only nodded then he immediately took a chest from his space ring. He put it on the Bishop''s desk and opened it. Inside was a shit load of gold. Like his reaction earlier when Argent gave him this chest, he still felt quite unbelievable. It was the first time he saw so much gold in his life. And yet Argent didn''t even blink when he gave him this chest of gold. It only hit him then just how rich the ckbournes truly were.


    "The donation," he said then closed the chest again.


    "Good, good." Bishop Ernst didn''t doubt the amount of gold inside the chest. He trusted Lady Ste to give him the amount that she promised. But just in case, he would still make a few priests to count the goldter. He opened one of the drawers of his desk and took three ck small envelopes. "The invitations, as promised."


    y took the ck envelopes and put in his space ring.


    "The time and venue is written there as well as instruction on how to get to the venue," the Bishop added. "I hope you and your sister would enjoy the auction."


    y nodded and bid farewell to the Bishop. Once, he''s out of the Holy Temple, he finally breath a sigh of relief. Now he''s part for today was done. He was about to walk when his sPhone vibrated. He usually put his sPhone in his pocket just in case someone contacted him. He took it out and saw the name of his sister.


    He immediately answered it. "Flora?"


    "Brother, are you alright?" Flora asked, worry obvious in his voice.


    "Yes. Why wouldn''t I be?"


    "Probably because you didn''t bother to call for a week now. And I''m worried that you were taken already by the Temple and currently being tortured at some dungeon," she said, both worried and annoyed.


    "Sorry, some things happened and I forgot. But for your peace of mind, I''m happy to tell you that I''m not being tortured at some dungeon or anything."


    He heard Flora sigh from the other line. "Have you seen the elf?"


    "Not yet. But I''m now more confident that I would be able to save him."


    "And may I ask where does this confidencee from?"


    "I''ll tell you once everything is over," he just said. Because he knew her sister would only worry more once he told him that he now joined hands with the ckbourne twins to save the elf. Not only that, he also made a deal with them.


    Then he transferred the topic and continued walking.


    ----------


    On the back garden of the Apostolic Pce, two boys were sitting on the grass. They had the same face but different hair, eyes, and skin color. One had golden brown hair and eyes. His skin was the color of rich honey. He was ying with an sPhone. The other one had pale blond hair and gray eyes. His skin was as white as a paper. It looked unhealthy that one would immediately think that he was sick once they saw him. He was staring at the blue sky as if he could see something there aside from the clouds.


    "Solis, Luna," called a woman''s voice.


    The two kids turned their heads to the direction of the voice and saw a woman walking towards them. She was tall and willowy. She had long dark purple hair freely swaying behind her back. She was wearing a simple white dress. Her eyes were the lightest blue. It had no focus, as if she had a problem with her eyesight.


    "Limos!" called the boy named Solis, the one with golden brown hair. He stood up and ran to the woman he called Limos.


    Limos looked down at the sPhone the boy was holding. "Solis, didn''t His Holiness tell you not to use that thing too often?" her voice was gentle. Anyone who listened to it would feel that they were being treasured by the owner of this voice.


    "But Luc only said that we shouldn''t use it when calling someone or when we''re talking about something important. I''m not calling anyone and we''re not talking about something important, so it''s fine," Solis said, pouting. "Anyway, if you don''t want me to y with this, then give us something to y with. Yes, how about that sleepingdy?"


    "You can''t. She''s a guest of His Holiness," Limos patiently said.


    "Then what about the elf?" this time it was said by Luna - the boy with pale blond hair. He took back his gaze from the sky and then turned to the other two.


    "Yes, that elf!"


    Limos thought about it and then only sighed at the end. "As long as you don''t kill him."


    Solis squeeled in happiness and then ran towards his twin. "Brother, let''s go and y with that elf."


    Luna took his brother''s hand and both walked towards the dungeon hiding underground the Apostolic Pce.


    The ce was dim and damped. Inside one of the cages, a young boy who looked like seven or eight years old was sitting at the corner. Iron chains were attached to both his feet. He had white blond hair and skin as white as porcin. His ears were long and pointed. An indication that he''s not human. When he heard footsteps approaching, he raised his head. His green eyes filled with anger and hatred.


    Solis'' eyes brightened when he saw the young elf. A kind of maniacal smile crossed his lips. "Hey, little elf, will you y with us?"

 Chapter 152: convincing the archbishop

    Chapter 152: ''convincing'' the archbishop


    AT AN almost isted area in the Eastern part of Victoria City, far from most of the residential houses and busy streets, stood a three storey white mansion. This mansion was built for the stay of any of the five Archbishops. It had its own household staff. But sometimes, they still needed to hire some locals to help maintain the house. Especially when an Archbishop was staying.


    Just like now, for example.


    The butler hired additional servants today from the localmunity. The Archbishop had been in a bad mood for a couple of days now. Since he arrived here at Victoria City, he had already fired a number of servants. The butler had been hiring locals constantly since. And today was no exemption.


    At the kitchen, the butler was inspecting the three people in front of him. Two were young women wearing maid''s uniform and the other was a young teenage boy.


    One of the young women had a full figure that even the in maid''s uniform couldn''t hide and a rather enchanting smile on her face. The other one was very tall. Her ck hair was tightly held in a bun. And you couldn''t properly see her face because of the thick sses she''s wearing. She looked like the prime example of a very prudedy.


    The young boy looked like he was about 13, 14 years old. He also had ck hair. His skin was white and delicate and his face was very pretty for his own good. One look at him and people couldn''t help but want to bully him.


    The butler looked at the boy''s thin arms. "Are you sure you can do proper work?" he asked quite doubtful.


    "Sir, please don''t underestimate me just because I look like this," the boy said indignantly. "I may look like this but I assure you, I can do whatever job you ask of me," he added, proudly sticking out his chest.


    The butler was still uncertain but at the end, he still agreed in letting the boy work here. Him being here was proof enough that he passed the test of the Household Bureau - the departmental office here in Victoria City responsible for hiring servants for the Temple. And besides, he also had a paper certified by the Household Bureau. Prooving further that he''s not here under illegal conditions.


    "I assumed the three of you were already briefed on proper decorum and conduct?" the butler said instead. The three all answered with a ''yes''. "Your rooms are now avable at the servants'' quarters. Meals are provided. Do your work properly and try to avoid annoying His Eminence."


    "Yes," the three answered again.


    He looked at the prude looking young woman. "You''re going to start working at the first floor. Always be ready in case His Eminence ask for tea or such." Then he turned at the other young woman. "You''ll be assigned here at the kitchen."


    Before he could turn to the young boy and tell him what his work would be, the woman he assigned at the kitchen suddenly spoke.


    "Sir, could I switch jobs with her?" she said talking about the prude looking girl. "I think I''m much more suited in serving His Eminence than her."


    Appearance wise, she''s definitely a hundred times better than this boring looking woman. When she found out that the youngest Archbishop would be the one helping with the Festival of Creation, she immediately applied as a servant here. She thought that this could be a good opportunity for her. If the Archbishop took a liking to her, then she would be set for life.


    With her face and body, she''s confident that she would be able to seduce him. There''s only a week left before the Archbishop left this city. She wouldn''t be able to do any seducing if she''s stuck here in the kitchen. Any attempt on her part would only look like she''s trying too hard. So it would look more natural if she was assigned to serve him. How could she just miss this chance?


    The butler looked at the woman coldly. "You haven''t started working here yet and you already can''t follow orders? If you have a problem with the order I''m giving, then I think this ce is not for you. Please, feel free to leave."


    One look at the woman and the butler knew just what was going through her mind. It was obvious that she was trying to climb the bed of the Archbishop. True, Archbishop Stillwell had a reputation when it came to women. But that only applied to noble women. If a mere maid tried to seduce the Archbishop, the butler was not sure if she would only be fired. The Archbishop might even be tempted to kill her. Which was something that should be avoided at all cost.


    The best thing to do was not allow a maid like this inside the mansion. But this mansion really needed servants right now. Especially since the Archbishop already fired quite a lot since he came. The butler would just fire this maid once a new batch of servants came.


    The maid just gnashed her teeth and said, "My apologies, Sir."


    "If there''s no moreint, you two can start your work," the butler said to the two young women.


    The tall, prude looking woman nodded and went out of the kitchen. The other young maid remained since she was assigned to work here in the kitchen.


    "Sir, what about me? Where should I work?" the boy asked tentatively.


    The butler looked at the boy, sighed, and just said, "You go work at the garden. The grasses there needed trimming."


    "Okay," the boy said enthusiastically.


    The servants in the mansion started their work for the day. After the Archbishop had breakfast, he went straight to his study and ordered for tea to be delivered. One of the new maids - the tall one - was the one who went and delivered the tea.


    When she entered the study, the Archbishop was looking over some papers. She poured a cup of tea and carefully put it on the desk. The Archbishop drank it. Then he noticed that the maid who served the tea was still in the room. This immediately made him irritated.


    He put down the cup and said, "What are you still doing here? Go--"


    He hadn''t finished what he was saying because everything just turned dark and he found himself falling until he could no longer feel anything. It was obvious that there was something wrong with the tea.


    The maid checked if the Archbishop really did lose conciousness. Once she confirmed it, she looked around the study to check if there was some spying tools. Satisfied with her search, she walked towards the window. The study was located at the first floor of the mansion and the windows opened up to the back garden where not many servantse.


    She opened one of the windows and a figure stealthly climbed through it. This was the newly hired servant boy who was supposed to work at the garden. When he entered the study, the maid immediately closed the window and also pulled the curtains.


    "Is it safe to do it now?" asked the boy.


    "Yes, you can start," the maid answered.


    This ''boy'' and ''maid'' were none other than the ckbourne twins in disguise. The ''boy'' was Aurum wearing the short ck wig that Argent was formerly wearing. While the ''maid'' was Argent wearing Aurum''s ck wig. They still had the human skin mask on them. That''s why Argent had to wear thick sses to hide the masculine features of her face. By posing as opposite genders - well, at least opposite to what Argent usually was - no one would connect them with these two servants.


    Much earlier this morning, Argent ambushed two servants that were supposed toe here and took their papers. She attacked them from behind so she was sure they didn''t see her face. But even if they do, it wouldn''t really matter since she was wearing a mask.


    She had thought of this tactic to enter the Apostolic Pce and put cameras there. But she immediately scrapped that idea when she found out how tightly guarded it was. Unlike this mansion. Because the Archbishops rarely came here, the security was quitex. Add that to fact that this Archbishop Stillwell had been firing the servants here, and it was just perfect to use this tactic at this particr situation.


    "You know Brother, maybe we should collect a number of wigs so we could use different disguise at a time," Aurum said while walking towards the unconcious Archbishop. "How about I start collecting them?"


    "Go ahead," Argent didn''t object because she thought it was indeed a good idea. Maybe she should also ordered a couple of human skin mask to be made. During situations that it''s much better to use it than her holographic choker.


    Aurum stood behind the Archbishop, turned off her limiter, then put both her hands on the side of his head. After five seconds, she let go and turned on her limiter.


    "It''s done?" Argent asked.


    "Yes."


    Aurum put a strong suggestion inside the Archbishop''s mind, a voice that would keep telling him that he should do everything to put the elf as the finale at the iing auction. It was easy since the idea was already there. Aurum just strengthened it. And since she did it at full power, it was even stronger. Now the inhibition preventing the Archbishop from going through with it was gone. He could now put that elf at the auction regarldess of anything - like the objection of the Pope.


    "Do you think he could sessfully put the elf at the auction?" Aurum asked, feeling a little bit doubtful.


    "He''s an Archbishop. He didn''t get to this position by being useless. I''m sure he would have a way. If not, then we''ll have someone help him from behind the scenes."


    "Someone?"


    "Yes. I think our two helpers will soon arrive here at Victoria City. Let''s put them immediately to work."


    Two helpers? Aurum first thought of ck and White, but she immediately denied that idea. Because they had another job. Then she remembered something that her brother mentioned to her before going here at Victoria City. "You mean the people from Dreich Gallere?"


    Argent nodded. Considering Viper''s personality, even if she told him to go here at the day of the festival, he would surelye much earlier. Maybe they were already here for all she knew. She should probably contact him after this to check.


    After they''re done, Aurum and Argent tactically disappeared from there. And the mansion lost another two servants unknowingly.

 Chapter 153: and then there were three

    Chapter 153: and then there were three


    WINTER looked out of the window of the gryphon drawn carriage. All he could see was the vast blue sky and some birds flying around. He was on his way to Victoria City to attend the Festival of Creation that would happen three days from now.


    Originally, it was Icelyn that was supposed to go. She had been the one attending the festival ever since the Pope visited Albion a few years back. But now, this thing had fallen on him. There was really no other candidate. The former first prince was now exiled. The second princess and third prince were both still young and not really suitable to handle political stuffs.


    Speaking of Icelyn, she was now imprisoned at Nightstone Tower - a prison located at a small ind near the capital where the famous criminal in Albion were being held. It waspletely made of Nullum stone, weakening the Gifts of the prisoners inside. The prisoners were also often fed drugs that would make their limbs weak and their minds muddled, so as to prevent them from escaping.


    Winter didn''t thing that the King would actually put Icelyn there. After all, she was still his daughter. Colluding with a dark organization rted to the Temple of Gaia probably hit his bottom line. Probably more so because Icelyn was his daughter.


    The King was busy dealing with the aftermath of his decision. After Icelyn was imprisoned, the Queen was stimted a lot and started a rampage inside the pce. She needed to be sedated and locked in her room since. Aside from the Queen, the King also needed to control some of the nobles in court who supported Icelyn. They requested for Icelyn to be released. Of course it was rejected by the King.


    The crime bestowed upon Icelyn was treason. It''s a crime punishable by death. It''s already magnanimous of him to just imprison her. That point, of course those nobles couldn''t refute. Especially since majority of the members of parliament agreed with the decision of the King.


    What happened became a huge scandal though. Because of the presence of sPhones and Apps like [Jiffy], the news about Icelynmiting treason didn''t only spread at Albion but also to other countries at the Southwestern continent. Soon, it might even spread around the world.


    The King tried to contact Argent, to ask him to help contain the news. He''s the creator of sPhones so surely he had a way to stop the news from spreading even further. But sadly, the duke couldn''t be contacted. The people from Hanover manor all said that they also had no way to contact the duke. Even the duchess couldn''t be contacted.


    As ast resort, the King contacted Silver Corporation directly. Which didn''t really help. That McAllister boy told him that Silver Corporation had no control over what people post on [Jiffy] or any other Apps. That''s part of the people''s freedom and they never interfered with that. So at the end, the King could only grit his teeth and ept that the embarrassment of their own royal family would be known to the world. He hated Icelyn even more because of that.


    But even so, the King couldn''t put the me on the Temple of Gaia. The church was a behemoth. No matter how powerful their kingdom was, it couldn''tpare to the influence of the Temple.


    That''s why Winter was here, going to the home base of the Temple and attending the famous festival. His presence was like a sign, telling the Temple that despite what happened, the Kingdom of Albion was still willing topromise with them. He hated it. The situation and how powerless their kingdom seemed to be.


    The Temple of Gaia was supposed to be the symbol of hope, kindness, and righteousness. And yet they''re doing something like this, trying to bring countries under their control. Winter was sure that Albion was not the only one. He just wondered, what would that aplished? The Temple in itself was powerful enough. What more did they want?


    His thoughts ended when the carriage slowlynded, which meant that they were already at the gates of Victoria City.


    Sure enough, Aspen who was sitting in front of him said, "Your Highness, we''re here."


    Winter looked at the man with a shaggy blond hair and a muscr build. Of his three most trusted men, he only brought Aspen with him. The other two were left at Albion to deal with other things while he was away. Of course, Aspen was not the only one with him during this journey. The King insisted that he brought servants and guards with him. In the King''s mind, he probably thought that bringing those along with him would show his glory as a prince. But for Winter, it''s only a hassle.


    "Let''s go," he said.


    Aspen first went out of the carriage followed by Winter. Another gryphon drawn carriagended, it was slightly bigger because that''s where the servants and guards rode. Aspen went to the toll gate to pay for the fee.


    Winter looked at the blue sky again and couldn''t help but wonder what Argent was doing now. He thought of contacting him after the matter of Icelyn was decided. But he heard of the King not being able to contact him. Winter realized that the duke might be truly busy and immediately changed his mind. He decided to just wait until Argent contact him again.


    He was used to waiting by now anyway.


    Winter and Aspen, as well as the guards and servants with them, soon entered the gate of Victoria City. Unknown to them, two in looking servants stealthly moved away from their group and secretly entered a narrow alley. One was tall and the other was short.


    Upon entering the alley, they took off the long maid uniform they''re wearing which revealed a simple shirt and trousers underneath. Then after that, they both pealed the skin on their faces and removed the hair on top of their heads. And soon, they''re true looks were seen.


    The shorter of the two looked like he was only 12 or 13 years old. But the people who knew him all knew that he was much, much older than that. He had fluffy blond hair that looked soft to the touch and a pair of toffee colored eyes. The other one had tinum blond hair and a pair of heterochromatic eyes - one was forest green, the other sky blue.


    Viper red at hispanion,pletely annoyed. "This is all your fault, you know. If not for you, we should have arrived here long before."


    When he returned at the headquarters of Dreich Gallere to report to their master about what happened at Xing, he was ordered to go and help Argent. Which he dly epted. But before he could do that, he should pick up this pipsqueek first and bring him together with him. He couldn''t really defy his master''s order, so reluctantly went to where this pipsqueek was.


    Who would have thought that Viper had to help him to finish his assignment. By the time they''re done, their master ordered them to go and check the matter about the first princess of Albion since there were no other members with codenames avable. Their master wanted them to interogate that princess and ask her if she was the only one in the royal family connected to the Temple. So off they went.


    But when they arrived at Albion, the princess was already imprisoned at that tower. Her mind was already muddled by drugs that they couldn''t get any useful information from her. Which was really suspicious to Viper. She had only been in that prison for a few days, there''s no way she would immediately be in that state. Unless someone didn''t want her to talk and increased the dosage of drugs by arge amount.


    At the end, they could only leave and hitch a ride with the second prince who was nning to go to Victoria City to attend the festival.


    "Then I would have met my sweetheart much faster," Viper added while taking another set of wig and human skin mask from his space ring.


    Lynx only snorted because he knew who this sweetheart was. "Did you really turn gay?"


    "I don''t like men. I just like Argent," Viper only said and put the human skin mask on his face.


    Lynx only rolled his eyes and also put the new human skin mask on his face. Now he really couldn''t wait to meet this infamous Argent ckbourne.


    ----------


    At the same time, over the town of Cati - a town at the East of Vitalya - if one would only gazed at the blue sky, they would be able to see unexpected. A figure wearing all ck was flying at a very fast speed. His long ck hair was tied in a high ponytail and was freely swaying with the wind. His handsome face was serious and full of concentration.


    There was only one goal in his mind - go to Victoria City!


    And that could be reflected in his obsidian ck eyes.

 Chapter 154: aurum vs viper

    Chapter 154: aurum vs viper


    IN A small empty plot ofnd at the residential area of Victoria City, three figures could be found. One was a tall, handsome young man with an indifferent air around him. Beside him was a pretty, ck haired girl. And thest one was a man wearing a white silk mask. It''s the trio - Argent, Aurum, and y.


    They were there waiting for the two assassins from Dreich Gallere. Argent chose this plot ofnd for the meeting because she observed from the camera she set up around the city that this particr area was not a ce where people often passed by. It''s a good ce to talk especially if you didn''t want others to hear your conversation.


    She already sent a message to Viper where they should meet. From the dozens of messages that he sent back, she knew that they would arrive here today. Argent told Viper that she would be in disguise. Just in case he thought that they were suspicious and attacked them. That''s definitely something that guy would do.


    "Brother, are you sure we can trust those assassins?" Aurum asked still a bit doubtful. No, she was really doubtful.


    Her brother told her some things about that Viper. Like how he was the assassin responsible for the deaths of those delegates from Xing when they were sailing at the Andromeda more than seven years ago. He disguised himself as those delegates trantor and thenter disguised himself as that in looking girl who kept on pestering her brother then.


    Later, she learned that he also disguised himself as one of the maids at the McAllister mansion. Aurum could still remember that annoying maid. Then she also found out that he was the one who killed that Gecko who kidnapped them and put them in that underground auction. And from what her brother told her, he also helped when Argent went to that ind in Xing.


    Thest two were the only reason why Aurum was stopping herself frompletely objecting to the idea of two assassins helping them. She''s not being judgemental. But even she knew how dangerous assassins from Dreich Gallere were. Some uncontroble factors might happen with their participation. But the most important thing was, she could feel that Viper person had some unhealthy attachment to her brother. If not then he wouldn''t do all the things he did.


    Aurum wasn''t really the best judge when it came to unhealthy attachments. Because she, herself, knew that her attachment to her brother was unhealthy. She probably progressed a bit in the past years. She no longer stared daggers to anyone who tried to get close to her brother. The feeling that Argent would be taken any moment by anyone was no longer there.


    She was insecure as a child. Probably due to the incident that happened when she was four. Then it was followed by her being locked up in that tower for three years. A lot of psychological problems could be developed in a child by just one of those experiences. And she experienced both. Her brother was the only warmth that held her together. If Argent didn''t appear in the tower that year, Aurum''s mind would probably continue to get twisted and twisted until all she could think of was destruction.


    She could freely admit that now. Because she was no longer in that state of mind. Probably because she knew that no matter what happened, her brother would always be there for her.


    But this Viper person was a different matter. Him having this attachment to her brother might be dangerous in the long run.


    "They won''t do anything to harm us, if that''s what you''re worried about," Argent said, answering her sister''s question. "And they''re enemies with the Apostles, so that''s a plus."


    Argent still wasn''t sure what''s the real goal of the master of Dreich Gallere was. But she could at least tell that he really wanted to bring them down. If not, then he wouldn''t send Viper to Xing to get in those Apostles'' way. And he wouldn''t send Viper again and another assassin to help her here in Victoria City.


    y just remained silent. He truly didn''t have any opinion. Heck, he couldn''t even imagine that one day he would meet a Dreich Gallere assassin face to face. And not just one, but two assassins even. When Argent told him about the meeting that would happen today, he almost didn''t believe it. Because he said it in a way like they''re just going to eat ice cream today. It was so unemotional, he almost thought he was joking.


    But here they were, patiently waiting for two of the most dangerous killers-for-hire in the world.


    They heard footsteps and all three turned to the direction where it wasing. They saw two person walking towards them. One was a tall man and the other a young boy. Both had in looking face and wearing simple shirt and trousers.


    The man looked at the three standing on the empty lot and his gaze immediately stopped on the handsome young man.


    "Argent!" he called, in that very familiar voice.


    Viper rushed forward to hug Argent but before he could evene close, Argent immediately jumped back. "I told you, no hugging, remember?"


    Viper pouted. "We haven''t seen each other in almost a month! You''re not answering my calls and not even replying to my messages. Don''t you even feel a shred of pity for your sweetheart?"


    Lynx who saw this scene suddenly had goosebumps. How could Viper act like this? He''s like a wife who had been bullied by his husband. Did staying in Sin Ind for seven years affected his brain? Or was it just because of this Argent ckbourne?


    He looked at the ck haired youth. Lynx knew that was not his true face. He had seen the young duke''s pictures and his real face was a hundred times better than what he had now. There''s probably only one thing that didn''t change - those pair of indifferent eyes. That''s probably why Viper immediately recognized him.


    y, on the other hand, almost fell from the boulder he was sitting on. He was expecting some scary looking people. And yet what he got was a puppy eyed man who''s looking at Argent like he abandoned him or something and a young boy who''s definitely younger than them. He knew he shouldn''t judge - and they''re probably wearing a human skin mask - but this wasn''t the image he was expecting.


    Aurum immediately scowled when she heard what Viper said. "Who the hell is your sweetheart?"


    Viper turned to the ck haired girl. This one was probably Argent''s annoying sister. "Argent, of course. Certainly not you or that guy over there." He looked at the masked guy. "Who are you anyway?" He suddenly remembered that jerk general in Xing and then stared carefully at the guy. He found out that he''s not that general but Viper was still not relieved. "You don''t have any kinky thoughts towards Argent do you?"


    y almost choked on his own saliva because of thatst question. What the heck? "No, definitely none. I assure you, I have a very normal sexual orientation."


    Viper nodded in satisfaction. "Good."


    Aurum snorted. "If there''s someone here who would have those kind of thoughts about my brother, it would definitely be you."


    "Well, of course I do. Argent''s my sweetheart after all," Viper said as if what Aurum said was only natural and she''s being stupid by stating it.


    Aurum just felt like all the muscles in her face started twitching. "Don''t you dare get close to my brother or I''ll turn your brain into mush!" she growled.


    Viper sneered. "Try it. I''ll poison you to death before you could even try."


    Argent standing on the side just felt she''s already starting to have a headache. She walked between the two. "Stop. No one''s going to harm anyone. We''re here to work together, understand?"


    Aurum hugged her brother''s arm and raised her head, her current ck eyes were watery as if she would cry at any minute. "Brother, that ugly snake is bullying me."


    Viper, of course, wouldn''t lose. He also hugged Argent''s other arm and started to act pitiful. "Argent, that obnoxious sister of yours was the one who threatened me first. So, she''s obviously the one bullying me."


    "I''m not!" Aurum shouted.


    "You are too!" Viper shouted back.


    y and Lynx were both bewildered. What with this scene? It''s like they''re witnessing some sort of love triangle drama.


    And Argent, well, she''s already feeling that headache.

 Chapter 155: initial planning

    Chapter 155: initial nning


    "STOP it, both of you," Argent said exasperatedly, disentangling herself from both Aurum and Viper''s grasp. "Let''s not waste time and just proceed to the necessary introduction."


    Aurum understood her brother''s temperament. So she no longer fought with the snake and behaved properly. But not before giving onest re to Viper.


    Viper, knowing Argent was probably already on the verge of getting pissed off, also converged. "My codename''s Viper - the most amazing assassin of Dreich Gallere."


    Lynx rolled his eyes when he heard that. "Who''s the most amazing? Raven is definitely more amazing than you."


    Viper turned to him. "How could a guy with a forever deadpan expression be more amazing than me?"


    "What does that have to do with anything?"


    "Everything! It''s the reason why Master never gives him anyplicated assignments. Because he couldn''t act for shit," Viper sneered in disgust.


    "So what? We''re assassins not actors," Lynx countered.


    Viper snorted. "If you really think that, then you should go back to training."


    Lynx blushed in embarrassment.


    "If you''re done with your little tit-for-tat, could you continue to introduce yourself?"


    When Lynx heard the duke said that, he blushed even more. Good thing the quality of the human skin mask he''s wearing was really high or else his red face would be seen by everyone here. That would be even more embarrassing.


    He ignored Viper and turned to the duke. "My codename''s Lynx."


    Argent raised one of her brows. Viper, Vixen, Lynx, and the one they mentioned earlier - Raven, did the master of Dreich Gallere have a penchant for animals that''s why he picked those as the core members'' codenames?


    "I''m Argent, this is my sister, Aurum, and that guy over there is y," Aurum said. "Now that''s over, let''s proceed to the more important topic."


    "Are we going to talk about how we should kill the Pope?" Viper asked excitedly.


    Argent nced at him. "If the Pope could be killed that easily, he wouldn''t be the Pope."


    That''s why in the overall n she made, it didn''t involve the death of the Pope. Because once she included that factor, things would just get moreplicated. Their purpose of going here in Victoria City was to take back their mother, not kill the Pope. That''s their top priority. So she built a n around that.


    Because she knew it would be hard to kill that bastard. If he''s alone, then yes, they might have a chance. But this was his territory. He could easily set up a lot of traps behind. Once could also add the hundreds of knights in this city that was more than willing to protect him. Not to mention, those pesky Apostles. They would surely be around.


    So far, they only knew the Gifts of two of the Apostles - the ones who were in that ind in Xing. The Gifts of the rest were still unknown. Trying to kill the leader of a powerful organization when their information was sorelycking was just pure suicide. Doing that would be very foolish on her part.


    But that didn''t mean that she wouldn''t retaliate at all. She swore, before she left this city, she would definitely deal a huge blow to the Temple. Something that they couldn''t simply solve by having their Pope make some speech.


    "Besides, if he was really so easy to kill, I think your master had already done it long ago," she added.


    Lynx brows furrowed. Because that sentence felt like the duke was saying that the Pope wasparable to their master. Which was uneptable. "That''s only because Master only thought of targetting that Pope recently. If Master considered him as an enemy years ago, then he definitely wouldn''t be alive now."


    That''s right. It''s only recently that their master started inquiring about everything rted to the Pope. When he happened to ask Arachne - the member who was asked to gather information about the Pope - about it, she said that it was because their master found out that the Pope started searching for some ancient artifacts. Lynx thought that it probably had something to do with the Mythos Continent. That''s the only reason he could think of why their usually entric master would be so bothered by it.


    "Shut it, pipsqueek," Viper said, interrupting Lynx. Their master''s business needn''t to be told to others. Even if that other was Argent.


    That seeded in getting Lynx attention. "Who''s a pipsqueek?!"


    "Who do you think is the shortest one here? Of course it''s you!"


    The one thing Lynx hated the most was people calling him short. Yes, it might be true but that didn''t mean people could just tell it straight to his face. So he attacked Viper and the two started to exchange blows.


    "Bunch of kids," Aurum muttered disgustingly while looking at this scene.


    y who was sitting near Aurum heard this and he almost didn''tugh. "I remember there''s a certain youngdy who fought with a certain ''kid'' earlier," he teased.


    Aurum felt her face heating up. "That''s a verbal fight, it''s different."


    "Yes, yes," y good naturedly said less Aurum also started a verbal fight with him.


    Argent who was watching all of these at the side was really starting to get pissed. It''s already been awhile since they all gathered and yet they still haven''t discussed anything important. Sheunched herself from where she was sitting and dashed forward. In a blink of an eye, she was already standing at the middle of the two. She blocked the fist of Viper and held Lynx''s wrist.


    She let go of the hands of the two with force. "Are you done?"


    Lynx was a bit stunned. He didn''t expect this duke to move so fast. He even had the reflex and the strength to stop both him and Viper. And here Lynx thought that he was the smart type who was naturally weak and didn''t have any fighting power. Maybe he should change his evaluation of this Argent ckbourne.


    "Sorry, please don''t be mad," Viper immediatly said, acting pitiful when he noticed that Argent might be really pissed this time.


    Argent looked at Viper who was like a big puppy with its ears down and could only sigh. "Then stop with all these interuptions."


    Viper nodded vigorously. "If you''re not nning to kill the Pope, then do you have other countermeasures?"


    "Yes, everything is almost ready. All we have to do is wait for the day of the festival. I will exin the full nter. But first, I want to talk about some other thing first," Argent said. "I want you to help Archbishop Stillwell deliver an elf as one of the products of the Midnight Auction."


    It''s been three days already since they went to that mansion to ''convince'' the Archbishop. And they were indeed sessful. Argent left a small camera at the Archbishop''s study so she knew he''d been trying to get his hands on that elf. But sadly, she overestimated him and he still hadn''t made any considerable progress.


    Because of the strong suggestion Aurum left in his conciousness, he increasingly became more and more agitated as days passed by that he didn''t get his hands on the elf. If this continued, he might turn crazy. Not that she cared. It''s just that, her n to push the me for the disappearance of the elf to the Archbishop would be destroyed.


    If the Pope thought that it was the Archbishop who took the elf, then he probably wouldn''t suspect her. Which would save her a lot of trouble. With this, he would definitely punish the Archbishop. He might even kill him. Then the Temple would lose one of its five Archbishops. It''s like killing two birds with one stone.


    That''s why Argent wanted the Archbishop to be the one to take the elf from wherever the Pope was hiding him. But since Archbishop couldn''t do it with his own ability, then she could only help him. This was where these two assassins entered the picture.


    "An elf? Are you actually asking us to help this Archbishop to search for an elf?" Lynx asked incredulously. "You do know that they''re not weeds that would just grow anywhere, right?"


    The duke turned to him and looked at him as if he was stupid. Lynx scratched his nose and turned his gaze away. He probably should just let the duke finished what he was saying.


    "The elf is somewhere here in Victoria City. You just have to contact the Archbishop and help him. I don''t care what method you use, you just have to deliver the elf to the Archbishop and leave clues that points the elf''s disappearance to him. Of course, these clues should not be so in-your-face. Something subtle would do," Argent continued.


    "This elf, is it with the elf?" Viper asked. He wasn''t really surprised at the existence of this elf. After all, their master was a golden dragon. There''s nothing more shocking than that.


    Argent nodded. "Could you do it?"


    Viper grinned. "Of course. Something like this is just child''s y to us. Isn''t it, shorty?" he said turning to Lynx.


    Lynx red at Viper. "Don''t call me that!" Then he looked at the duke and just nodded.


    It''s not like he could refuse. The task their master gave was to assist the duke in whatever he nned to do here at Victoria City. Even if he wanted them to kill someone, they wouldn''t hesitate to do it. Well, in Viper''s case, Lynx thought that even without their master''s orders, he would probably still do whatever the duke asked.


    Argent was satisfied with their answer. "Then let''s talk about the main n."

 Chapter 156: waiting at casa royale

    Chapter 156: waiting at casa royale


    "THESE people arepletely deliberate!" Aspen said, gnashing his teeth in anger.


    "Calm down, there''s no point in getting angry," Winter said.


    They were in one of the rooms at Casa Royale. After their party entered the city, the gatekeeper told them that they should go first here and wait for the arrival of someone who would take them to their prepared residence. Winter didn''t think too much and just did what the gatekeeper said. So he, Aspen, and the guards and servants he brought went to Casa Royale.


    As a result, they had been waiting for five hours and no personnel from the Temple came.


    "How could I not be angry, Your Highness? They''re clearly insulting you!"


    Victoria City was so small. How could one person from the Temple not evene after five hours? Unless they''re deliberately making them wait. Although Aspen was not well-versed in proper etiquette, he knew that the attitude of the Temple was simply not right. His Highness was not just an ordinary noble, he''s the prince of a well-known kingdom. Doing this was tantly disrespecting the prince. As if the Temple didn''t put him in their eyes. How could Aspen not react?


    Aspen was the illegitimate son of a viscount. He was born from a woman who worked at a pleasure house - a prostitute to be more precised. When his mother found herself pregnant, the viscount refused to acknowlegde that the child was his. His mother, who had no other option at that time, begged the proprietress of the pleasure house if she could still stay there and promised to work even harder after she gave birth. The proprietress took pity on his mother and allowed her to stay. And even after she gave birth, the proprietress didn''t let her continue to work as a prostitute, instead she let her work as a maid at the pleasure house.


    So Aspen grew up at the pleasure house. Because of that, he was exposed to a lot of things a child shouldn''t be exposed to. But he didn''t find anything wrong with that. For him, everything was good as long as his mother was there. He never thought of that ce as dirty. Because all the women there, including her mother, were just ordinary women who just wanted happiness. But they couldn''t have it because they were forced by the circumstances in their lives. That''s what his mother often told him. And that she was lucky because she had him.


    At that age, Aspen didn''t really understand the concept of happiness. He just knew that everytime his mother smiled at him, hugged him, or praised him, there''s a warm, giddy feeling inside him. And he wished that that feeling wouldn''t disappear. If that was happiness, then he was also lucky. Because his mother was with him.


    But soon, that happiness ended. When he was 12 years old, a nobleman tried to force himself on his mother. That time, he was already trying to earn money outside. He wanted to save enough so he and his mother could have their own house. When he returned to the pleasure house, one of the women working there told him about what was happening. He immediately ran to the room that nobleman took his mother to.


    When he opened the door, what he saw broke his heart into a million pieces. His mother was lying on the bed naked, her body full of marks. Moving on top of her was a man, his ugly face writhing in pleasure. There were no expression on his mother''s face, as if she just epted what was happening. She chose to justy there and let the man finished because she knew there''s nothing else she could do.


    Aspen''s gaze darkened and he just lost it. He attacked the nobleman with his Gift and almost killed him. If not for her mother stopping him, he might have really killed the bastard. But what he did had consequences. The family of that nobleman tried to persecute him and send him to prison. Their mother and son didn''t have the power to fight back, so out of desperation her mother sought the help of the viscount.


    It just so happened that the viscount''s only son died from a hunting ident then. The viscount was still in his prime but the problem was he suffered an injury from childhood that made it hard for him to father a child. That''s why even though he didn''t want to, he agreed to save Aspen and take him in.


    Aspen wanted to refuse. He didn''t want to have anything to do with this so-called father. Especially after he met him. He looked at him with so much disgust in his eyes as if he''s a stain he was forced to look at. But then he suddenly remembered the look on his mother''s face when that shitty nobleman was taking her by force. He didn''t want her mother to experience that kind of humilliation again. But he knew that as long as they stayed at the pleasure house, that incident would just continue to happen. Maybe it already happened so many times, he just didn''t know it.


    So he made another deal with the viscount. He would agree to go with him but he had to buy a house for his mother at the capital and that he wouldn''t stop Aspen from seeing his mother. The viscount was, of course, enraged. Shouting how shameless he was and that he was not in a ce to make any request to him. Aspen then said that he''s free to leave and let him be taken to prison.


    The viscount stared at him after that and at the end had no choice but to agree to what he asked. Aspen already expected that. He knew that the viscount would note to them unless he badly needed Aspen. If not, then he wouldn''t wait 12 years before appearing in front of Aspen''s mother again.


    And that''s the beginning of Aspen''s life as the Viscount of Carlisle''s illegitimate son and heir.


    It had not been easy for him to integrate in the court. All the aristocratic children didn''t want to interact with him. They treat him like he had some kind of disease. The adults were no better. Especially his so-called father who didn''t have any kind words to tell him. He didn''t really mind. He didn''t need the approval of those people. Because every week he could go visit his mother and spend time with her.


    At first, that was enough for him. But soon, even he didn''t notice that the constant ridicule and disgust of the people around him was starting to have an effect on his psyche. Even going to his mother didn''t seem to alleviate the dark thoughts lurking in his mind.


    Until he met the bastard prince.


    He paid special attention to the second prince - Winter Percival di Albion. Maybe because the two of them both had amoner mother. Both were essentially bastards. Butpared to him, the prince seemed to be more stable. He truly didn''t care whatever the people around him say about him.


    At one asion, Aspen couldn''t help but ask him if he ever thought of just killing their good-for-nothing fathers. The prince looked at him coldly. He truly thought he wouldn''t answer. But then he said something that Aspen still remembered up to today;


    "I won''t dirty my hands on the blood of someone I deemed unworthy."


    Aspenughed so hard when he heard that. Because he''s right. Those scum fathers were truly unworthy. The entanglement inside him disappeared after that short conversation. It''s like he entered enlightenment. And he just knew what he was supposed to do.


    After that, he decided to follow the second prince. And now, he was one of the prince''s trusted aides. That''s probably the best decision he had made.


    With his connection to the second prince, his power and influence also rose. Now, he was no longer worried that his shitty father would one day harm his mother in order to control him. Now, the viscount no longer had the ability to do anything to him or his mother. Because he knew that Aspen wouldn''t hesitate to retalliate against him. And the result of that would be bad for him.


    All of these were brought by the second prince. He considered the prince as a friend but most importantly, he had great respect for him. That''s why he couldn''t just swallow the treatment of the Temple towards the prince right now.


    "It''s not important," Winter said, interrupting Aspen''s train of thought. "This is probably their way of saying that their displeased with Albion."


    When Aspen heard that, he immediately thought of the reason why. "Because of the first princess?" Winter nodded. Aspen became even more irritated because of that. "What right do they have to be displeased? They''re the ones who did something wrong and they''re acting like Albion agrieved them? Don''t they know shame at all?"


    "Because they know they have power so they''re expecting everyone to bow down to them," Winter simply said.


    He looked out of the window. Albion was probably not the only ce they tried to ''cooperate'' with a member of a royal family, promising them to be the next leader of their respective countries. This kind of action clearly showed the Temple''s great ambition to control these countries.


    Winter could only imagine one oue if they ever seeded - war and death.


    He clenched both his fists. That''s definitely one thing he never wanted to happen.

 Chapter 157: first step towards the elf

    Chapter 157: first step towards the elf


    AT THE residence specially dedicated for the visiting Archbishop, Marcus Stillwell was walking back and forth in his study. His eyes were bloodshot with an almost imperceptible crazy glint in it. He kept on muttering under his breath. If someone who didn''t know who he was saw him right now, they would immediately think that he probably had some mental issues.


    Marcus felt like his head was swelling. He kept on having these headaches for three days now. No matter what kind of herbal medicine he took, it never subsided. In fact, it just grew worse and worse as days passed by.


    There''s a voice that kept on whispering inside his head, telling him that he should get that elf and bring him to the auction no matter what. If he managed to do that, then he would finally find relief. Instinctively, he knew that something was wrong. But due to his addled mind, he couldn''t delve more deeply into it. He just thought that maybe it was because of his desire to make that elf the finale of Midnight Auction.


    After so many years, he was finally given a chance to be in charge again of the Midnight Auction. Because of his failure the very first time, those old codgers refused to give him another chance. They''re afraid that he would mess up again. It was truly frustrating and insulting on his part.


    That''s why he was quite surprised when he received an appointment six months ago from Archbishop Ainsworth - the oldest of the four codgers and had the most authority. It said that he would be the one in charge of the Midnight Auction during thising Festival of Creation.


    Marcus was ecstatic, of course. He could finally redeem himself from the embarrassment that happened during the first Midnight Auction that he hosted. That''s why the moment he received the order, he immediately started searching for various exotic and unique treasures. He managed to find a lot but he still felt that it was not enough. Until two months ago - when he identaly came across that elf.


    He was travelling at the Northern continent at that time, at the biggest Northern kingdom - Kievan. The carriage he was in was travelling in a forest near the border. And that''s where Marcus saw the elf. In the middle of a snow covered forest, unconcious, and his body full of wounds. Some of the wounds were already festering. There was not even a good skin on him. Added with the cold weather and it just worsened his condition even more.


    It was a good thing that whenever Marcus went to a foreign ce outside of his jurisdiction, he always traveled with a healer. The healer travelling with him managed to save the elf.


    When Marcus saw the elf without any wounds on him, it finally hit him that he just encountered an elf. Something that wasn''t supposed to exist outside of Mythos Continent. The first thing that came to his mind was not the how''s or even the why''s of it. All he could think of was that this elf would be the perfect finale for the Midnight Auction.


    In his eyes, the elf was not something to be cherished or admired, being one of those Mythical races and all. What Marcus saw was amodity he could exploit.


    He was sure that many would mor just to get their hands on this elf and own it. With this elf as the finale of the Midnight Auction, it would definitely be a sess. Not just a sess but a smash hit. It might even be the best auction there was. After all, it''s not everyday that an elf would appear in front of people.


    It was a good way to increase his poprity and reputation in the Temple. A chance that those old codgers would finally recognize his ability. That he wasn''t, in no way, inferior to the Pope.


    But before Marcus could even travel with the elf, he suddenly disappeared. With the elf''s condition, Marcus knew he could not have left without someone''s help. He had to interrogate the servants he brought with him to know what just happened. But he didn''t find anything. After a month and not receiving any news, he had no choice but to ask for help from another Archbishop. But soon, he heard that Lucern Faust already got his hands on the elf.


    He had no doubt that that Archbishop told Lucern about the elf. What he couldn''t understand was how he managed to get the elf that fast. He could only think of one answer, that it was Lucern''s man who took the elf in the first ce. It was probably done by that bastard who could teleport. And now that he was openly asking for help, Lucern probably felt that he could just announce that he just captured the elf. As if he just answered his call for help.


    He could feel his insides trembled with rage after that. He had never been so humiliated. It''s like Lucern didn''t even put him in his eyes. And then even after that, he still had to act like he didn''t know anything. Lucern was simply making a fool of him. And yet he couldn''t do anything about it. That''s what frustrated him the most.


    It''s so maddening. He was the one who saw that elf first and yet he wasn''t even allowed to see or get close to it. How could he just take it?


    He needed to bring that elf to the auction. That''s the only way he could quell his anger. He wanted to see the look on Lucern''s face once he saw the elf at the finale of the auction. How hrious would that be?


    But it''s been three days now and all the men he ordered to secretly take the elf never returned. His guessed was they''re probably already dead.


    "A bunch of wastes!" he shouted angrily.


    "I couldn''t agree more," a man''s voice suddenly floated inside the study.


    Marcus was startled. He turned sharply and saw a in looking man leaning on the open window. "How dare you enter this ce? Do you know who I am?!"


    The man smiled. "Of course I do, Your Eminence. I heard you''ve been running around, wanting to take something from the Pope''s little pce? And yet all the men you sent seemed to never return."


    Even with his splitting headache, Marcus still understood that this man in front of him was not simple. "Are you one of Luscern''s men?"


    An expression of disgust as if he was offended appeared on the in looking man''s face. "Of course not."


    "Then who the hell are you?"


    "I''m an assassin from Dreich Gallere." After he said that, an immense killing intent spread out from him.


    Marcus'' body tightened when he felt that killing intent. He could feel the cold sweat sliding down his back. He still had some doubt about the identity of the man. But whether he was from Dreich Gallere or not, Marcus could feel that this man could really kill him. "Are you here to kill me?"


    "Of course not, Your Eminence. I''m here to offer my service." Then the man took back his killing intent. "I could help you get the thing you wanted. For a price of course."


    "I thought Dreich Gallere assassins only kill?" Marcus said, trying his best to rx.


    "Let''s just say, I''m doing a part-time job."


    He wrinkled his brows. "How did you even find out about my situation?"


    "I came to this cityst night and happened to see your people skulking around the Apostolic Pce. It was pretty easy that they wanted to get something inside. Seeing their skills, I knew they wouldn''t seed. I managed to find out that they were your men. So I thought of offering my services since I''m quite free right now and I just needed arge amount of money." The in looking man smiled. "What do you say, Your Eminence?"


    Marcus fell into deep thought. But no matter how hard he tried to think properly of things, his mind was immediately being attacked by this splitting headache. Then he thought, he wouldn''t really lose anything if he agreed. Maybe this assassin could do the thing those wastes couldn''t.


    "If you really managed to get the elf being held at the Apostolic Pce, then I''ll give you the money you wanted. No matter how big."


    "An elf, huh? How surprising. Where do you want me to deliver the elf?" the man asked as if it''s getting the elf was already a done deal.


    "At the Goddess'' Tower." That''s where the Midnight Auction would take ce. "On the night before the Midnight Auction."


    "We have a deal then."


    Then the man jumped out of the window and disappeared into the night.


    ----------


    Viper appeared at a dark alley near the residence where Archbishop Stillwell was staying. Then someone suddenly passed through the wall on one side of the alley, as if he was some kind of ghost. He looked like a 13 year old boy with the most unmemorable face.


    "Is it really alright to say that you''re from Dreich Gallere?" Lynx asked. "Wasn''t the purpose of this to push the me of the disappearance of the elf to the Archbishop? If the people of the Pope knew that the one who helped the Archbishop is an assassin from Dreich Gallere, wouldn''t they connect it to the duke? After all, you were seen together with him at that ind in Xing."


    "It''s fine. Didn''t you check earlier that there were no magical tools inside the study? And if you think that I was seen entering the study, then I''ll punch your face right now," Viper said.


    Lynx ignored him. "When will we start?"


    "On the exact day of the Midnight Auction." Viper nced ay Lynx. "Don''t you dare mess up. I''ll poison you if you do."


    "I''ll like to see you try." Lynx snorted. "What do you think of the duke''s n?" he asked talking about what would happen at the day of the festival.


    "It''s amazing of course," Viper answered without hesitating.


    Lynx rolled his eyes. He should have not bothered asking this guy. What ''amazing''? More than that, it''s probably more urate to call it crazy.

 Chapter 158: his pain

    Chapter 158: his pain


    "SEEMS like the second prince of Albion actually came here to celebrate the Festival of Creation," Harlequin said leaning on the window of the Pope''s study. "I didn''t expect Albion would still answer the Temple''s invitation after all that mess with that idiot Icelyn."


    "It''s a political decision. They still doesn''t want to tear their face with the Temple," the Pope said while reading the paper he''s holding and not looking at Harlequin.


    Harlequin just snickered. Because that decision would be useless soon. All the nning they''ve been doing for the past decade was nowing to fruition. Sooner orter, this world would be put into chaos. He couldn''t wait for that to happen.


    "I heard Your Holiness put that Bishop Ernst in charge of entertaining the second prince?" The Pope only made a small hum, confirming what Harlequin said. "I heard he made the prince wait for hours at Casa Royale. Did Your Holiness tell him to give the prince ''special'' attention?"


    "Something along that line."


    Harlequin chuckled. "He''s actually quite smart, knowing clearly what Your Holiness mean. Unlike that Stillwell. Does he really think we wouldn''t notice all the movements he''d been making for the past three days? It''s like his brain is not working properly anymore."


    Lucern put down the document he''s holding and then leaned back on his chair. A thoughtful expression crossed his handsome face. "Maybe it really isn''t."


    "What does Your Holiness mean?" asked Harlequin, a bit confused.


    "It meant that we will probably see a good show on the night of the Midnight Auction," Lucern said with a gentle smile.


    "Your Holiness mean that that idiot Stillwell is nning something on that night?"


    The Pope only smiled mysteriously. "Not him."


    Before Harlequin could ask more, there was a series of gentle knocking on the door.


    "Come in," said the Pope.


    The door opened and a woman with long dark purple hair came in. She was tall and statuesque. She might have looked like a cold beauty if not for her eyes. Her light blue eyes were out of focus, as if it belonged to a blind person. She was holding a tray with tea cups and a tea pot on it.


    "Your Holiness, I brought tea," she said, walking towards the desk and carefully putting the tray on it. Then she served tea to the Pope.


    Lucern picked up the tea cup and drank the tea inside. "Limos always makes the best tea." He raised his head and smiled warmly towards the woman.


    Limos'' face suddenly flushed red. "Thank you, Your Holiness."


    "Hey, how about me, Limos? I want some tea too."


    Limos'' face returned to normal once she heard Harlequin spoke. She pushed the tea tray towards his direction. "Here. I''m sure Mr. Harlequin could pour tea for himself."


    Harlequin only rolled his eyes at her. Though nobody really saw it since he''s wearing a mask.


    "The twins?" the Pope asked.


    Limos turned her head back towards the Pope. "They''re still ying with the elf."


    "Those two creeps would definitely make that elf as batshit crazy as them," Harlequinmented, shaking his head.


    "Let them have their fun. It''s not everyday that they could both spend time together like this," Lucern only said. Then he turned to Limos. "Just make sure that they won''t kill the elf."


    "Yes, Your Holiness," answered Limos.


    ----------


    "This is boring," Solis pouted looking at the elf chained to the wall.


    The elf''s delicate white skin was filled with cut wounds. His white blond hair was already matted red with dried blood. But his green eyes were just nk. No emotion could be read from it. There was no sign of pain, even the initial anger and hate was no longer there. It''s like hepletely detached himself from what was happening to him.


    "I don''t like this toy! He''s not screaming like I wanted to. Look, even his wounds are starting to heal! What''s the point of putting all those wounds on him then?" Solis said, stomping his foot in anger.


    Luna looked at the elf. Just like what Solis said, his wounds were already healing. Slowly turning his skin back to its perfect state. But what interested Luna was his eyes. He was all too familiar with that kind of eyes. "Do you not feel pain?"


    The elf didn''t answer and just continued to stare nkly at him.


    Solis was even more pissed seeing his brother paying attention to the elf and ignoring him. "Brother, I think we should cut his limbs and see if it would grow back. What do you think?" he asked, smiling sweetly at his brother.


    Luna regained his gaze and turned to his twin. "No."


    The smile on Solis'' face froze and then his golden brown eyes started to water. "Brother, do you now like that elf more than me? Do you not want me anymore?"


    Seeing his brother on the verge of tears, a sliver of emotion appeared on Luna''s gray eyes. He held his brother''s face in both hands. "I only need Solis."


    Solis'' face immediately brightened when he heard that. "Me too! I only need Brother." Then he hugged his brother''s thin body. "I don''t want to y anymore. Brother, let''s sleep?"


    "Hmm," Luna said, agreeing.


    The twins held hands and walked out of the prison cell. But before leaving, Solis didn''t forget to give the elf a murderous re.


    The elf ignored it and just watched the two leaving. Soon, it was only him in that dark and damp ce. Something that he''d been quite used to.


    That boy - Luna - asked if he didn''t feel pain. Of course he did. Even if the wounds on his body right now was already healing, he could still feel every cut, every sh. But he experienced much more excruciating pain than this. So this was actually nothing.


    It was not that he didn''t feel pain. He was just already used to not showing it. He learned long ago that showing his pain would just make his tormentor happier. So he decided to hold everything in, not giving anyone the satisfaction to take pleasure from his pain.


    For all the years he''d been alive in this world, all he knew was pain. Constantly being tortured, both physically and mentally. He could take it all. Because he knew that was the only way he could protect his most important person. Only by catering to that horrible man - no, it''s more appropriate to call him a monster - would he be able to do it.


    But that monster broke their deal, no longer satisfied with how things were. So he escaped. In the hopes that he could find someone to help him.


    To help his poor mother.


    But he ended up in this kind of ce, being tormented by two kids. How pathetic could he be?


    He curled into himself. He tried to remember the only light in his life full of darkness. The beautiful face of his mother emerged - her long white blond hair and her pair of bright blue eyes dusted with gold. She smiled warmly at him, stroking his hair and singing him a sweet luby.


    And with those fond memories, he finally managed to sleep.

 Chapter 159: unexpected present

    Chapter 159: unexpected present


    THE air in Victoria City was filled with festive atmosphere. The usual quiet and peaceful streets were now filled with busy people preparing different kinds of things. Some were putting up crystal lights and others were busy setting up their stalls. But one thing was inmon, all of them had an excited and joyful smile on their faces. This was because tomorrow would be the day of the Festival of Creation.


    The people in the city were usually not allowed to do any activities that might disturb the tranquilility of the city. But the day of the festival was a different matter. They were allowed to be as noisy as they wished. They were even allowed to set up stalls on the streets. But most importantly, they could earn a lot of extra ie from the visiting guests. That''s why the day of the festival was the most awaited day throughout the year for the local poption.


    Aurum and y were walking on the streets observing all these. They just came back from buying another set of suit dress for y. He would be wearing it for the Midnight Auctionter in the night. He actually said that he could just wear the suit that he wore during the dinner party, but Aurum refused. Saying that he''s ying the role of a noble, how could he wear the same suit twice during two consecutive formal asions? That would just make him look like he''s from a declining noble family.


    y looked down at the bag he''s carrying. It contained the dress suit, as well as a new pair of shoes. He couldn''t help but feel that he''s a gigolo being maintained by a richdy. It''s quite a novel feeling. He''s not the type that would feel emascted by this. He''s not one of those men who thought that letting a girl buy something for them was degrading. Though he did feel embarrassed. And definitely a bit frustrated for his soreck of mary resources.


    Maybe after all this was done, he should ask Argent for advice regarding how to operate a business. Although the both of them were now in a sort of partnership, their deal only included the duke giving them the money to fund their crusade of helping other orphans being brainwashed by the Temple. It dind''t mean that he should mooched off from him from now on. That would truly make him useless.


    y nced at Aurum and saw that she her brows were slightly furrowed. It seemed like she was still sulking. He sighed. Then he suddenly stopped walking when he noticed a particr stall selling some trinkets.


    Aurum was indeed sulking. It was because her brother was currently alone with that snake, Viper. Although she didn''t really want to leave her brother with that guy, she couldn''t continue postponing buying clothes for y. She''d been holding it off since she didn''t want to give that snake a chance to be alone with Argent. But in the end, she still didn''t have a choice but to leave the two alone today. So, she just gritted her teeth and endured.


    She understood that her behaviour was really childish. It''s important that she''d be mature especially during a sensitive time like this. But she just really couldn''t help but be annoyed everytime that guy tried to stick close to her brother. Probably because of her experience with the guy when she was still a kid - like when he disguised himself as that girl in the cruise ship Andromeda or when he disguised as a maid in the McAllister mansion.


    That probably left some kind of psychological shadow on her at some level. Because at that time, her mentality was still kind of unstable. Anyone who tried to get close to her brother was like an enemy to her. He appeared in a moment when Aurum was still insecure about a lot of things. So even now, she could still remember what she felt back then. That''s why she couldn''t help but feel antagonistic towards Viper.


    Aurum just wanted to return to her brother as soon as possible when she suddenly noticed that y - who was supposed to be walking beside her - disappeared. She stopped walking and looked back. She saw him rushing forward to her direction. As if he just went somewhere and was trying to catch up to her.


    "Where did you go?" she asked when he finally caught up to her.


    Instead of answering, he presented her with a hair pin. It was silvery gold with two butterflies attached at the end. The two butterflies had small pink gems engraved in them. It was simple yet very pretty as well. "For you."


    Aurum was a bit startled. "You bought this... for me?"


    "Yeah. It''s probably not something you''d usually get, it being a bit cheap and all. But I just found it really pretty and I thought it would look good with your golden hair."


    When Aurum didn''t ept it readily, y became a bit embarrassed. He''d never really bought anything for a girl before, beside his sister of course. Aurum probably didn''t like it. After all, she''s probably used to more expensive things.


    "If you don''t like it, it''s okay. I''ll just give it to my sister or something."


    When he was about to take back his hand, Aurum suddenly grabbed the hairpin and hugged it to her chest.


    "Since you already bought it for me, then it''s already mine. Don''t you dare give it to someone else." He didn''t properly see her expression because she immediately turned around. "Thank you," she added softly.


    y scratched his nose. For some reason, he suddenly felt a bit shy. And also kind of happy. "You''re wee."


    Aurum looked down at the hair pin. Staring at it, she felt a giddy feeling inside. So giddy it felt like a small w was scratching her heart. All the annoyance she''d been feeling immediately disappeared. This hair pin was not the prettiest nor the most expensive gift she had received, but it definitely brought a unique kind of happiness to her.


    A sweet smile bloomed on her face. Some of the people walking by couldn''t help but be attracted by that smile.


    She twisted her hair and then inserted the hair pin. He looked back at y. "How does it look?"


    The smile on her face still didn''t disappear. So what y saw was her smiling sweetly at him. Her smile felt like it was drawn from her very soul that y could only say; "Beautiful."


    Aurum immediately felt her face heating up. She turned around again. How could this guy just throw embarrassingpliments like this so easily? If she didn''t know him, she''d really think he''s a huge flirt or something.


    y didn''t notice Aurum''s reaction because of his own weird reaction. He put his hand on his chest. Did his heart skip a beat just now?


    Aurum wanted to continue walking when her gaze caught a familiar figure from afar. She wrinkled her brows, all the thoughts in her mind just now disappeared.


    Was that... popsicle?

 Chapter 160: her missing emotions

    Chapter 160: her missing emotions


    "IS Lynx clear about the n?" Argent asked Viper. They were, again, in that small empty plot ofnd at the residential area of the city. This had became like a temporary base for them. Since this was the only ce she could find where they could discuss anything freely.


    She was alone with Viper. Lynx was supposed to be here with them so they could all review and discuss the n that would take ceter during the Midnight Auction. But surprisingly, or probably she shouldn''t really be surprised, Viper came alone. The two assassins didn''t live at the Casa Royale. Knowing Viper, they''re probably squatting at someone else''s home.


    "He knows what to do. Don''t think of him as a child. He might look like a shorty, but he''s already as old as me," Viper said.


    Argent was a bit surprised hearing that. She really did think that Lynx was probably one or two years younger than her and Aurum. Who would have thought that he''s older? "And how old are you anyway?"


    When they first met, Viper already looked like he was in his early twenties. But after seven years he still looked like that. Considering how people in this world aged very slowly once they reached a certain age, it''s not improbable to say that Viper was probably much older than that. Argent never really thought about it. But now that he mentioned it himself, she couldn''t help but be curious.


    Viper smiled at her. "If you give me a hug, I''ll tell you."


    She rolled her eyes. "Then nevermind."


    Viper pouted. "Why are you so stingy?" She ignored him. When she was about to return to the much more important topic, Viper spoke again. "In our world, age is just a number. So even if I''m older than you, it doesn''t really matter. I''m still more than qualified to be your life partner."


    Argent stopped for a bit and looked seriously at Viper. Frankly speaking, she only thought of Viper''s attachment to her as that of a child who found a new toy that he only he could touch. She never really thought of any emotion that Viper might have put behind it.


    That''s why she gave him that limiter bracelet. So it could help him expand his horizon. Seeing that he was no longer wearing gloves, it proved that he was using the bracelet properly. Then now, he could not only touch her but other people as well. He now knew the touch of other people''s skin. But even then, his attachment to her seemed undiminished.


    She looked down at the bracelet on Viper''s wrist. "How was the effect of the limiter?"


    Viper didn''t mind the change of topic. "It''s okay. I had great fun scaring the others with it. You''ve met Vixen, right? When I touched her, her face turned so white. I almost thought all the blood in her face vanished."


    He still couldn''t help butugh when he remembered that. That was the first time he saw Vixen showed such a frightened look. That was a good revenge for taking a picture with Argent. Even that expresionless Raven showed a slight change in his expression. Others cursed him and chased him angrily. It was really fun. But the most unforgettable reaction for him was probably that of his master''s.


    He asked if the bracelet was made by Argent. It was his master who was asking, so of course he answered. Viper thought he would be surprised, but his master only showed a small smile as if it was already expected. That smile kind of caught him off-guard. He''d never seen him smile like that. He even said to Viper that he should take good care of the gift Argent gave to him.


    For a second, Viper thought if his master was interested in Argent the same way he was. But he immediately refuted this idea. Because of one reason. He didn''t feel the same feeling he did when he first saw that Xing general. He instinctively felt that the general thought of Argent the same way he did. That''s why Viper was so antagonistic towards that stern looking bastard. But that''s not the same for his master.


    The feeling that his master was projecting was a kind of nostalgia. Like remembering a very important person. There wasn''t anything remotely romantic about it.


    It was kind of inexplicable to Viper. Because he was sure that Argent never met his master before. But maybe that was not the same for his master. Especially after his master told him that cryptic answer when he told him that Argent wanted to meet him. His master said that it was not the time for them to meet. Viper didn''t think too much of it at that time. But maybe he should have.


    When Argent heard Viper''s answer, she just sighed. Just as she already predicted, Viper''s attachment to her didn''t really decrease even if he could now touch others. As evident of him using the limiter to scare the other assassins in Dreich Gallere. It seemed that being able to touch others didn''t have any effect on his emotions. The only answer she could think of was because she was the first person that Viper was able to touch and that left a huge impact on him. Thus, his attachment. This kind of attachment would probably only grow deeper and deeper as times passed by.


    But this situation couldn''t continue. It was better to be frank about it to Viper than giving him false hope.


    And so she said, "The feelings you have for me, whatever form it might be, I could probably never return it."


    In theory, she knew what those feelings were. It''s one thing to know but it''s another thing to understand. She knew she had a problem. She had a low emotional understandingpared to a normal human. She was extremely apathetic and really couldn''t care less about other people.


    That''s why before she came to this world, she didn''t hesitate to release all the government secrets of her country to the world. She didn''t care whether the people in that country would suffer. In fact, their well-being never even crossed her mind. For her, what would happen to them was inconsequential. All she wanted was to teach a lesson to those shitty bastards from the government. She never even cared whether she would live or die after that.


    There was something missing inside her. Something fundamental that would allow her to be just like other normal people. She''d been like that ever since she woke up at the age of five with no memories and a mind only filled with different scientific forms and mathematical equations.


    As she grew up, she realized just how different she was from others. Out of curiosity, she did a scan of her brain and found that it was normal. So her problems was psychological. But she didn''t bother ''curing'' it. Why would she? When she''s perfectly fine the way she was.


    It was not until she came into this world and became Argent ckbourne that she slowly opened up her world to others. Now, she had people she cared about. People she would die protecting. But she knew in her heart, that she was still incapable of the emotion called ''romantic love''. She probably would never be able to feel it.


    That''s why it''s better to make Viper understand that now. Because despite her usual annoyance towards him, she do think of him as a friend.


    "For your sake, I hope you could stop whatever it was you''re feeling for me. Because it might just hurt you in the end. And frankly, I don''t want that to happen," she added.


    Viper''s smile disappeared and for the first time, he looked at Argent with a very serious expression on his face. "My feelings are my own. I won''t allow anyone to dictate what I should or shouldn''t feel. Even if that person is you Argent." Then he suddenly grabbed her cheek and pinched it. "Don''t talk as if this thing was already set in stone. Just allow me to work hard and change your mind, okay?"


    Argent didn''t answer. Because what answer could she give? In the end, she just chose to remain silent.


    "I''ll go to Lynx. Let''s meetter after the auction."


    He turned his back on her and walked away.


    Argent could only sigh again. Before she could think of anything else, her lightbrain suddenly vibrated. She opened it and she saw two children appearing on the screen. One was a girl with white hair and a pair of almost white irises. The other one was a boy with ck hair and ck eyes.


    "Master, we''re here!" ck excitedly said.


    Argent''s attention was quickly taken away after seeing ck and White. Finally, their n should begin here.

 Chapter 161: she promised to give a fantastic show

    Chapter 161: she promised to give a fantastic show


    "ARE you in position?" Argent asked.


    "Yes, Master," answered White with her sweet voice that didn''t have that much emotional fluctuations.


    "Master, when will we meet? ck misses you so much," ck inserted.


    Argent just smiled helplessly. "Tomorrow. After everything is over," she answered.


    ck frowned in his own cute way. "ck still has to wait until tomorrow? Master, can''t we just go down for a while to meet you?"


    "You can''t. It will affect our n if someone identally saw you and White."


    "But--"


    "ck, don''t make trouble for Master," White admonished a little.


    ck pouted. "Fine."


    Argent turned to White. "All the devices are in ce. You only need to activate all four along with the one you have with you. Did you already familiarize yourself on how to operate it?"


    "Yes, Master. You don''t have to worry, everything is already recorded in my system."


    "Good. Then wait for my signal tomorrow." She then turned to ck. "Do you know what you should do tomorrow?"


    "Yes, Master! ck should protect White and make sure that everything will go ording to Master''s n," ck answered enthusiastically.


    She smiled and also praised ck which made his little face shine. "Another thing, two people will appear at the ce where you are nowter after midnight. It''s a boy who looks like he''s only 13 and a young elf," she added.


    ck scrunched his brows. "A boy and an elf? How could they suddenly appear here?"


    "It''s because of the boy''s Gift."


    Lynx'' Gift allowed him to pass through any objects. Not only that, but he could also allow another person he''s touching to be able to pass through an object if he so wished. When Argent learned about it, she only thought that his Gift was really perfect for this operation. But just like any other Gifts, it would certainly have its own restrictions.


    He probably couldn''t go trough objects containing huge amount of Mana or those that had high-level seals and spells on them. He also couldn''t probably used his Gift on people with a higher level Gift. That''s just Argent''s spection based on the restrictions on Aurum''s Gift.


    The restrictions of Gifts were really quite a fascinating study. It could differ based on the person''s type of Gift as well as that Gift''s level. Based on her observation the past seven years, it seemed like those people with elemental type Gifts had fewer restrictions inparison to other types. If Argent had the time, she really wanted to do a research study on this topic.


    But s, because of that Pope and his minions, she couldn''t even look after the state of her ownpany.


    "Just make sure not to attack them when they appear," Argent continued to say to ck and White.


    "Yes, Master," the two said at the same time.


    She was nning to end the call when she heard the call of Aurum''s voice.


    "Brother!"


    Argent turned and just as she thought, Aurum was running towards her. Behind her was y, following calmly.


    Aurum was just about to say what she found when she noticed that her brother was using her light brain. "Are you calling someone?" she asked when she arrived in front of Argent.


    Argent nodded. "It''s ck and White."


    After that, she erged the screen of her light brain so Aurum could also see the two.


    y who just walked to the twin''s side saw this happened and he couldn''t help but be startled a bit. Then he returned to calm immediately. He had almost forgotten that Argent was the creator of sPhones. It''s only natural for him to have made other extraordinary gadgets. Not to mention that flying contraption they rode in when they were in Shandra, the appearance of this weird screen was not really that surprising.


    "Hi ck," he greeted the ck-haired kid on the screen. Then he turned to the white-haired girl. He wondered if they''re siblings.


    ck looked at y then widened his eyes. "It''s y! What are you doing there?"


    "He''s here to rece you," Aurum said.


    "What? How could y rece ck? You''re lying!"


    Aurum only snorted while y just smiled helplessly. When they were in Shandra, the two always bickered so he was already used to this kind of conversation betweent the two.


    "White, why do you seem so exhausted?" Aurum then said with exagerated worry. "ck is definitely giving you all kinds of headaches, isn''t he?"


    "That''s not true! ck is well-behaved. He listens to everything White says!" ck strongly refuted.


    "Really? You''re probably only saying that because you don''t want my brother to scold you," Aurum said using a tone as if she didn''t believe ck. But if one looked closedly, you could see the teasing light in her current dark eyes.


    "No, it''s not!"


    "ck hasn''t been causing any problems, so Miss Aurum doesn''t need to worry. Also, I''m incapable of feeling physical exhaustion so even if ck caused trouble, it wouldn''t bring me any headaches," White said in that voice unique to her.


    ck hugged White''s arm. "That''s right! You''re bad Aurum, you always bully ck!"


    Aurum rolled her eyes. She nned to tease ck more but looked like she couldn''t do it with White there with him. What a shame. So instead, she turned back her attention to her brother and finally told her what she saw.


    "Brother, popsicle is here."


    Argent was a bit surprised when she heard what Aurum said. Because there''s only one ''popsicle'' her sister could possibly refer to. "Winter?"


    Aurum nodded. "I saw him walking in the streets earlier. He was with that muscr blond bodyguard of his."


    Now that Argent thought about it, Winter being here wasn''t really that surprising. Tomorrow was the Festival of Creation, the Temple often invited royalties from different countries in the world to attend. Winter was the second prince of Albion, it''s only natural that he might be invited. No, it''s more urate to say that the Temple sent an invitation to Albion and Winter was the one that had been chosen to go to represent the royal family.


    If she remembered it correctly, Icelyn was the one who usually went to events like this one. But she''s now in prison. The King of Albion now knew about her collusion with the Temple. Other people in his position would probably immediately sever their rtionship with the Temple. But he didn''t do that. Because the King knew he couldn''t fight head on with a behemoth like a Temple of Gaia.


    So sending Winter here was like a statement that he''s willing to retain a superficial rtionship with the Temple. For now, at least.


    "Will his presence be a problem?" Aurum asked noticing that her brother was in deep thought.


    Argent shook her head. "We''re currently wearing human skin masks, he wouldn''t be able to recognize us. Him being here wouldn''t affect our n."


    But maybe she could take advantage of his presence here.


    "Master, I just found a recorded video that the Pope did using his sPhone. Should I show it to you?" White suddenly said.


    That was kind of unexpected. Even when far away from theb, White was still somehow connected to the main system so it''s only natural for her to know this immediately. Especially since following the Pope''s action through the camera of his sPhone was a high priority order given by Argent to White.


    But ever since she gave that order, they never found anything remotely useful. So what''s with this recording?


    Soon, the handsome face of the Pope appeared on the screen. There was a gentle smile on his face. Anyone who didn''t know about the dark things he''d been doing would think that he''s the epitome of kindness and gentleness.


    "To Argent ckbourne, I know you''ll be able to watch this so I''ll just make it short. Tomorrow at noon,e alone to the Northern forest. Someone wille and bring you to me. Then we''ll do our exchange. Your mother for the sword." He smiled as if he was really seeing Argent in front of him. "I hope you won''t disappoint me."


    The video ended there.


    After seeing that, Argent finally confirmed that the Pope really did suspect that she was able to spy on people using the sPhones. If she came to him at the time and ce he mentioned, then that would only proved his suspicion. But she couldn''t just go, couldn''t she?


    She smiled grimly. That shitty bastard. He didn''t want to be disappointed? Then she''d give him a fan-fucking-tastic show.

 Chapter 162: his only good guy

    Chapter 162: his only ''good guy''


    IN THE dungeon under the Apostolic Pce, a thin figure of a child was lying on one of the prison cells. His clothes were tattered. His white blond hair was matted with dried blood. But surprisingly, there wasn''t any kind of trace on his porcin like skin.


    The elf stared nkly at the dimly lit ceiling. Those twin devils hadn''t came in thest two days. But that didn''t really change anything. He was still trapped in this ce. He wondered how many days had it been since that masked person brought him here. He knew that person must be rted to the Temple of Gaia, probably belonging to a group directly under the Pope. As evidence of him being directly presented to the Pope himself after he was taken here.


    He hadn''t remembered how exactly he got out of Kievan. He just knew that he was heavily injured. Thest thought of saving his mother was the only thing that probably kept him going. Then when he woke up, he was already in a small vige at some country in the Southwestern continent.


    An old priest was there to exin to him his situation. ording to the priest, he was found at the forest and was healed by the healers at the vige. He didn''t quite believe it. How could he suddenly appear here when he clearly remembered that he passed out at another continent? So he chose to observe things first before taking any action.


    He thenter found out that the vige was actually a ce that housed orphans. It was some kind of orphanage that was under the governance of the Temple of Gaia. He didn''t expect that there''s actually a ce like that. A ce that served as sanctuary for children that had nowhere to go. Growing up the way he did, he was probably just surprised that there would be people who would take time to look after a group of orphans.


    The old priest took care of him. He was very kind and gentle. Not only him but also the other people who was allowed to interact with him. They didn''t mind that he was different from them. Because of that, he started to feel a bit hopeful. Maybe if he asked the Temple for help, maybe, just maybe, they would give it unconditionally. But soon, that hope was quickly dashed away.


    The ce he thought as a sanctuary for orphans turned out to be just an illusion meticulously weaved by the Temple of Gaia. The children were not being protected. They were being brainwashed. Using mental torture to make them obey and give their faith and loyalty to the Temple.


    He identaly saw some children locked up at a warehouse, being deprived of food and water. Then he heard the people talking that those batch of children were easier to brainwashpared with others. More than being shocked, he was furious. He couldn''t help but symphatized with those children. It''s like he was seeing his own self.


    At that moment, all he wanted was to save those children. So he used his Mana to subdue all the adult humans living in that vige. Because there''s no way that none of them were innocents. It was not hard for him to do that. After all, he was not being constrained by anything anymore.


    He encouraged the children to leave the vige and just ran far away from there. But instead, those children looked at him frightened and angry. As if he was the enemy. Only a handful of children followed his advice. That''s when he realized that most of them had beenpletely brainwashed. Which was truly sad. Those children''s lives hadn''t started yet and it already ended without them even realizing it.


    When he hadn''t thought of what he should do next, he heard themotion outside the vige. He immediately thought of the children who just left. He still remembered some of the knights who left the vige much earlier. He thought that they might pursue those kids. So he immediately went to the forest to save those children.


    But when he arrived at the source of themotion, he found those knights dead. Opposite them were some outsiders who looked really shaken and frightened. Beside the dead knights was a masked man.


    He didn''t know who made the first move, but the next thing he knew, he was fighting with the man. Obviously, he lost. Because when he woke up, he was in front of the Pope and then was sent here in this prison.


    He could feel that the darkness of this ce was starting to affect him. His resolve was slowly crumbling. Everything just seemed hopeless. He clenched his fist. Light was slowly returning to his nk eyes, turning its green depth brighter.


    No, he couldn''t allow himself to think that the situation waspletely hopeless. Because once he did, then that''s when it truly would be. His mother was still waiting for him. So how could he just give up?


    He slowly sat up, closed his eyes, and fell into a deep thought. He couldn''t leave this prison cell because the bars were enchanted. The moment he tried to touch it, he would be burned. If he touched it for more than ten seconds, he would then be poisoned. He had tried it and it didn''t really end well for him. If he wasn''t healed immediately, he probably would have died quite a number of times already. Then there was the chain attached to his ankle. It could subdue his Mana. With it around, he really couldn''t do anything.


    While he was deep in thought, he didn''t notice a foot that suddenly went through the cell behind him. Then that foot continued and became a leg until a whole person passed through inside the cell. It was a in looking boy who looked like he was only 12 or 13 years old.


    Lynx sighed. He finally managed to enter this stinky dungeon prison. There was so much protection around this Apostolic Pce that it took awhile to find a single opening. Even with that, he knew he couldn''t stay here for long. Because his presence would definitely be discovered sooner orter. So he had to move fast.


    He looked at the elf who sat quietly with his eyes closed. "Hey, are you asleep?"


    The elf was startled. He opened his eyes and unbelievably looked at the boy who suddenly appeared inside the cell. The boy looked in and unremarkable. He thought that he might be like those twin devils but when he observed the boy carefully, he couldn''t feel any malisciousness from him. But that didn''t mean that he wouldn''t be wary.


    "Who are you? What do you want?" he asked.


    "I''m here to get you out. We don''t have much time, soe on."


    The elf''s brows furrowed. "Why should I believe you?"


    Lynx rolled his eyes. "Do you really have any other choice other than to believe me?"


    Well, the boy had a point. The elf really didn''t have any other choice. "Why would you want to save me?"


    "I didn''te here willingly out of the goodness of my heart. I''m just here because I was asked to." Lynx could still see the hesitation in the elf''s eyes. "If you''re worried that I''m going to kill you then I''ll make a vow to you right now."


    The elf stared at the boy. He could see that he was really not just ying around with him. He stood up. As the boy said, what other choice did he really have right now? If, by a tiny chance, he could get out of this ce, then he would grab it. No matter the consequence.


    "No need. If you can get me out of this chain, then I''ll go with you."


    After he said that, the boy then held his hand. Before he could react, something warm enclosed around his ankle - the one with the chain. Then the chain just fell down, as if it passed through his ankle. He looked at the chain and then back at the boy. "Was that your Gift?"


    Instead of answering, that warm feeling now enveloped his whole body. He now knew that this warm feeling was probably the boy''s Mana. It was not only warm, it was also gentle. With only those feeling, the elf could tell that this boy was really not vicious or hateful.


    Then the boy suddenly pulled him towards the wall. Before he could express anything, the both of them already passed through the wall. Because of shock, he just let the boy pulled him, going through one wall to another. He only managed to return to normal when the boy finally spoke again.


    "I''m going to bring you to an auction. You''ll be the finale. But don''t worry, that won''tst because I''ll immediately get you out of there."


    He wanted to take his hand back when he heard about the auction but ummediately calmed down after the boy said thest part. "Then what''s the point of getting me to that auction?"


    "You don''t need to know. You just have to ept that following what I said would be the best way for you to get out of this ce alive."


    The elf shook his head. "Asking me to trust you when I couldn''t even tell if you''re a bad guy or not."


    "I''m a bad guy. There''s no doubt on that," the boy admitted openly. "But sometimes, bad guys are the only good guys you get."


    The elf couldn''t react for awhile and then he chuckled. The boy truly had a point. Because right now, he was indeed the only ''good guy'' he had.

 Chapter 163: to the goddess tower

    Chapter 163: to the goddess'' tower


    A NUMBER of carriages was travelling towards the West of the city. They all had one destination - the Goddess'' Tower. It was where the famous Midnight Auction would be held. One of those carriages carried Argent, Aurum, and y.


    Aurum was wearing a midnight-blue dress that reached just above her ankle. Its hem was studded with small gems that looked like starlight. y wouldn''t be outdone. He''s wearing a fashionable white suit dress that fit him perfectly. The upper half of his face was covered by a delicate ck mask which only added an air of mystery to him. Argent was the only one of the three who was wearing a simple ck suit.


    They left Casa Royale 30 minutes before midnight. It had been five minutes since. They would probably arrive at the tower after another ten or so minutes.


    "Brother, do you think popsicle would be at tha auction?" Aurum thought of asking. Since they''re on their way to the auction, that question just naturally crossed her mind.


    "I don''t think so."


    Aurum was a bit confused by her brother''s answer. Popsicle was the second prince of Albion, surely the Temple would invite him to attend. They were posing as ordinary nobles and yet they were able to be invited. In popsicle''s identity, he should also be. Unless... "Do you think he would refuse to attend?"


    "No. The Temple wouldn''t invite him."


    Now Aurum was even more confused. "Why?"


    "To humiliate him," Argent simply said.


    When her sister told him earlier that Winter was here in Victoria City, Argent easily found out some informations about his arrival. Apparently, they stayed at Casa Royale two days ago for a couple of hours. She didn''t hear about it because that was the day when she and the others were busy discussing and solidifying their ns. That continued on for the next two days. They only went back to Casa Royale when they needed to sleep.


    ording to the receptionist she talked to, the prince and his entourage waited for more than five hours before a priest from the Temple came to escort them to their residence. From that action alone, Argent could tell the kind of attitude the Temple wanted to show towards Winter or rather, Albion itself.


    Argent told Aurum about what the Temple did when Winter arrived here in the city. Aurum then immediately understood why her brother said that the Temple wanted to humiliate popsicle by not inviting him. "Does the Temple want to draw a line with Albion?"


    Argent smiled with satisfaction hearing her sister''s observation. Aurum''s analyzing skills was really getting better and better. "Yes."


    Aurum scrunched her brows in disgust. "Just because of that bitch Icelyn?"


    The silent y almost didn''t choke on his own spit when he heard Aurum cursing so crisply. He just looked sideways and cough a little to cover up his reaction. He didn''t want to twins to think that he''s being judgemental or anything just because of Aurum''s cursing. If men could curse other people, then women could also do it to their heart''s content. He was just surprised, that''s all.


    Just as he wanted, the twins didn''t notice his little movement.


    "No, it''s not because of her per se. Someone like that Pope would definitely not care about what would happen to Icelyn," Argent said, answering her sister. "Putting her in prison after knowing her connection to the Pope''s errand dogs was the same as challenging the Temple''s - no, his authority. So by doing this, humiliating Winter, he''s silently saying that he doesn''t care even if the rtionship between Albion and the Temple turns sour. Or at least that''s what I understand."


    "Despicable bastard," Aurum said, thoroughly disgusted. "Will Albion be in trouble?"


    "Probably not at the moment."


    Truthfully, Argent really couldn''t tell what that Pope was nning. Was he doing all this for world domination? Because he wanted to have the power to rule everyone and everything in this world? She felt that things wouldn''t be that simple. There must be something. Something he wanted to do that was far bigger than that. But what was bigger than conquering the whole world? An idea shed inside her head but she didn''t manage to catch it. At the end, she could only give up thinking.


    Soon, they arrived at their destination.


    Argent was the first one to get out of the carriage. y soon followed. He turned around and raised his hand towards the carriage. Aurum looked at his offered hand. Unlike the first time, she no longer hesitated and just put his hand on his palm. Like it was the most natural thing.


    They all stared at the tower in front of them and immediately understood why it was called the Goddess'' Tower. It''s 100 m high tower, probably made of the purest ivory. The statue of the goddess Gaia was carved on its front. It was as tall as the building, making it seemed like the goddess was standing mightily in front of them.


    Aurum must admit, that kind of look amazing. She turned to her brother. "Brother, do you think those two are done?" she asked, referring to the two Dreich Gallere assassins.


    "Don''t worry, they''ll do their part properly," Argent said. "Let''s go inside."


    Then the three walked towards the entrance of the tower.


    ----------


    Archibishop Stillwell felt like his head was going to burst. He was walking back and forth, biting his nails. He''s currently at the floor where all the items going to be auctioned were being held. He was waiting for that assassin who told him that he''s going to bring the elf to him. But there''s only 15 minutes left before the auction and that assassin was still not here.


    Marcus didn''t know what he''s going to do. If that assassin didn''te, he might really go insane.


    "Where the fuck is that bastard?!" he shouted swiping the items on a nearby table angrily.


    "I hope that bastard is not me," suddenly said by a male voice. "Because I don''t really like it when people are cursing at me."


    Marcus turned sharply and saw the in-faced assassin. He rushed towards him and gripped thepel of his clothes. "Where''s the elf?!"


    Viper frowned, annoyed, and pushed the Archbishop away from him. Instead of answering, he walked towards a cage covered by a dark fabric. He pulled the fabric and revealed the thing inside the cage.


    It was a child with white blond hair, delicate white skin, and a pair of pointed ears. He was lying unconcious inside the cage.


    Marcus eyes brightened when he saw the elf. He walked towards the cage, his insides quivering with excitement. Seeing the elf, he could already imagine the look on Lucern''s face when he saw it as the finale of the auction.


    "Leave," he said to the assassin, giving him the payment they talked about and not even looking at him.


    Viper picked the three chests of golden coins and put it in his space ring. He looked at the Archbishop who was giggling like a fool. He sneered inside. Stupid fool.


    Then he walked out of that floor.

 Chapter 164: midnight auction

    Chapter 164: midnight auction


    AT THE top floor of the Goddess'' Tower, the famous Midnight Auction was currently being held. It was an annual auction hosted by the Temple of Gaia. Most of the items being auctioned were religious pieces or at least had something to do with it. Very rarely that it weren''t.


    The structure of the top floor was almost like an auditorium. There was a wide stage where the auctioneer and the items being auctioned would be. The audience could sit among three seating levels. The lowest level was for ordinary wealthy merchants, the second level was a balcony where ordinary nobles could be seated, and the highest level wasposed of private boxes where VIPs were.


    Argent, Aurum, and y were seated at the balcony among with other nobles. They were all waiting for the auction to start.


    "Brother, do you think that snake and that ghost boy managed to get the, you know," Aurum whispered to her brother, not really speaking straight to the point just in case someone was listening in to them.


    "I''m sure they did. Don''t worry too much. They''re professionals. They won''t do a half-ass job," Argent said.


    "I just can''t help but worry. Just in case we''re right and he''s really Uncle Jax'' you know. So this thing couldn''t go wrong." Uncle Jax wasn''t just their mother''s friend, he was like their second father as well. In fact, he was more of a father to them than that missing guy.


    Argent understood what her sister was thinking. If that elf was really Jaxon''s son, then saving him was the least thing they could do. For Jaxon. "We''ll just have to wait and see."


    Aurum sighed. Well, that''s really all they could do right now, wasn''t it? They just needed to wait until the finale of the auction to know if those two really seeded.


    "The Pope is here," y suddenly said.


    Both the twins'' attention were caught by that. They turned slightly towards the most important box on the third level.


    They saw a handsome man wearing a simple but elegant priest''s robe. His hair was golden blond and his eyes were as blue as a cloudless sky. There was a gentle smile pasted on his lips. He turned towards towards the crowd below - who was mostly watching him in awe - and then kindly smiled.


    Aurum snorted before regaining her gaze back. "How I''d love to tear off that hypocritical smile on that bastard''s face. Maybe I should turn his brain into mush so all these would end. What do you think, Brother?"


    "Maybe you should lower your voice first before suggesting that," ymented.


    Aurum nced at him. "Don''t tell me you''re afraid?"


    "Everyone knows how kind the Pope is, why would I be afraid?" y said with an obvious sarcasm in his voice.


    Aurum chuckled. "True, why would you be?"


    Argent already removed her gaze from the Pope. Truthfully, just like her sister, she really wanted to slice that bastard in half. But this was not the time nor the ce. Frankly speaking, she didn''t really know when was the right time. Maybe until she''s confident enough that she could really kill him and his minions. And that her actions wouldn''t affect the people she cared about.


    The whole auditorium suddenly darkened then the light centered on the stage. A man wearing a long-tailed white suit was standing at the center of the stage.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, I''m your auctioneer for tonight," the man said. "Wee to the Midnight Auction!"


    Aurum furrowed her brows. The auctioneer''s voice was a bit familiar. Wait- "Is that the snake?"


    "He is," Argent said. Viper probably used his real voice to let them know that he disguised himself as the auctioneer. Doing this would probably help in getting the elf out.


    "Just how many human skin masks do they have?" Aurum asked in wonder. Since the two assassins came, she probably have seen them changed faces for three times now.


    "I know you''ve been waiting for this, so let us start by presenting our first item," Viper started. Then someone pushed a trolley with a number of books on top of it. "As you can see, these are not just books. They''re a rare first edition of the well-loved series, ''Adventures of Lyras''. A story about a young priest who saved a country of heretics and became a saint. The first edition of this series is truly hard toe by. So I suggest to all the book collectors here not to miss this chance to get a copy of this amazing series. Our starting bid is 15,000 gold coins."


    "17,000 gold coins!" started by a voice at the first level.


    Before entering the tower, they were given a crystal where they could say their bid and the sound would be amplified throughout the whole auditorium. And once they won the bidding, the price they offered would be recorded in the crystal. Then they had to present the crystal to the people in-charge so they could pay for it and get the item they''d won.


    "20,000 gold coins!"


    "25,000 gold coins!"


    "40,000 gold coins!"


    "40,000 gold coins, going once, going twice, and sold to thedy in green!" Viper announced.


    "Well, one thing''s for certain. If he ever gets tired of being an assassin, he could just be an auctioneer. He certainly has the talent for it," Aurummented.


    The next item to be auctioned was a painting that was sold at 300,000 gold coins. It continued on for the next three hours, auctioning 14 items in total. Theter items were quite rare, making it a lot longer to be sold. Because people really fought for it.


    Then the moment they''re all waiting for, the presentation of the finale item, arrived.


    "I heard that our finale item is very special. I also don''t have any idea what it is. I just know that it''s very special because it will be presented by a very special person - the one who''s responsible for all of these. Please, let''s all wee, His Eminence, Archbishop Stillwell!"


    A man wearing an almost over the top priest''s robe walked towards the center of the stage. His chin was so high up that he almost looked like he was looking at the ceiling. Following him was a big box covered by a ck fabric. The man pushing it stopped just beside the Archbishop.


    "First of all, I would like to thank everyone foring here. As the auctioneer said, thisst item is very special. Something that most of the world hasn''t seen for the past 500 years or so. But tonight, you''ll have the honor of seeing this special item. One of you might even be able to possess it."


    There''s a murmur of spection in the audience. The Archbishop seemed very satisfied by this reaction.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you..." He looked up at the center box at the third seat level - the box where the Pope was. He smirked arrogantly before taking off the fabric covering the cage. "An elf!"


    Marcus expected surprised gasped and shocked expressions, but what he got instead was silence. Dread suddenly crept up in his heart. Slowly, he turned his head and found the cage empty.


    He kneeled down beside the cage, frantically looking inside. "No... no... no!"


    His mind suddenly turned nk when he realized that the elf was really gone.


    "What''s wrong with the Archbishop?"


    "What elf was he talking about?"


    "Did he be delusional or something?"


    When Marcus heard those, he clenched his fists so hard, his nails deeply burried in his palm. The elf was here! He made sure of it. He never left the side of this cage since that assassin showed him the elf. No one came close the cage aside from him. So why, why did the elf disappeared? Why?!


    No. Someone must have done this. Someone wanted to embarrass him in front of all these people. He stood up and looked again at the center box.


    Then he just saw red.


    ----------


    Lynx was jumping from building to building with the elf on his back. He sessfuly took him out of the cage when that Archbishop was taking him out on the stage. They just got out of the Goddess'' Tower and was now going to the direction of the Holy Temple. He needed to be as careful and stealthy as possible so as not to alert the patrolling knights.


    "Where are we going?" the silent elf suddenly asked.


    "Somewhere safe." Or at least it should be.


    Lynx was not really sure since the duke only told him that he had to jump at the top of the center of the Holy Temple and he had to do it while using his Gift. Then he would know what to do after that. He was extremely dissatisfied with that. Why could that duke just give him a straight answer?


    He could already see the Holy Temple. He quicken his steps. They arrived at the center of the Holy Temple and just as he was told, he used his Gift - not forgetting to also surround the elf with his Mana - then jumped.


    To his surprise, he just felt his body passing through a solid object. But there was clearly nothing there! Before he could think more, he and the elf alreadynded inside the object they passed through.


    And watching their sudden arrival were two kids - a girl with white hair and a boy with ck hair.

 Chapter 165: the day of the festival

    Chapter 165: the day of the festival


    THE streets of Victoria City were filled with colorful decorations and ornaments. There were different flowers floating in the air, even the pavements had flowers and grasses growing from it. Giving the whole city a fairy tale like atmosphere. Countless stalls were lined up on the street, selling food, jewelry, art, and many other knickknacks. Most of the items being sold showed the image of the goddess Gaia one way or another. Which was not surprising since today was the festival that honored the goddess.


    The Festival of Creation.


    It would usually begin with the Pope signalling the start of the festival. Then there would be a parade of the ten talents cultivated by the Temple. They were orphans who grew up under the care of Temple. Every year, ten of them would be chosen to showcased their talents during the Festival of Creation. After the parade, a public performance would be held at the za.


    The one who performed best would be rewarded by the Pope himself during the Blessing Ceremony. Where the Pope would pray to Gaia and thank her for all the blessings she gave this year and wished that she would continue to bless and protect them in the uing year as well. The ceremony also involved the Pope giving offerings. These offerings often involved expensive treasures donated to the Temple.


    It would be held during the night and would be attended by not only the local popce but the visitors in the city as well. They would all pray alongside the Pope. Others could also give their offerings if they wanted. Most do because they believed that if they could also give an offering, then they would most likely be blessed by the goddess in the uing year.


    Inside a three-storey mansion on the residential area, Aspen was standing near the window, looking at the people probably walking towards the direction of the za.


    "Seeing them celebrating so happily, they probably don''t have any idea about what happenedst night at that auction," he said looking back at the prince.


    He was actually really mad when he learnt that the second prince was not invited to the auction. It was a clear provocation. As if the Temple was directly saying that the prince didn''t have the qualification to attend. But when he heard about what happened, he''s actually thankful that the prince wasn''t there to participate in that mess.


    Apparently, during the auctionst night, Archbishop Stillwell suddenly turned crazy and attacked the Pope. Of course, he was immediately subdued by the knights. But then, he became even crazier and just used his Gift to attact everyone. Some of the guests were injured, so the Pope had to act himself. He managed to stop the Archbishop. He even apologized to the people there.


    Now, no one had any idea what had happened to the Arcbishop. The Temple wasn''t even releasing any news.


    "Today is the festival, they wouldn''t allow that kind of news to spread," Winter said. He was just not sure if that''s only for today or if the Temple would just keep it that way and treat it like didn''t happen.


    He was about to say more when his sPhone vibrated. He checked it and smiled unconciously when he saw who it was from. But once he read the content of the message, the smile on his face disappeared. It was slowly reced by shock. And then his expression became extremely serious.


    Aspen immediately noticed his change and asked, "Is something wrong, Your Highness?"


    "I received a message from Argent."


    The Duke of Hanover? Aspen thought of the silver-haired duke. "Did the duke say something?"


    The prince showed him the message which was a bit surprising. But that surprise couldn''t hold a candle to the surprise he felt when he read the message. He couldn''t help but furrow his brows. "Does Your Highness think that it''s credible?"


    "It is," Winter didn''t hesitate to say. Argent was not the type to send a message like this just for fun. Which meant that he really would do what he said he would.


    "Then, are we going to follow up after what the duke nned to do?" Aspen asked, a bit uncertain.


    Winter put away his sPhone. "We will." If they managed to do a good job, then the result would only be good for his image. "Gather all the guards. We''re going to go to the za."


    Aspen followed what the prince ordered. As he walked out of the mansion''s drawing room, he suddenly remembered Niki''s evaluation of Argent ckbourne - a very troublesome enemy to have.


    He didn''t know how the Temple pissed the duke. But right now, he couldn''t help but feel a little bit sorry for them. Only a little bit. Because those people definitely deserved what''sing for them.


    ----------


    "Brother, is it really alright for you to go there alone?" Aurum asked looking at her brother who''s now wearing a hood to hide her silver hair and real face.


    They were at the front of Casa Royale together with y. There were hardly any people around. Because most of them were at the za to hear the Pope''s speech that would signal the beginning of the festival. That''s why right now, they could talk as they please without worrying that someone would hear it.


    "I''ll be fine. They still need me for something so I doubt that Pope would dare to hurt me. But if you''re still worried, don''t forget that Viper and Lynx would be there to follow," Argent said, not a bit nervous.


    Aurum frowned. She''s still against the idea of her brother meeting the Pope alone, even if those two assassins were following her secretly. Although sessfuly saving the elf was already a plus in Aurum''s book and made her trust them a bit, she still couldn''t help but worry. Her brother''s safety was not the only one involved in this but their mother''s as well. How could she not worry?


    Argent immediately noticed her sister''s state. She reached for her hand and held it. "I''ll be fine. I promise you, after this day, we''ll be reunited with Mother."


    Aurum squeezed her brother''s hand. "Then I promise that I would give my best to do my part of the n."


    "And make sure to leave the city as soon as you''re done." Aurum nodded. Argent then looked at y who was standing silently at the side. "Protect her."


    "You don''t have to ask me that," he said.


    The three separated, Aurum and y went towards the za while Argent walked in another direction that would inadvertently bring her to the Northern forest.


    She only walked a couple of steps when she suddenly received a call from her light brain. She thought it was White. Thinking that White and ck might have encountered a problem, she immediately went towards a narrow alley before answering it. But the voice that she heard waspletely unexpected.


    "Argent," said a very familiar deep voice.


    "Lei Feng?"

 Chapter 166: its good to hear from you

    Chapter 166: it''s good to hear from you


    "SORRY, I''m a bit busy right now. Try to contact me again tomorrow," Argent said when she finally got over the shock of hearing Lei Feng''s voice.


    It had been a month since shest heard from him. Truthfully, she felt a bitplicated suddenly hearing his voice right now. She was expecting his call at least the first week. Because he said that he would call. But then the call didn''te and she just overall forgot about it. Now, she didn''t know if she should be happy to hear his voice or be annoyed because he called at a very incovenient time.


    "I''m flying near Victoria City right now. I might arrive at the city by noon," Lei Feng said instead.


    He just flew above the town of Achea. He decided to stop temporarily to call Argent to tell her of his whereabouts. Hearing her voice again, he felt some kind of warmth filling his heart. He suddenly realized just how much he wanted to see her. One month almost felt like a year.


    Once again, Argent found herself shocked by the myriad of informations that answer conveyed. "Wait- you''reing here in Victoria City? And what do you mean by flying? Surely, you''re not nning to fly here?"


    "I am," Lei Feng answered calmly. "I have been travelling in this way since Xing. So I assure you, there won''t be any problems."


    He flew here from Xing? She suddenly thought of something. Was that the reason he didn''t call? Not because he forgot but because he couldn''t? Because he was too busy flying? "Why would you fly from Xing to Victoria City?"


    "Because it''s faster," he said simply.


    Suddenly, Argent felt a headache. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "Then could you tell me the reason for this sudden flying trip of yours?"


    "To help you."


    Now, she was truly annoyed. "Lei Feng, didn''t we talk about this already? You should focus more on the things that you should do instead of, well, this."


    "The Emperor gave me a vacation." Well, not really. Lei Feng asked for one. He literally told the Emperor that he was too tired from fighting with the barbarians from the Northern border and he really needed a vacation or he would probably copsed from overwork. When he phrased it like that, the Emperor had no choice but to give in. "Right now, I''m just an idle general. There''s nothing more important I should be doing. So, going to Victoria City to lend you a hand is the most productive thing I could do right now."


    Argent was a bit speechless, even her annoyance disappeared. Because she couldn''t help but imagine what Lei Feng looked like right now as he said those words. He probably had that same serious expression. Just thinking that he said something so non-sensical with that serious face of his could already make herugh.


    "I already have a n. Haven''t you thought that yourte appearance and unnecessary protection might disrupt it?" she asked, making herself sound as serious as possible.


    "I''m not going there to offer protection. I''m going there to offer all the assistance I could," Lei Feng countered. He already learned the hard way that Argent was not the type to just passively ept the protection of others. She''s confident in her ability to protect herself and protect those she cared about. So, truly, the only thing he could do was to fight side by side with her, making sure that he could lessen her burden. "Tell me the n and I will act ordingly. I will make sure that I won''t get in your way."


    Argent just sighed because she couldn''t truly think of anything to counter Lei Feng. Once she epted his sudden presence, she immediately thought of a way to integrate him to her overall n. Having the effect of his double Gift would actually make things more sinister.


    "Then listen..."


    When Argent finished telling him everything, it was Lei Feng''s turn to be speechless. "Okay, I''ll do it ording to what you said," he said after digesting everything.


    "I''ll let someone contact you to give you the signal on when you should start. Stay alfloat above the Holy Temple, make sure that your position would be out of everyone''s sight," Argent reminded.


    "I understand."


    "And Lei Feng, it''s really good to hear from you." Then Argent ended the call.


    Lei Feng on the other side stopped for a bit. Then a smile crossed his lips, making his usually stern face appeared more handsome. Hearing those words, all the tiredness he''s feeling vanished, just like that. It''s like his energy was once again renewed. It made his flight from Xing to Victoria City, without almost no rest, more than worth it.


    Back to Argent, she was nning to call White to tell her about giving a signal to Lei Feng when she saw a message from Winter. She opened it and read;


    [I''ll do it ording to your instructions.]


    Just that. Not even one question about the message she sent to him. He didn''t even ask what she was doing here in Victoria City. She raised one of her brows. Wasn''t this prince a little bit too trusting? Oh well, what he was about to do would only benefit him. So there''s really no harm following what Argent said. But still.


    She shrugged, no longer tangled about that, and just called White.


    ----------


    "For our goddess, Gaia, let''s all celebrate the day she created this world!" the Pope said from the balcony of the Holy Temple.


    The dense crowd of people on the za cheered. Because this was the start of the Festival of Creation. The parade of the ten talents started to assemble. The people around immediately made way.


    After waving to the crowd, showing his usual gentle smile, the Pope walked back inside the Holy Temple.


    "That was a great speech, Your Holiness," Bishop Ernst who was waiting at the side quickly said.


    The Pope looked at the old Bishop, a gentle smile still on his face. "You should also prepare a speech of your own, Richard. You would need it once you''re finally ordained as a new Archbishop."


    Bishop Ernst almost winced. So it was already decided that he would rece Archbishop Stillwell. After hearing what the Pope said, he finally believed the news he received about Marcus acting crazyst night during the auction. Even attacking the Pope himself. He couldn''t understand how Marcus could do that. The only problem Marcus had was being overly proud. The Bishop never thought that he had the tendency to go insane.


    Honestly speaking, he was really not happy on having Marcus'' position. He was fine being a Bishop here in Victoria City. Climbing up thedder meant that he would be privy to many secrets of the Temple. Secrets he''d rather not know. He''s already too old for conspiracies, especially for the Pope''s schemes. But things already happened. He didn''t have any power to go against this seemingly kind Pope.


    "I''ll do my best to prepare a speech that could satisfy Your Holiness," he just said. "That, Your Holiness, may I ask what happened to the former Archbishop?"


    The Pope stared at the Bishop for a few seconds, making Bishop Ernst feel that there were hundreds of insects crawling behind his back. Then the smile on the Pope''s face became gentler. "No, you may not."


    Bishop Ernst felt the cold sweat on his forehead. "I deeply apologized for my impertinence, Your Holiness."


    Lucern didn''t answer and just walked past the Bishop. As he rounded up the corner, Harlequin appeared beside him out of thin air.


    "Is everything ready?" he asked.


    "Yes, Your Holiness," answered Harlequin.


    Lucern smiled. "Then let''s go meet Argent ckbourne."

 Chapter 167: the time to meet

    Chapter 167: the time to meet


    BOTH Lucern and Harlequin appeared inside the living room of a cottage. The design of the furnitures inside was simple but with just one look, anyone could see that everything was made of top quality wood. There was a fire ce inside, adding a homey and cozy ambiance.


    Harlequin was truly puzzled why the Pope chose this ce to meet Argent ckbourne. If he was not mistaken, this cottage was like a retreat for the Pope. He often went here to rest. Even he couldn''t just enter this ce as he pleased. And yet, the Pope didn''t hesitate to pick this ce to wee the duke.


    Besides that, there were hardly any security in this area aside from the most basic magical tools. But most importantly, the only Apostles here were Limos and the twins. Both of whom were technically nonbatants. If Solis wasn''t brought here by a vassal from his Empire to attend the Festival of Creation, then the twins wouldn''t even be here. Which would only leave Limos.


    Harlequin wasn''t sure if the Pope was just confident of his skill to defend himself or he just didn''t care even if the duke retaliated. Knowing him, it''s most likely thetter. But that was not because the Pope looked down on the duke. No, in fact, it''s more of the opposite. Harlequin could see that, in some way, the Pope held a kind of morbid fascination towards Argent ckbourne.


    He first thought that it was only because the duke could gather the three artifacts. But so could Aurum ckbourne. And yet the Pope never gave her the same kind of attention. So what was it that Argent ckbourne had that could make a man like Lucern Faust so fascinated with him?


    Harlequin could admit that the duke was interesting. But that''s all. In terms of ability and ambition, he couldn''t hold a candle against the Pope.


    Well, whatever the reason, he just hoped that it wouldn''t get in the way of their ns. Although, frankly speaking, he wasn''t really worried that something like that might happen. Lucern Faust might be a lot of things but he''s not the type that would stop things half-way. Especially when it came to his goal. Because that goal was everything.


    No longer conflicted about that, Harlequin then thought of something that he forgot to ask. "Your Holiness, are we really not going to pursue the whereabouts of the elf?"


    He knew the elf was taken and he already suspected that that one behind it was Stillwell. After all, he''d been wanting to put that elf as the finale for the auction. What Harlequin didn''t expect was that the elf was also stolen during the auction, making Stillwell crazy. They didn''t manage to get anything from him because the Pope killed him directly.


    The elf was rted to someone who could probably lead them to another artifact. Now, the elf was gone. They didn''t know where he was or who took him. But it seemed like the Pope didn''t care at all about that.


    "No. He already exhausted his usefulness. I no longer have any need for him."


    Harlequin wanted to ask what the Pope meant by that, but Limos suddenly walked towards them. She seemed toe from the dining room of the cottage.


    "Your Holiness," she greeted respectfully,pletely ignoring Harlequin.


    "Is lunch ready?" Lucern asked.


    "Yes, everything is as Your Holiness ordered."


    "Good." Lucern turned to Harlequin. "Go and fetch our guest."


    Harlequin bowed and then disappeared like a puff of smoke.


    Seeing that Harlequin was going to pick up that Argent ckbourne, Limos couldn''t help but show a worried expression.


    "The Duchess?" Lucern asked.


    "I already removed my Gift. She would probably wake up by tomorrow," Limos answered, biting her lip and wondering if she could ask the problem that had been bothering her.


    Finally, the Pope noticed her expression. "Is there a problem, Limos?"


    Limos hesitated for a bit, wondering if she could finally ask that question that he''d been wanting to ask. In the end, she still chose to ask it. "Your Holiness, I don''t mean any disrespect, but I just wanted to know, what if the duke refused to give the sword?"


    Lucern gave a pampering smile. "Are you worried about this?"


    Limos'' cheeks immediately turned red and looked down in embarrassment. "I''m sorry, I know it''s silly of me. I''m just worried that after all these, Your Holiness still couldn''t keep the sword."


    "It doesn''t matter even if I ended up not having the sword. Because everything will still go the way I wanted it."


    Limos showed a confused look. "Then why--"


    "Why go through all these trouble?" Limos nodded. Lucern only smiled meaningfully. "Because Argent needed a nudge in the right direction." He nced outside the window, a faraway look appeared on his face. "And maybe I just wanted to meet him again."


    ----------


    "What''s the situation over there?" Argent asked the other side. She was leaning on the wall of a building inside an alley, talking to Viper using her light brain.


    "There are no knights or sign of any Apostles, only magical tools that can detect Mana," Viper answered.


    Argent raised one of her brows when she heard that. No knights? Not even Apostles? Did the Pope think that she posed no threat so he didn''t even think of guarding against her? If so, then that was truly a naive move. Something that someone like the Pope would never do. So what was the reason?


    "Still, don''t let your guard down."


    "Are you worried about me?" Viper asked energetically.


    Argent could almost picture him with his eyes shining and looking expectantly at her. She shook her had. It seemed like theirst talk didn''t affect him at all. "Viper, be serious."


    "I''m always serious," Viper said with a little pout in his voice. "So, what are we going to do, n A or n B?"


    "If you make sure that there''s really no one in the area or anything that could record our movements, then go with n B. Otherwise, proceed to n A," Argent answered.


    "Understood. I''ll tell Lynx to be on standby." She was about to end the call when Viper continued, "Argent, be careful."


    "I will. You too."


    "See? You''re really worried about me," Viper said, you could almost hear the smile on his voice.


    As an answer, Argent ended the call. After that, she ran towards the Northern forest.


    It''s time to meet that bastard Pope.


    When she arrived there, she didn''t wait for long until a man with long gray hair and a domino mask covering the upper half of his face appeared in front of her.


    "Wee, milord," Harlequin greeted and made an elegant bow.


    Argent remove the hood of the cloak he''s wearing, revealing her silver hair. "Stop with the theatrics and just take me to your master."


    "Then, please," Harlequin said, offering his hand towards Argent.


    Argent knew he wanted to teleport her so she only snorted. "There''s no way I''m going to touch you."


    Harlequin suddenly remembered that time when he tried to teleport the duke and failed. He had been thinking the reason behind that and the only thing he coulde up with was because the duke managed to make a device that prevented people from using their Gifts against him. Considering how he made that sPhone at such a young age, making something like the device he thought of was not really impossible.


    "Is it because my teleportation won''t work?" he asked.


    Argent sneered in disgust. "No. I''m just afraid you''ll infect me with some skin disease if I touch you."


    Harlequin felt the popping of the veins on his forehead. He''s really on the verge of punching this brat. He took a deep breath and calmed himself. "Follow me."


    He no longer talked and just walked inside the forest. Argent followed. She looked at the back of Harlequin and a dark grin spread ross her pretty face.

 Chapter 168: hacking him to pieces

    Chapter 168: hacking him to pieces


    IN FRONT of Argent was a cottage made of light red bricks. It had a chimney on top with lines of smokeing out of it. Colorful wildflowers surrounded the house. Vines grew on the arched wooden door. Two huge trees were nted on both sides of the cottage. It looked straight out of a fairy tale. But what''s waiting inside for her was not some fairy godmother but a wicked witch. Or should she call it a wicked wizard since the Pope was male?


    Harlequin opened the door of the cottage and gestured for her to enter. He didn''t look at the guy and bypassed him. The first thing she noticed inside was not the decorations nor the furniture but the woman standing in the middle of the living room.


    The woman was tall and willowy. Her dark purple hair was tied in a long braid behind her back. Her eyes which seemed to be out of focus were the lightest blue in color. Argent wondered if the woman was blind or if her eyes just had a little bit of a problem. She only thought about it for a bit and then casted it away from her mind. Because frankly, she didn''t really particrly care.


    "His Holiness is waiting at the dining room. Please follow me," the woman said.


    She didn''t wait for Argent''s answer and just turned around and walk. With her attitude and bodynguage, it could be seen clearly that she didn''t like Argent. Maybe there''s even a little bit of hate.


    Argent just shrugged. Being hated by one of that bastard Pope''s minions wasn''t really a big deal for her. After all, she also had some kind of prejudiced against the people who mindlessly follow someone like the Pope. So she just followed the purple haired woman to the dining room.


    The room was directly beside the living room so they immediately arrived there. There was a table full of sumptous meals. Sitting at the head of the table was a man with golden blond hair and a pair of eyes as blue as a cloudless sky. That irritating gentle smile was stered on his face.


    Lucern Faust.


    The bastard responsible for the abduction of her mother. All for the reason that he wanted either her or her sister to get the sword of the dragon king. In exchange for the sword, he would return their mother to them. That would be a fairly good n. If he was a useless doormat who would just follow whatever he said and wouldn''t even dare to fight back. Sadly, she''s not. And Argent doubted if this man didn''t know that.


    Based on their short encounter in Shandra, this guy definitely had an inkling on how her character was. If he hadn''t, then he wouldn''t stage that little drama - pretending to be some small time priest, telling her information about that pig Bishop, and showing her how she could enter the church there unnoticed. The only reason he did that was because he somehow found out that she was there to deal with that Bishop.


    That was still a mystery to Argent. Although now that she thought about it, maybe him being there was really no coincidence at all. He wanted to gather the three artifacts left by the three mythical races. ording to the legend, only a child of all could gather the three artifacts. Seeing as she, and also her father, both managed to get the sword of the dragon king, this ''child of all'' thing obviously had something to do with the main bloodline of the ckbournes. Argent already had a guess on what could that mean. But that was besides the point. The point was, this bastard knew about it.


    Going by that fact, maybe he had long been observing her and Aurum. Not allowing the sale of sPhones in Shandra might be a part of his plot to get them there. Then he staged that little drama, probably to personally gauge her character. If that was really the case, then him being there was definitely not a mere coincidence.


    This man definitely had aplex mind, making him a very annoying opponent. Hateful bastard.


    "Wee Lord ckbourne," the Pope greeted with a smile.


    "Cut the crap. Where''s my mother?" Argent said, going straight to the point.


    "Please, be patient. We still have a lot of time. Should we have lunch first?"


    Argent sneered. "Eating with you, I''m afraid I''ll just vomit everything."


    There was a slight chuckle from behind, all three looked at Harlequin. Argent narrowed her eyes at him, as if in warning. The purple haired woman frowned, obviously upset. The Pope only nced at him for a second and then turned his gaze back to Argent.


    "Sorry, I think I''m catching a cold," Harlequin said, at the same time giving a fake cough.


    The Pope ignored him and said to Argent instead, "Then you can just sit there while I eat. I haven''t had breakfast, you see."


    After he said that, he really did start eating. The purple haired woman stood beside him and started serving him food.


    Argent sat on the other end of the table. There was still about an hour before their n started. She might as well gather more information from this bastard.


    "You really don''t nt on eating?" the Pope asked.


    Argent smirked. "As I''ve said, it would only make me vomit."


    The Pope only smiled at that, as if he didn''t mind the insult.


    But Limos was truly upset and angry because of the duke''s attitude. How dare he talked to His Holiness like that? He had no right. To all the Apostles, His Holiness was their savior. He was their light. He was the reason they could live the life they had right now. No one, absolutely no one, had the right to insult him like that.


    But what upset her more was the fact that His Holiness seemed to not mind the duke''s attitude. She could even feel a hint of pampering in him. Which she couldn''t really understand. Making her dislike towards the duke grew even more.


    Of course, Argent noticed the hated gaze directed at her. "Your follower over there seems to not like me very much. You should warn her. I''m a bit moody, you see. If she continues to look at me like that, I might just throw this knife at her," she said picking up the knife on the table and ying with it.


    Argent raised her head and looked at the purple haired woman then grinned.


    Limos felt a cold shiver down her spine seeing that grin.


    "Limos, go and check the situation of the Duchess. See if there''s no residual Mana left from your Gift."


    Argent''s hold on the knife tightened when she heard that. The look she was giving the woman changed and became absolutely murderous. So this was the one who put her mother to sleep? Giving her nightmares after nightmares?


    Limos could literally feel the threating from the duke. It''s like he wouldn''t only throw the knife at her, he would stab her again and again until all her innards came out of her body. How could a NoGift exert this much bloodlust?


    "Yes, Your Holiness," she just said to the Pope and went to the direction of the room where the Duchess was sleeping.


    "Don''t be mad at her. She only did what I asked her to," the Pope said eating a piece of meat.


    "So are you saying I should be mad at you?" Argent said full of sarcasm. "Don''t worry, I''m mad enough to want to kill you without even knowing that fact."


    She took a deep breath to calm herself. No, she not only wanted to kill him. She wanted to hack him into pieces. And then feed his body parts to wild animals. That''s how murderous she was feeling right now.


    "That''s too bad then." Lucern smiled at the silver haired teenager. "Because you probably won''t have any chance to do that."


    Yes. Hacking him into pieces was definitely not enough.

 Chapter 169: i wanted to see you

    Chapter 169: i wanted to see you


    "IF you have any question, feel free to ask. I''ll answer you the best I could," said the Pope while elegantly eating his lunch. "But only until I finished my lunch."


    "How generous of you," Argent said sarcastically. "But since you offered, I might as well take advantage. Seeing that you don''t have the right qualification to get the remaining artifacts yourself, are you nning to kidnap other people close to me and my sister so you could force us to get those artifacts and bring them to you?"


    Lucern chuckled as if amused by Argent''s antagonistic attitude. "It seems like you managed to gather quite a handful of information in your search for the Duchess. It''s a good thing that I let you search for her yourself instead of telling you directly that I''m the one responsible for her disappearance."


    "You let me? You talk as if it''s because of your benevolence that I was able to learn all those informations," she said, not even bothering to hide the anger in her voice. It''s incredulous andpletely shameless for him to even assume that.


    "Isn''t it though?" Lucern said with so much confidence as if it was really the truth. "If I contacted you at the very beginning and told you my demands, then it wouldn''t have same effect as it has now. Discovering those informations and analyzing them on your own would bring a greater impact than me telling them to you, wouldn''t it?"


    Argent gritted her teeth in frustration. Because as much as she hated to admit it, he was right.


    "A wise person once told me that there''s no meaning in solving a puzzle that has a readily avable solution. Because that way, it would no longer be a puzzle but a veryme brain teaser instead. There''s no excitement, no satisfaction in finally finding the right answer. Hence, it wouldn''t leave asting impression,pletely being forgotten." He picked up a tea cup and slowly drank the content. "It''s a rather fitting analogy, don''t you think?"


    Hearing that, it would probably be something Argent she could agree on, probably even something that she could find herself saying. But being in this situation, there''s no way in hell that she would tell that to this bastard.


    "Analogy, my ass. Why don''t you just cut the all the bullshit and just go straight to the point?" she said, already on the verge of losing her patience.


    "Then my answer to your question is, no, there wouldn''t be any more kidnapping. There''s no point in doing that since I know you would no longer y along. Besides, I already achieved the result I wanted," he said meaningfully.


    "The result you wanted?"


    "Yes. You searching for the two remaining artifacts on your own ord."


    "And what makes you so sure I would do that?" she asked, almost grinding her teeth. Because she already had an idea on what the Pope''s answer would be.


    "Because it''s the only way you could find your missing father - the former Duke of Hanover." Lucern smiled at her. "But the most important reason is - you''re curious. You have a feeling that you''re connected to all of these mysteries somehow. You won''t have any peace of mind until you know all the answers. Am I right?"


    Argent clenched both her fists. She so wanted to just wipe that annoying smile from this bastard''s face. She knew he would give that answer, but hearing him say it was still hateful. But the most hateful was, she couldn''t refute it. Because he''s right. If she wanted to find that missing father, she needed to gather the three artifacts.


    The remnant soul of the dragon king told her that if she managed to gather the three artifacts, then she would soon find her father. So even without the instigation of the Pope and all his minions, she was indeed nning on gathering the three. Although she didn''t care much for this father of hers, she didn''t even have any feelings for him whatsoever, but that''s different for her mother. And since Argent cared about her, it wouldn''t hurt to let her be reunited with that missing father.


    But thest thing the Pope said was the one that really hit her. About her being curious and doing everything to seek for answers. Because once again, he''s right. Since she learned about that legend and meeting the remnant soul of the dragon king, there had been a lot of questions inside her head. Questions she wouldn''t be able to answer without gathering the three artifacts.


    She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. Then she looked at the Pope. "Then are you expecting me to give those artifacts to you once I gathered them all?"


    "No. Why would you do that? Although it would be good if I can have all three to make things much easier. But it wouldn''t hurt to let you have all three. After all, either of those two would still have the same result."


    Then wouldn''t that mean that whatever Argent did, it would still result to something that he wanted? Even if she didn''t want to, it would still make her look like a pawn he could use to fulfill whatever goal he''s nning. It''s almost like she''s an ignorant puppet that didn''t know someone was actually controlling her every move.


    She had never felt so stupid right at this very moment.


    As if sensing her emotions, the Pope said, "Don''t be too hard on yourself. You should be proud for going this far in just a short amount of time."


    Argent red daggers at him. "Fuck you. You can shove your constion right up your ass."


    "Now, now, there''s no need to swear like that," he said with that pampering smile on his face, not even a bit angry.


    "If you''re telling me that it doesn''t matter if I give you the sword or not, then what''s the point of this negotiation?" Argent asked, ignoring the ufortable feeling she had earlier and going back to the topic at hand.


    The Pope looked straight at her. "I wanted to see you."


    There was no smile on his face when he said that. Instead, his sky blue eyes were filled with infinite tenderness. At the bottom of those blue depths was a whirlpool of possessive emotion. As if he couldn''t bear to look away for even a second.


    Before she could even digest what she was seeing, Harlequin suddenly walked towards the table and picked a ss of water. Breaking the eye contact between her and the Pope.


    "My apologies, Your Holiness. I suddenly got thirsty, you see," Harlequin said. If he didn''t make that sudden move, the two would probably not even notice that he was still there.


    The Pope, once again, only nced at Harlequin and then ignored him. He picked up a table napkin and wiped the corners of his lips. Then he stood up and put back that fake gentle smile on his face. "I''m done. Let''s go and see the Duchess, shall we?"

 Chapter 170: im giving you a show

    Chapter 170: i''m giving you a show


    ARGENT stood up and followed the Pope. Harlequin followed behind her. She red at the back of the Pope. If she could, she really wanted to put a hole on this bastard''s back. Maybe she should just kill him. Once she managed to do that, a lot of her troubles would definitely disappear.


    But the real question here was not if she should do it but if she could seed doing it.


    Yes, she could indeed just stab him with her sword right here, right now. But the probability of that seeding was, no doubt, pretty low. If he could be killed so easily, then he would probably have died a hundred times already. With that kind of personality, he definitely would notck enemies who wanted him dead. But look, he''s still standing here. Safe, very much alive, and still projecting his holier-than-thou image.


    But even knowing that, her hand was still itching to stab him.


    "You should not try it," the Pope suddenly said when they reached the stairs leading to the upper floor.


    "Try what?" she asked automatically. She''s not really paying attention since she''s still imagining stabbing him again and again.


    He looked back and smiled at her. "Killing me."


    Argent stopped and then smirked. "Oh? Now my hand is itching even more to stab you."


    He chuckled. "That''s no good. Should I scratch it for you?"


    "Scratching won''t work. The only thing that could relieve it is if you prostrate yourself in front of me and disemboweled yourself."


    "My, my, how bloodthirsty. I think there''s a right term for what you''re describing. Ah, yes, people from the country of Kano refer to that as ''seppuku''. If I remember correctly, it''s a way for warriors to regain their honors." The Pope smiled at her, a little bit brighterpared to earlier. "I didn''t think you thought so highly of me."


    Argent felt like a vein in her forehead would pop any second now. How could this bastard spin what she just said into that? So she also gave him a fake smile and copied his tone. "My, my, how delusional of you. How could you regain honor when you don''t have one to begin with? I suggest you go to a healer and let them check your brain so as not to further widen the damage."


    This time, Lucern didn''t chuckle. He t outughed. He couldn''t remember thest time heughed like this. He even thought he was no longer capable of it. But s, he still underestimated the effect of this person on him. "The duke''s sense of humor is truly exceptional."


    "Thank you for thepliment," Argent just said dryly.


    A loud soud of throat clearing was heard behind them. The two looked back and saw Harlequin coughing.


    "Sorry, I think I''m really going down with a cold," the masked man apologized.


    Argent rolled her eyes. The Pope gave him a cold look and then proceed on ignoring him again. Then he continued climbing up the stairs. She followed. Harlequin did so as well.


    When they reached the second floor, they stopped at the door of the room at the end of the corridor. As if knowing their arrival, the door opened from the inside. The purple haired woman stood there. But Argent''s attention was not on her but on the woman sleeping peacefully on the bed.


    She didn''t wait for the Pope to speak. She immediately pushed pass him, she even shoved the purple haired woman, and walked straight beside the bed. She stared down at his sleeping mother.


    Anthea''s golden brown hair that had grown passed her shoulder was scattered on the pristine white sheet. Her bronze skin was giving off a healthy glow. She was breathing evenly as if she was really just indeed sleeping with no care in her surroundings.


    Argent could no longer help herself and kneeled beside the bed. She took her hand and for the first time in two months, it felt like a huge boulder was lifted up from her shoulders. Some kind of peace filled her heart. She put her mother''s hand on her forehead, silently feeling the lively beating of her pulse.


    [Mother, I''m here. I''m sorry for noting much faster.]


    "It seems like you really do care about her. How surprising. From what I heard, the Duchess wasn''t really there most of the time for you and your sister. She''s wandering around the world instead of taking care of the two of you. So, why care so much?" the Pope asked in a tone as if he was really confused why.


    Argent ignored him. It''s true, for the past seven years, their mother wasn''t really there most of the time. But even so, she and Aurum had always felt her presence. There wasn''t a day that she wouldn''t call, checking up on them and asking how their day had been. She would always send trinkets and knicknacks from every new ce she''d been. Every year, she would not miss going back for their birthday. So even if she wasn''t there, it didn''t feel like that at all.


    Maybe the reason why Argent didn''t really mind that was because she could easily feel the love that Anthea had for her and her sister. Even across a defaro crystal of a phone screen, that love was just radiating so brightly from her. Argent had never felt something so warm.


    She had never felt that kind of warmth. She grew up as an orphan raised by the government. They valued her. But not because they cared about her but because they valued what''s inside of her brain. The moment they saw her making her first invention, they no longer looked at her as a person. For them, she''s just a tool. A tool that could bring prosperity and honor to the country.


    Argent had no memory before the age of five. But she had never missed the love of the so called ''parents''. Just like they said, how could you miss something you didn''t have? So even without those memories, the word ''parents'' was not really something that could evoke any good feelings from her. In fact, she''d rather not think about them. She only understood what it felt like to be loved when she came to this world.


    So yes, even if Anthea wasn''t by her side, she still cared about her. Because she could feel that she cared about Argent ten times, no, a hundred times more. In this life, the only ''mother'' that she would recognize was Anthea ckbourne.


    Argent held her mother''s hand tighter. "The Mana you put on her, was it removed?" she asked, not bothering to look at the Pope.


    "Yes."


    She put down her mother''s hand and then turned to the Pope. "Make a vow. Vow to me that my mother won''t suffer any side-effect from the Gift your bitch put on her."


    Limos'' face burned in embarassment and indignation. She had never been called using such a derogatory word. She looked at His Holiness, hoping that he would defend her. But to her disappointment, he didn''t even gave her a single nce. All his attention was focused on the duke. She bit her lower lip and lowered her gaze.


    "Why should I do that? I know you won''t give me the sword, so why would I make that vow?" the Pope asked. "Unless, of course, you could offer me something of equal value."


    Argent sneered. "Offer you something? You''re tantly using me as a pawn so you could open the Mythos continent. Me ying along with you is more than enough. So make that vow. Or I swear, I will make sure the Mythos continent would stay close forever,pletely hindering you from whatever endgame you''re nning."


    A deep smile crossed the Pope''s face, as if he was amused by Argent and not the least bit bothered by her threat. "I, Lucern Faust, vow that the Duchess of Hanover - Anthea ckbourne - didn''t receive any side effect from the Gift put on her by my subbordinate, Limos," he said. "Satisfied?"


    Before Argent could answer, the ground suddenly shook and they heard the sound of some kind of explosion. It was not that loud, meaning that it didn''t happen in the close vicinity but near enough for them to hear and felt its tremors.


    They looked out of the window and saw a pir of white light. There were dark clouds brewing above. Its direction? The Holy Temple.


    Argent smiled when she saw this. Something that the Pope didn''t miss.


    "What did you do?" he asked.


    She turned to him. "You said you didn''t want to be disappointed." She smiled darkly at him. "So I''m giving you a show."


    For the first time, since the start of their meeting, the Pope''s smile disappeared.

 Chapter 171: an hour ago

    Chapter 171: an hour ago


    LET us all turned time an hour ago.


    Aurum and y was sitting on the open area of a cafe near the za, observing the surroundings. The za and the nearby area were full of people. The make-shift stage at the center of the za was surrounded by people. If not for the knights around, they might really just go and rush towards the stage. It''s not because of the talents performing on the stage per se. But what they represented - the Temple of Gaia. What great fanaticism.


    Half of the talents chosen by the Temple already performed. The sixth one was currently performing. It was a young man who had the look of a schr. He was sitting with a canvas in front of him, painting silently. Unlike the other talents who performed before him - most of whom sang, yed a musical instrument, and danced some sort of ritual dance - his performance was undoubtedly very dull. But none of the audience showed any sign of disinterest.


    Each talents were given a maximum of one hour to showcase their artistic ability. The young man on the stage was just at the beginning of his performance. Too bad he probably wouldn''t be able to finish whatever it was he''s nning to paint. Because soon, chaos would fill this za.


    Aurum felt a sudden throbbing in her head. She raised her hand and massaged her forehead. She''s already feeling the effect of using too much Mana.


    The first thing she did when she first arrived here earlier was to enter the Holy Temple. Because it was the day of the festival, there weren''t that many people inside. Which was really convenient for her. She had to use her Gift to put suggestions in the minds of the priests staying inside the Holy Temple. After that, she also had to do the same to the knights stationed near the church. Not only the knights but also some of the people at the za. Now her Mana was almost drained.


    Truthfully speaking, they could just go to the easier route and don''t bother with these people. But letting these people die was never an option. Even if some of them did deserve it. Aurum couldn''t just let her brother carry that kind of burden. Carrying that kind of guilt was not something her brother should bear.


    So, here she was. Scrambling around, exhausting herself and making sure these people wouldn''t die.


    But she still overestimated herself. Just after a few hours of using her Gift, she almost fainted. y had to threaten to drag her out of here if she didn''t stop and rest for awhile. Aurum reluctantly relented. And that''s why they were currently sitting in the open area of this cafe.


    A te of chocte mousse was pushed towards her. She raised her head and saw y picking up a tea pot and poured tea on her tea cup. "Eat. It might make you feel better."


    Aurum raised one of her brows. "Why? Because sweets can make you feel happy?"


    "Doesn''t it? It certainly has that effect on me," y said, biting on the slice of strawberry cake he ordered.


    "I never thought you have a sweet tooth," she teased. But now that she thought more about it, whenever they ate together, y always ordered some kind of dessert.


    "My only guilty pleasure. It''s one of the things I missed when I and my sister were brought to that vige. The moment I got out, I decided to eat all the desserts I could," he said finishing eating the strawberry cake. "My mother makes a mean chocte cake," he added with a faraway look on his face. "Sadly, I could never taste it now."


    y''s voice was normal but Aurum could see the deep sadness in his dark brown eyes. She felt like her heart was being squeezed seeing him like that. Although she didn''t have her father by her side growing up, it never really felt like she''s missing something in her life. But y, he saw his parents murdered. That must have been truly heartbreaking.


    Aurum never really thought much about it when she first heard about y''s past. Although he left a deep impression on her, she only thought of y as a passing stranger back then. Someone that she probably would never interact again. But now, she could no longer turn a blindeye to his pain.


    She pushed the te of chocte mousse on him. "Then you can have this."


    y frowned. "No, you eat it. You need it more."


    "How about you eat half and I eat the other?" As she said that, she sliced the chocte mousse in half.


    He looked at the mousse, looking all tangled. Then at the end, he said, "Okay. If you really insist."


    Aurum couldn''t help butugh seeing him with a look that he didn''t want to eat but still ate it faster than her. Suddenly, all her tiredness disappeared. She couldn''t even feel the headache that was just guing her earlier.


    "Once we''re done here, how about I make you a chocte cake?"


    y stopped and then looked at Aurum as if he wasn''t sure he heard her right. "You can cook?"


    "Hey, don''t just assume that I couldn''t just because I''m a genuine nobledy. I''ve been making meals for my brother for years now. So of course I can cook," she said indignantly. "My chocte cake may not be as good as your mother''s, but I assure you that you will definitely love it."


    y stared at this proud and sometimes infuriating, other times stubborn, but always beautiful nobledy. And he couldn''t help the smile that crossed his face. "Then I''ll eagerly await for this chocte cake of yours, mdy."


    Seeing this sudden smile, Aurum felt like her heartbeat just went crazy. She gazed down and just drank her tea to hide her flushed face.


    After a few more minutes, when she made sure that she''s already feeling better, they paid for what they ordered and nned to continue what they''re supposed to do.


    "Are you sure you can continue?" y asked with worry in his voice.


    "Yes. We don''t have much time anymore."


    "I haven''t told you this, but your brother is really kind of crazy for thinking of this n."


    Aurum punched y''s arm. "Hey, don''t talk about my brother like that."


    "I''m not saying it''s bad. I actually kind of like it." If not, he would absolutely not help them.


    Aurum was about to say something more when she saw a familiar figure standing outside the crowd. "Wait here for a bit."


    "Why?"


    "I just saw one of our coborators. I''ll talk to him for awhile."


    "Then I''ll go with you. You shouldn''t be walking alone here no matter what."


    Aurum just helplessly smiled because by the tone of his voice, she knew she wouldn''t be able to convince y to just stay here. "Fine."


    She walked towards that blue haired figure with y by her side. Once she was behind him, she called, "Popsicle."


    Winter was a bit startled suddenly hearing this familiar voice. He turned around expecting to see a golden haired girl but he didn''t see that familiar face. Instead, he saw a girl with ck hair and a pair of ck eyes. But that voice, not to mention the name she called him, it could only be one person.


    "Lady Aurum?"


    Instead of confirming, Aurum said, "Is everything ready on your part?"


    Hearing that question, it already convinced Winter that this girl in front of him was really Aurum ckbourne. "Yes." All his guards, as well as Aspen, were already scattered near the Holy Temple. They only needed to wait for that time to move. He nced at the man standing near Aurum. He thought at first that this might be Argent in disguise. But he immediately refuted that idea. Because this man didn''t give him the same feeling that Argent usually did. "Your brother?" he asked Aurum.


    "Busy," Aurum answered. "Once this whole thing ends, your name will be known throughout the world. So you better not screw this up."


    "I know and I won''t," Winter simply said. Then he suddenly thought of something. "May I ask why Argent decided to do something like this?"


    Aurum only grinned darkly at him. "Because the Temple pissed off my brother and me." She looked at the Holy Temple. "It''s only proper that they ept our wrath."

 Chapter 172: its time

    Chapter 172: it''s time


    ZHANG LEI FENG hovered above the clouds. Quite a distance below him was the Holy Temple. But he knew that between him and the temple, there was still an invisible floating vehicle at the middle. From what he and Argent talked about, ck was inside the floating vehicle guarding another person responsible for activating the mechanism that would trigger the start of the ensuing chaos.


    Thinking of that kid ck, he again remembered that scene when he saw the kid wearing a little maid''s dress. His expression immediately turned constipated. He hurriedly shook his head and pushed that image out of his mind. Just imagining it could give him goosebumps.


    But despite that, there was still an undeniable bittersweet emotion lingering in his heart.


    The first time he saw ck, he already suspected that he''s probably not human. After all, having a face so simr to someone who belonged to a different world was just too coincidental. And he didn''t mean that metaphorically. It''s not hard to guess that ck was probably an AI robot made by Argent.


    Lei Feng was not surprised by that. Argent managed to make sPhones in this world sorelycking in technology and even sessfuly made it work. Creating an AI robot was really not that surprising. What shocked him though was the face she used as a model for ck.


    It was the face of a boy she should have long forgotten. A boy who gave her promises he didn''t manage to keep until the end. To that boy who had long been used to violence and pain, she was the only one who brought warmth to his deste and cold heart. She was like an angel who descended from heaven, giving him unconditional happiness.


    To that boy, she was more than a treasure. She was his heart.


    Even so, in the end, he still failed her. And he failed quite miserably. The boy thought he already understood pain, that he already suffered all the sufferings he could possibly experienced. But no, that night taught him how wrong he was. All the pain he had suffered before couldn''t bepared to the pain he experienced on that cold winter night. Perhaps, that night was the start of his real tragedy.


    And yet, despite all that, the girl still remembered the boy who failed her. It was most probably not intentional. She was probably just doing it unconciously. A sign that she didn''t really forget that boy. That her memories of him was still buried somewhere in her subconcious.


    Knowing that, Zhang Lei Feng wasn''t sure if he should be happy or sad. Because that meant that she didn''tpletely forgot those dirty things. He''d rather not have her remembered if that was the case. But that small selfish part of him where that little boy still resided, couldn''t help the simple joy that filled his heart.


    He shook his head. This was not the right time to think about those things. Didn''t he already make his own conviction? They were given a new life in this world. Even without the past, Argent''s life right now was already asplicated as it was. If even the things of the past were mixed in, then it would only bring trouble to Argent. Something that he didn''t want to happen.


    Lei Feng promised that he would support her and fight alongside her. That''s what he should focus on now.


    He looked down at the lively za below and waited.


    ----------


    Just as Lei Feng thought, there was indeed an invisible flying vehicle floating between him and the Holy Temple.


    Inside, a girl was sitting at the very center position. Her long white hair was tied up in a bun. Several cables were attached to her nape and were connected to the floor of the vehicle. Three screen monitors were in front of her. On it was the image of the Holy Temple in different angles.


    White was staring at these three monitors. Everything was ready. All she needed to do was to send the signal to the people her Master mentioned and then pull the trigger. She already calcted everything. All that was left was to wait. Wait until there were no more signs of life inside the Holy Temple.


    How would she know that? It''s because one of the devices she was currently connected could detect the heartbeats of people in a limited area. It scope was enough for the size of the Holy Temple. Then once the ce was emptied, she would activate the device her master especially made for this event.


    ck was standing beside White, staring intently at the girl. Master told him that he should make sure that nothing would go wrong with White. He didn''t understand things that well. He only knew that nothing could happen to White. Because then, Master''s n would fall through. Of course ck couldn''t let that happen.


    But even without Master''s orders, he would definitely protect White. He might not know a lot of things like his Master, but he knew that he and White were a kind of unique existence in the world. They were created by the Master. The only two in this world. White was his pair. How could he let anything happen to her?


    So for his Master, and for White, he would do his best.


    At the side, the elf was silently looking at the two. When that boy who could pass through walls brought him herest night, he was really confused at first. How could he not? They were just jumping over the Holy Temple then the next moment, they appeared inside some weird contraption. That moment, they didn''t see anything but he truly felt that they just passed through something and then they appeared here. Which meant that this weird contraption was not visible to others.


    Then that boy left him here, telling him that he should stay here for the time being. That the person who arranged his rescue woulde and meet himter. He was then left alone with these two children. But should he really refer to them as children?


    Elves were creatures who celebrate life. They could naturally feel the life force of the living beings around them. But these two, he couldn''t feel any life force from them. As if they were not alive at all.


    He was not the type that would scare easily. But meeting seemingly normal looking children that didn''t have any life pulse in them was really quite frightening for him. Especially since he was left alone with them. So he just sat in the corner and put his guard up. He didn''t want to be imprisoned again. He still needed to find a way to save his mother.


    But then hours passed and the two didn''t do anything to him. The white haired girl didn''t pay him too much attention. The ck haired boy looked at him curiously at first but soon he just focused his attention back on the girl. After a while, when he realized that the two didn''t have any bad intentions, he slowly rxed and put down his guard.


    He decided to just wait for that person responsible for his rescue. He''s not sure what they did what they did or if they had any other motive for rescuing him. But he wanted to see with his own eyes what their character was. Hoping that maybe, just maybe, that person could help him.


    The elf looked again at the two children. Seeing the cables attached to the nape of the girl, he could almost ascertain that they were really not human. But if so, what were they exactly?


    "It''s time," the voice of the girl floated, cutting the elf''s train of thought.


    It''s time for what? The elf thought confusedly.


    What the elf didn''t know was that a long white cylinder was dropped down from below the flying vehicle. The moment it touched the Holy Temple, a pir of white light appeared, causing the ground to shake.


    And then, chaos ensued.

 Chapter 173: the goddess descends

    Chapter 173: the ''goddess'' descends


    WHEN the white light that turned into a white pir appeared where the Holy Temple was standing, everyone in the za and the nearby area was startled. No, they werepletely shocked. Before they could even react, the ground suddenly trembled. It shook so fiercely that it almost felt like it would split at any second.


    Even without anyone telling them, they knew this pir of white light was extremely dangerous. As evidence of the high temperature it was giving out. The people near it felt that if they just took one step near it, they would immediately melt.


    The sudden appearance of the white pir felt like itsted for a long time but in truth, it onlysted for about five seconds. When it disappeared, the shock of the peoplepletely turned into deep fear. Because in front of them, the Holy Temple vanished and what was only left was a deep pit the size of the original temple.


    They didn''t even have time to react to what they were seeing when countless debris fell down from the sky. When the first debris fell, that''s when the people realized that what''s happening right now was real. That white light destroyed the Holy Temple to the point that only a pit was left. After the realization, came the panic.


    "Ahhh!!! The Temple vanished!"


    "Someone attacked the Temple!"


    "Maybe we''ll be next!"


    "Let''s leave! Let''s leave!"


    The crowd moved at the same time. No doubt, soon it would cause a stampede. Among the knights tasked to guard the area, most of them was too surprised by what happened that they didn''t know what their next action should be. This undecisiveness made it toote for them to control the crowd.


    A pair of mother and child was pushed by the people behind them. The both fell. Then the mother saw a big debris falling to where they were. She immediately wanted to stand up and carry her son out of there. But when she was just nning to do that, someone stepped on her right foot. She stumbled again and could only grunt in pain.


    "M-Mother..." her son sobbed.


    "I-it''s okay, it''s okay. Mother is alright. Mother will take you out of here."


    But when she tried to stand up again, all she could feel was the pain from her foot. She thought of just letting her son walked out of here on his own. But when she saw the panicked crowd, she''s afraid that her son hadn''t made a single step yet, he''s already trampled to death by these people. She looked up and saw that the debris was falling closer and closer. Hopelessness suddenly filled her eyes. All she could do was to hug her son tightly, making sure that she could at least protect him.


    Tears fell down his eyes. Who could save them?


    When she thought that soon that debris would fall on them, she hugged her son tighter, covering his whole body. The imagined pain she thought would follow didn''te. She tentatively raised her head and saw a young man standing in front of them. His back was on them. All she could see was icy his blue hair.


    The debris that was supposed to fall on them now became a block ice. It was not only that debris, all the falling debris turned into a block of ice. With the snap of the finger of the young man, those iced debris exploded into tiny pieces. Those tiny pieces of iced debris now looked like falling snow. This move inadvertently attract the attention of the people and made them unable to move, temporarily stopping their panicked action.


    The young man turned around and bent over the mother and son pair. "Stay put here. Try not to move around."


    "Y-yes. Thank you," the mother said. She''s not stupid. She knew it was this young man who saved them. If he told her to jump, she would not hesitate to do so.


    Then the young man jumped to the stage, looking at the crowd. His appearance was outstanding, with icy blue hair and a pair of blue eyes. With his temperament, anyone could see that his identity was not simple.


    "All of you, calm down." He didn''t shout but his voice was full of power that it easily filled the silent environment. "If you continue to move in this kind of panic state, it would only lead to unnecessary death. There''s already a lot of people who''s hurt. Please, calm yourselves."


    When he finished speaking, all the people started to look around. And just like the young man said, there were indeed a lot of people hurt. They were now being protected by people wearing simr clothes, like a set of uniforms.


    Aurum who''s watching all these almost auded. She didn''t think that popsicle was actually capable of suppressing quite a number of people by just his voice. Maybe he should rece his father as soon as possible.


    "Who is that young man?" one asked near Aurum.


    Of course Aurum didn''t waste this chance to tell them who was the one standing on the stage. "I think that''s the second of prince of Albion. Those uniformed people are probably his guards. How admirable, taking charge like this even though he doesn''t have any obligation to do so. It shows that he really cares for the people," she said, not forgetting to sing praises for popsicle.


    "The second prince of Albion?"


    "The youngdy is right, this prince is really admirable."


    Soon, Winter''s identity was spread through the crowd.


    y who was standing beside Aurum couldn''t help but be amused by her little action. But truthfully, if he wasn''t in cahoots with the twins, he would also feel a little bit afraid because of what just happened. He nced at the now empty plot ofnd where the Holy Temple used to be. What a terrifying weapon. To disintegrate a building the size of the Holy Temple and to do it so urately without damaging anything outside of its designated target. And the disappearance of the temple was still not the end of it.


    He shivered a little. It''s truly a good thing that Argent was not his enemy.


    Because of Winter''s action, the knights finally came back to their senses. The only one presiding over the talent presentation was a few priests. The Pope and Bishop Ernst would only go backter in the evening. So the knights took the initiative to control the crowds.


    But before they could even move, another light came down again. The light was so dazzling that they could only close their eyes for fear that it would burn their vision. When it slowly subsided and the people opened their eyes, all of them almost had a heart attack.


    Over the pit made by the disappearance of the temple, a huge floating figure as tall as 20 meters could be seen. It was a woman wearing a long white dress. Her ash brown hair was long and flowing and reached up to her ankle. Her big eyes the color of a shining blue jewel looked sad and disappointed. But that didn''t lessen her beauty at all. In fact, it added a touch of mncholy to it. She looked so otherwordly that she didn''t seem real at all.


    "It''s the goddess!" shouted y in a horrified voice. Because it was so silent, everyone heard it. Aurum nced at y who only shrugged. "I also need to earn my keep," he said in a voice that only the two of them could hear.


    Aurum could only chuckle.


    The panic and fear the people felt earlier came back tenfold when they heard that the woman floating in front of them was the goddess.


    "Is it really the goddess?"


    "No, why would the goddess suddenly appear here? Maybe it''s an illusion made by someone''s Gift?"


    "It shouldn''t be. I couldn''t feel the same Mana made by a Gift emanating from her."


    When thest sentence was said, they realized that the person was indeed right. Which only made them more afraid. Because if so, then was this really their goddess?


    Before anyone could think more, big fat tears suddenly fell from the goddess'' eyes.


    "My children, how could you dissappoint me so?"


    Her voice was so melodious that anyone who heard it wouldn''t believe that it came from a mortal being. Making their assumption that she was really the goddess stronger.


    Then suddenly, the sky darkened, lightning shed and the wind howled. As if any moment, heavy rain would pour down on them. After that, the image of the goddess scattered in a million particles of light.


    This time, Aurum was the one who shouted, using a slightly different voice than her normal tone. "It''s the goddess! The goddess is angry at the Temple that''s why she destroyed the Holy Temple and appeared before us!"


    Of course, y had to follow it up. "It''s a sign! The Temple is probably doing something bad behind all our backs that''s why the goddess was forced to descend to give us all a warning!"


    "We should not believe the Temple!" Aurum added.


    "It''s all the Temple''s fault!" y also added.


    With their two-man show, doubts were nted in the hearts of the people. Was it really the Temple of Gaia''s fault? During a situation like this, most people would believe the first exnation given to them. No matter how absurd. It didn''t hurt that it really looked like the goddess was dissappointed at the Temple. After all, it''s a fact that the Holy Temple - a symbol of power of the Temple of Gaia - was indeed destroyed. And it was not just a simple destruction. It vanished like it didn''t exist there in the first ce. Something that probably only a god could do.


    "Ahhh!!! The goddess is angry! We''re doomed!"


    "No! How could this be? How could we appease the goddess anger?"


    "It''s all the Temple''s fault! You have to do something before the goddess punish us all!"


    The people once again became manic. It didn''t help that the rain suddenly fell in that moment. So the people tried to besiege the three priests sitting on the stage. But Winter stood between them.


    "Stop!" he shouted in a powerful voice, everyone heard it despite the heavy rain. "The goddess won''t punish us. Haven''t you seen clearly? Only the Holy Temple was destroyed and none of the people were hurt by that white light. It means that the goddess'' anger was not directed at us. The goddess is a benevolent andpassionate being. She would not hurt her children who love her. She would only punish those whomitted a terrible sin. Are we sinners?"


    The crowd was clearly aroused by this speech and answered almost simultaneously, "No!"


    "Then don''t be scared! Let us all pray now to the goddess so we could appease her anger even just a little bit."


    After he said that, Winter really knelt down and started praying. With his initiative, the people also started kneeling down and prayed.


    Aurum couldn''t help but give him a thumbs-up in her heart. Good job, popsicle!

 Chapter 174: i could never hate you

    Chapter 174: i could never hate you


    SEEING the almost imperceptible frown on the Pope''s face, Argent couldn''t help but smirk. Sessfully annoying this bastard was definitely worth all the trouble. All the anger she felt since she came to this cottage subsided a little.


    "What, you seem disappointed? You don''t like the gift I gave? How sad. To think that I spent so much time preparing it," she said. But there was no disappointment in her voice, instead, it was full of mockery.


    Limos who heard this almost didn''t blow up on the spot. How shameless was this person? She looked out of the window and her knees almost buckled when she saw an image of a woman floating on the direction of the Holy Temple. If they could see her at this distance, that meant that this image was quite big. It wouldn''t be surprising if all the people in the city could see this.


    "Y-your Holiness, t-that..." she mumbled pointing outside the window with trembling fingers.


    Before she could say more, the sky over there suddenly turned dark and shes of lightning could be seen from here. Just looking at those dark clouds and the bright and clear clouds on their side, it''s obvious that those dark clouds were made by someone and not caused by nature.


    Lucern, of course, also saw all of these. His gaze that was usually filled with gentleness and kindness was now dark and filled with unknown emotions. He turned to Argent. "Do you know what you''re doing?"


    "Of course, I won''t do it otherwise," Argent said, without even a hint of regret. "Do you really expect that I won''t retaliate after what you did to my mother?" she snorted. "You act as if you know me so well and yet you didn''t even see this oneing. Now I''m the one who''s disappointed," she added, not forgetting to mock him.


    Limos really couldn''t take it anymore. She couldn''t even care about that strange thing that''s happening at the Holy Temple right now. "You-! Stop disrespecting His Holiness!"


    Argent turned to the woman and looked at her as if she''s crazy or something. "He kidnapped my mother and then ordered you to use your Gift on her. He''s even tantly manipting me to gather those three sacred artifacts. And you''re asking me not to disrespect him? Do you have a few screws loose in your head? Or are you just thoroughly brainwashed you think your Pope is a god who can do no wrong? Then I could only pity you."


    Limos'' whole face turned red in humiliation. She red at the duke. How could he understand what His Holiness meant to her, to all of the Apostles? How could someone like him, who had an almost perfect life, ever understand? Unknowingly, her Mana started to gather around her. But before her Gift could be released, she felt a tight grip on her wrist.


    She looked up and saw the Pope looking at her sternly. "Your Holiness--"


    "Stop andpose yourself," he said with warning.


    Limos bit her lower lip, grievance filled her unfocused eyes. She couldn''t understand why His Holiness could take all the insultsing from the duke as if it was nothing. She couldn''t even feel a little bit of anger from him. Knowing him for years, this was not something he would do under normal circumstances. Unless, in some way or another, the duke meant something different to him. Something special. That kind of answer was probably something Limos would never ever be able to ept.


    At the end, she could only look down and put all her emotions away. "Yes."


    "Aw... look at that, you hurt her feelings," Argent said with pity in her voice. But if you would look closely, you could clearly see the gloating in the depth of her purple gaze.


    "I take it, you have no intention of giving the sword to me," the Pope said instead.


    "Of course, I don''t. You said it yourself, it doesn''t matter even if I surrender the sword to you or not. But don''t worry, just like you wanted, I will gather the three artifacts. Then I will open the closed Mythos continent. Just don''t expect everything that will happen after that would be the same as you wanted." She looked straight at the Pope, her face devoid of any emotion, just to show how serious she was. "Because I will do anything just to prevent you from reaching your endgame."


    The Pope didn''t shy away from her gaze. "Sadly, that''s something I will never allow to happen."


    "You should know by now not to underestimate me."


    "Oh Argent, I never did. I know just how capable you are. But on this matter, I could never allow you to seed."


    Argent snorted. "What makes you think you could stop me?"


    "Because my conviction is stronger than yours." Yes, it was something that fermented inside him for hundreds of years. A dream that slowly became an obsession. "I wish things could have gone differently for the both of us. But I could never give up my goal."


    "You know, if you didn''t involve me and my family in this shit, I would never give a single f*ck about any of your diabolical ns. But you did. And that''s your biggest mistake. Because now, I''m even more determined to destroy it," she said with a dark smile on her face. "You said your conviction is stronger than mine? My conviction would definitely not lose to anyone. Because once I decided on something, I make it to a point to finish it. Even at the cost of my own life."


    Silence filled the room. Then the Pope spoke, breaking it. "Do you hate me?" he asked out of nowhere.


    "Do you even need to ask?" she said in a tone that''s telling him just how ridiculous his question was.


    She didn''t know if it was just her illusion, but a sh of sadness appeared in the bottom of his blue eyes. Then, it was immediately gone. As if it hadn''t been there in the first ce. "Too bad, because I could never hate you."


    Lucern wished sometimes that he could. He truly did. But everytime he even tried, he always failed. Everytime the darkness in his heart overwhelmed him, all he could think about was destroying Argent. But at the end, a bigger part of him would refuse that idea.


    "That''s your problem, not mine." Argent bent down and picked up her sleeping mother easily. "It''s time for us to go. Try not to die from heart attack once you see what happened to your Holy Temple."


    Then she jumped off from the window, which for some reason, Harlequin opened.


    Limos'' eyes widened at that. He stared at Harlequin unbelievingly. "What did you do?"


    Harlequin pointed his palm at them, then some kind of gas suddenly came out of it. A barrier of light appeared between them and the unknown gas. It immediately contained the gas into a ball of light. Then it slowly turned smaller and smaller until itpletely disappeared along with the gas.


    A ray of light went down from Harlequin''s head. He quickly dodged it but it still caught the mask on his face. When the mask fell, itpletely shocked Limos. Because the face it revealed didn''t belong to Harlequin. It was a man with heterochromatic eyes - one sky blue, another forest green.


    "Viper, I pressume?" the Pope said, not even appearing the least bit surprised.


    Viper grinned. "Nice to finally formally meet you, Your Holy-shit-ness."


    And then he dashed and attacked.

 Chapter 175: lucern vs viper

    Chapter 175: lucern vs viper


    VIPER coated both his fists with his most toxic poison and attacked the Pope indiscriminately. The Pope didn''t seem to care about his attacks and just dodged expressionlessly. He did it so easily, showing that he''s not just a powerless salted fish. Viper clucked his tongue in disappointment. And here he thought he could easily turn this bastard into a puddle of meat.


    But then again, he''d probably be more disappointed if he did. Not taking into ount that this shitty Pope was the one who gathered all those insiduous perverts, turned them into his obedient minions, and called them ''Apostles''. Really, how shameless. Using such a holy sounding name to call that group of people. The Pope was also the man Viper''s master considered as an enemy. Anyone who could pull hate from his master would definitely not be some weak chicken.


    But Viper really didn''t care much about those, he just wanted to beat this guy''s face. The moment he saw the way this bastard was looking at Argent, he''d been fantasizing on how he should dug his eyes out.


    "Hey, Your Holy-shit-ness, I have a question. Could you please be kind enough to answer it?"


    Instead of answering, rays of light flew to his direction. Viper jumped back. Because they were in a single room, the range of movement was very limited. But that didn''t hinder Viper from flexibly dodging each one of the light rays.


    Viper was not bothered and continued asking, "Why do you look at Argent like that? Do you fancy him, perhaps?"


    Just the thought of that could make him feel murderous. He already had to guard against that Xing general, now another one would be added? How could he just take it? He med Argent for being charismatic, attracting bees and butterflies everywhere.


    "Stop talking nonsense!" Limos interjected.


    She knew this was one of the assassins of Dreich Gallere. Seeing how he impersonated Harlequin and even helped the duke earlier, it was quite clear that he''s here for the duke. Which only made her hate more. She''s not an emotional person. But since meeting the duke in person, she felt like all the negative emotions in her started to brew, slowly turning into a big ball of negativity. With just a tiny bit of push, she was sure that it would explode at any second.


    Because the assassin was right. His Holiness looked at the duke differently.


    Limos eyesight had always been bad. If she didn''t circte her Mana in her eyes, she would be totally blind. But since the duke came into this cottage and talked with His Holiness, she kind of wished that she was indeed blind. Because that way, she wouldn''t see the way His Holiness looked at Argent ckbourne.


    She''d been with the Pope for almost a decade now. So she was most clear just how different his treatment was of the duke. Limos couldn''t understand it. She thought that the duke was just a pawn. But the way His Holiness acted during the whole interaction he had with the duke, it clearly showed otherwise. And that''s the source of her resentment.


    Limos knew she shouldn''t feel this way. She didn''t have the right. But still. She was only human after all. That''s why she couldn''t help but be emotional hearing the assassin say those things. It one thing to know but it''spletely another thing to ept.


    Viper turned his head to look at the purple-haired woman. "Argent doesn''t seem to like you. Should I cut off your head and give it to Argent as a gift?"


    Even if Limos didn''t want to, she shuddered. Because she could see in his different colored eyes that he really meant what he said.


    The Pope moved and put the woman behind him. "Go down. Try to look for Harlequin if you could. I''ll handle this."


    "Aww... look at that, how sweet," Viper said while putting his hand on top of his chest as if he was really touched by what he saw. "You two should just be together. I approve."


    Lucern ignored the bbering assassin and said to Limos, "Go."


    Limos didn''t want to go but she still did at the end. All the orders of His Holiness should be obeyed. So, she turned around and left the room.


    Viper didn''t really care if the woman leave or not. For him, the bigger target was this shitty Pope. "Your woman should move fast or else, she will end up finding just a decaying corpse," he taunted, referring to the real Harlequin. "Hey, why don''t you answer my earlier question?"


    "You don''t have the right to know," the Pope answered coldly.


    Viper burst outughing. "I don''t have the right?" His smile suddenly turned bloodthirsty. "You''re the one who doesn''t have the right to talk or even look at Argent."


    Lucern sneered. "Argent ckbourne is not someone a little assassin like you should covet."


    Viper''s smile disappeared. "Now you''re just making me mad."


    He raised his hand and a sudden torrent of poison rained down. The Pope put up a barrier of light as a response. None of the poison passed through the barrier. An evidence showing that the Pope''s Mana was stronger than Viper''s.


    He didn''t care. Frankly, he already expected that. So he dashed forward again. This time, as he moved, he took out a special dagger from his space ring. The Pope just stood there and rays of lights started falling on Viper''s head. With his fast reflex, he managed to dodged everyst one. Then he thrust his dagger forward.


    It sliced through the barrier of light. Something that the Pope clearly didn''t expect, based on the slight widening of his eyes. But the bastard still managed to dodge the dagger at the veryst moment. Although the side of his face was still caught, causing a shallow wound. And then, he quickly retaliated. Pointing his forefinger at Viper.


    A beam of light went straight to him. Because Viper just finished an attack, the distance between the two was very close. He could see that the beam of light would go straight to his heart. His body flexibly bent back, making the beam passed through. But it still almost scorched his nose. Then he cartwheeled back, away from the Pope. Hended and crouched down near the window.


    Lucern looked at the dagger the assassin was holding. "It seems like Sinir really cares about his orphaned disciples if he gave you that."


    Viper stood up. The dagger was a gift from his master, all of the named assassins in Dreich Gallere had one. It was made up of his master''s scale. Giving it the ability to cut through Mana produced by a human''s Gift. It was mostly applicable to elemental Gifts. It was even more effective because his master was a golden dragon - the highest ss among all the dragons.


    The way the Pope talked, it showed that he knew about the real identity of his master. Viper didn''t like that one bit. "Don''t say my master''s name with your filthy mouth."


    Lucern only smiled, the usual hypocritical smile he gave to people. "Since you''re already here, why don''t you deliver a message to him from me?" He didn''t wait for the assassin''s approval and continued, "Tell him, no matter what he does, everything is inevitable. Things that are supposed to happen will happen. Because I''ll make sure it will."


    ----------


    At the middle of the forest, a man was lying on the ground. His long gray hair was sprawled in disarray. He was only wearing his underpants. The left part of his body was in a state of decay. His face was contorted in pain. A big letter ''X'' was tattooed at the very middle of his forehead.


    This was Harlequin, the man Viper thought was already turned into a rotting piece of meat. That would have actually happened if Harlequin didn''t manage to drink a healing potion personally made by one of the Apostles. It temporary stopped the decaying process. But if he didn''t manage to get to a healer soon, he would definitely die here.


    "Damn, that f*cker!"


    He wanted to teleport but he was just in too much pain that he couldn''t even manipte his Mana. He could only me himself for being careless.


    When he fetched the duke earlier, he didn''t put up his guard that much. Maybe because deep inside he was still underestimating the duke for being a NoGift. Who would have thought that at the middle, he would be attacked and poisoned. Even his clothes were taken! But the worst part, the duke and that assassin saw his whole face.


    For that, he''d have to kill them. This humiliation, he would pay it back a hundred times more. He swore.


    He suddenly heard footsteps. When he raised his head and saw the one walking towards him, all he could think of was; [Of all the people who could find me here, why does it have to be this psycho?]

 Chapter 176: encounters in the forest

    Chapter 176: encounters in the forest


    A YOUNG slender man walked towards Harlequin who was lying on the ground. He was wearing a tight ck sleeveless leather vest that reached only up to the middle of his stomach, showing a silver piercing on his belly button. His long legs were covered by a pair of tight ck leather pants which he paired with ck boots. A long red scarf was tied on his neck.


    His long ck hair was tied in a high ponytail. Both his ears were studded with piercings. The upper half of his face was covered by a fox mask. The only part that could be seen on his face was his lips which was painted with a dark purple tint.


    Even with a different mask, this young man was, in no doubt, one of the Pope''s Apostles. One that belonged to the crazy lot. Not that any of them were really right in the brain. But this one was at least at the very top.


    If Harlequin was at the right state of mind right now, he''d be wondering what this guy was doing here. After all, the Pope didn''t invite any of the Apostles except Limos. Even the presence of the twins here - Solis and Luna - was just a coincident. But sadly, his mind right now was riddled with pain.


    "Isn''t this Harley? It''s been a while since I''ve seen your face without the mask. Why do you look like you''re dposing?" he asked, his voice full of curiousity. He bent down and poked Harlequin''s forehead. "Heyyy~ are you still alive there?"


    If he could, Harlequin really wanted to p that hand away. But he had no strength now. Heck, he couldn''t even move a finger. "S-shut up! Go and bring me to a h-healer."


    "What if I don''t want to?" he said in a sing-song voice. "I''m actually more interested in who did this to you."


    "I''m gonna die, you shit. If I die here and the Pope found out you did nothing to save me when you clearly could, what do you think he will do to you?" he shouted in one breath. Then he was attacked again by severe pain. The feeling of your skin slowly being peeled, it was that kind of pain.


    The young man became silent for a moment, as if seriously contemting what he said. "Well, Luce will really be mad at me if I just let you die. But bringing you to a healer is such a waste of time. I don''t want to leave the forest yet. I still haven''t even met those naughty tresspassers messing with Luce. Hmm... what shall I do?" he said, looking seriously conflicted. "Ah, right, I almost forgot. Riri also came here with me. I''ll just call her, okay? I''m sure she''ll be here in no time."


    After that, the young man turned around and really just left Harlequin there.


    "Kazumi!!!" Harlequin bellowed, letting out all his dissatisfaction. He just ended up groaning because of too much pain.


    He knew that guy was not reliable. He just hoped Ripley woulde here sooner. Or else, he''d probably really die here.


    ----------


    "Do you want me to hold her?" Lynx asked.


    They were running in the forest, towards the nearest exit. The duke was just beside him, holding his unconcious mother in his arms. Seeing the height of the Duchess, she''s definitely not that light. But the duke was carrying her while running as if she didn''t weigh anything at all. Showing his good training.


    Lynx'' role right now was to make sure that the mother and son pair would get out of this city safely. Viper''s job, on the other hand, was to stop the Pope from preventing them to leave. Lynx was not worried about Viper. He was sure he could handle himself against the Pope. At least, he''s certain he wouldn''t die that easy.


    Argent also had the same sentiment. Viper was a top ss assassin. With his ability, he could definitely hold his own against that bastard Pope. The only thing he was worried about was that he wouldn''t know when to stop. He''s kind of reckless that way. Though she did believe he wouldn''t be stupid enough to do anything that could endanger him.


    "No need," Argent answered Lynx'' question.


    She turned her head slightly towards the direction of the Holy Temple. Dark clouds gathered there, thunder and lightning shed. It''s probably even raining hard there. Lei Feng was probably at the middle of those dark clouds, being her personal special effects guy. Somehow, the image she conjured inside her mind of the general surrounded by clouds and lightning with that overly serious face of his made her chuckled.


    By now, that Holy Temple was already gone. She wondered if Winter managed to do what she asked. Her sister called him ''popsicle'' and frankly, he truly did personify that nickname. Considering his perpetual cold face, it would be kind of hard to act out what she asked him to. But if he did somehow seed, then it would be nothing but advantageous for him.


    Now, all Argent needed to do was meet up with Aurum and y. Maybe Lei Feng as well. Wait for Viper if they could. Then leave this ce together.


    They continued on their way, then two boys suddenly jumped down from a tree in front. They looked to be both nine or ten years old. One of them had golden brown hair and eyes with sun kissed skin. The other one had pale blond hair and gray eyes, his skin was sickly white.


    Argent frowned. What were these two kids doing here?


    "I saw them at the Apostolic Pce when I took that elf," Lynx said in a voice that only the two of them could hear.


    At the Apostolic Pce? Then Argent suddenly remembered what her sister told her about that kid y saved and then waster put at the Healing Center. When they went to visit him to see if he really was who he imed to be - an abused child who needed help. But by the time they arrived at the Healing Center, he already disappeared, as if he hadn''t been there in the first ce. This showed that the kid was most likely pretending and had some kind of ulterior motive for what he did.


    She looked at the boy with golden brown hair and eyes. He certainly fit the description Aurum gave her. The probably of him being that same boy was extremely high.


    Hearing Lynx said that he saw these two kids at the Apostolic Pce and now seeing them appearing here, she''s almost certain of their connection to the Pope. But in what capacity?


    "Brother, isn''t that the sleeping woman Limos was taking care of?" the golden brown haired kid said to the other boy. Then he turned his attention to them. "Who are you? Did you take her without Luc''s permission?"


    Luc? Did he mean Lucern Faust? Just by this way of calling, anyone could tell that they were close to the Pope.


    "Argent ckbourne," the kid with pale blond hair said while looking deeply at Argent.


    "Argent ckbourne? The one who made sPhone?" the other kid suddenly asked.


    "That''s him," the pale boy simply said, raising his chin a little towards their direction.


    The golden brown haired boy sharply turned to Argent, his eyes suddenly shined brightly. "I love your sPhones! Can you make other interesting gadgets? Can you make one for me?"


    "He''s Luc''s enemy," the pale kid said with no ups and downs in his voice.


    "Really, Brother?" the golden brown haired boy said as if that was the first time he heard of it. "Should we take him back and ask Luc if he could make him our toy? Then I can make him do all the gadgets I wanted!" he added, talking as if it was already a sure thing.


    Argent''s brows wrinkled, just by those words she could already tell that the kid was not normal, most likely the other kid as well.


    "Should we kill them?" Lynx asked Argent. And he was quite serious. He had a feeling that these two kids were probably Apostles. It''s better to kill them now if that was the case.


    Argent nced down at Lynx. Here came another one who didn''t have a normal brain circuit. But then again, neither did she, really.


    Before she could answer, another figure suddenly appeared,ing from their right side. It was a slender young man with a fox mask covering the upper half of his face.


    His purple tinted lips tilted upwards. "What do we have here?"

 Chapter 177: the one who taught you

    Chapter 177: the one who taught you


    WHEN the twins saw the person walking towards them, Solis immediately hid behind his brother. "Brother, what''s he doing here?"


    Luna only nced coldly at the man wearing a fox mask. He was known to them as ''Kazumi''. Or at least that''s what he wanted them to call him. The Apostles had 12 members. Not everyone knew the identity of each other. It was especially the case for the younger members.


    There were four original Apostles, all of them were with the Pope from the very beginning. Limos and Kazumi were two of the four. Limos was the easiest to approach but the other three were theplete opposite. It''s probably the pride of knowing that they were the strongest.


    Among the three, Kazumi always acted friendly towards the other younger Apostles. But that''s just all it was - an act. He would call you in an affectionate tone but if you just observed closely, you could easily feel that there''s no warmth in his voice.


    There was also that incident. When he almost killed one of the younger Apostles because that person identally ate a snack specifically prepared for Kazumi. If not for the timely arrival of the Pope, that Apostle would surely be dead by now. Since then, the younger Apostles learned to be vignt against him. Although they were all arrogant, they still knew when to converge.


    For now. At least.


    Luna believed that with the passage of time, he and his brother would be able to surpass the three. He no longer paid attention to Kazumi and turned to his brother instead. "Don''t mind him."


    Solis nced at Kazumi then looked at his brother. He nodded. Anyway, everything his brother said was right.


    Kazumi, of course, noticed the twins. If he''s not mistaken, those two were the little princes from Anatolia. In normal times, he would immediately tease the two. But sadly, his attention was more attracted to the group of three persons on the other side.


    One was a boy with a in appearance. With his discerning eye, he could immediately tell that the boy was wearing a human skin mask. And it was a very good one at that. Not many people could afford that kind of high quality human skin mask. A sign that his identity was not ordinary. Then he nced at the tall teenager standing next to him.


    Seeing the teenager''s silver hair and purple eyes, Kazumi''s eyes brightened. Wasn''t this Argent ckbourne? That Luce, how could he not tell them he''s meeting this guy today? No wonder he didn''t invite them all today. Most of them were always invited to celebrate the Festival of Creation ever since Luce was inaugurated as the Pope. But surprisingly enough, this year, they were told not toe.


    Obviously, it''s because of this Argent ckbourne. Did Luce think that they would just be a disturbance? Kazumi pouted. He''d definitely question him about thister. It''s a good thing that he still decided toe despite Luce''s orders. If not, then he would have missed such a fun situation.


    He nced at the unconcious woman the teenager was holding. Then put his attention back at the silver-haired teenager. He wondered what he''s doing here instead of being with Luce. Did their talk fail and he actually escaped? But Luce was not the type to let something like that to happen. Unless, he allowed it. Then he suddenly remembered Harley''s situation. Could what have happened to him rted to this teenager?


    Kazumi smiled. How interesting.


    As he was observing Argent, she was also observing him.


    Argent stared at this man who looked like he was a member of some punk rock band with a very questionable fashion sense. Seeing the reaction of the two kids, it was obvious that they knew the guy. So, another one connected to the Pope?


    Then she felt the tug on the her cloak. She looked back and heard Lynx whispered, "That''s an Apostle. A very strong one."


    Lynx didn''t have the whole information about the guy. He just knew that he''s strong. The amount of information Dreich Gallere had about the Apostles was not enough. Because it was onlytely that their master took interest in them. So it was also justtely that they entered their radar. Which resulted in theirck of information. Now they''re scrambling to gather everything as fast as they could.


    This guy was one of the first Apostles they''ve known. The reason he recognized him immediately was because of the fox mask he was wearing. This person was not the careful type. He didn''t bother limiting his range of activities. Whenever he did things, he always did it with great aplomb. As if telling everyone, ''hey, I''m the one who did this''. That''s why it was easy for them to find him.


    Argent nced again at the punk-rock looking guy. "What''s his Gift?"


    "I''m not really certain. But whenever he throws things, it explodes."


    "I see."


    "Hey, what are the two of you talking about? Mind if I join?" he asked in a sing-song voice.


    Argent ignored him and put her mother on Lynx'' arms. "Go. Take my mother to the agreed meeting point. I''ll handle things here."


    "But--"


    "Go," she said, cutting off whatever else he was about to say.


    Lynx looked up at the duke, seeing his resolute appearance, he could only sigh in annoyance and with a bit of helplessness. Well, this was what the duke requested himself. Master shouldn''t me him if something happened. Right?


    He gritted his teeth and then jumped off to one of the nearest trees.


    "Wait- I didn''t say you could leave!" the man wearing fox maskined. Then he threw some kind of star shaped metal towards Lynx.


    Argent used [Mizukodo] to move faster and increase her speed. She immediately arrived at the trajectory of the object the man just threw. She turned her bracelet into a sword. She narrowed her eyes and saw that the object actually looked simr to an object called a ''shuriken''. In the world she was originally from, during ancient times, this was amon weapon of a group called ''ninjas'' in country J.


    There was a slight sheen of light surrounding the shuriken. If Argent was not mistaken, that was probably the guy''s Mana. She raised her sword and swung it down in a very timely manner, cutting off the shuriken in half. But it caused two explosions on both sides of Argent. Which she quickly by jumping backwards.


    She stared at the man who''s probably an Apostle. She could feel by what happened just now how powerful the explosion caused by his Gift was. And he only used such a small object. She couldn''t help but wonder if the intensity of the explosion was directly proportional to the size of the object he threw.


    Argent knew they couldn''t leave here together unless someone fought with this guy and took his attention away. She didn''t hesitate to choose herself. It''s not that she looked down on Lynx'' ability, on the contrary, she trusted it greatly. That''s why she left the safety of her mother to him. Because she knew he could keep her safe with that Gift of his.


    She couldn''t afford on letting her mother stay here with such a guy around. Just by a few sentences, she could tell that this man was really not that stable. Those types were usually truly dangerous.


    Kazumi''s eyes shone when he saw Argent''s series of movements. When he threw the shuriken, it should have exploded the moment it touched the surface of the sword. But it didn''t. Because the teenager''s movement was very fast that it took a second longer for the halved shuriken to explode.


    But soon, the light on his eyes slowly faded. It slowly became darker and darker.


    The teenager rushed towards him using familiar steps he hadn''t seen in a very long while. He threw another shuriken at him just to test something. Of course, the duke easily dodged it. Then he did something that truly surprised him. He raised that thin sword and swung it down in a certain way and manner that it produced such a big sh that went straight towards Kazumi.


    He immediately got out of his trance and quickly evaded it. He knew that steps and knew that move. He looked straight at the tall teenager. "Say, was the one who taught you swordsmanship named Hattori Shingen perhaps?"

 Chapter 178: would you really not explode?

    Chapter 178: would you really not explode?


    ARGENT was surprised hearing this person say the name of his master. But she was careful not to show it on her face. She knew her master had an infamous reputation. Mostly because of what he did at his country of origin - Kano.


    She wasn''t really particr with all the details. All she knew was that he sieged a castle of a certain warlord of Kano, kill all the people inside and managing to do that all by himself. But because of what he did, he garnered a lot of enemies. He had been hiding from all those people since. Not because he''s afraid of them, of course. Knowing his master, he''s probably just toozy to deal with them. Heck, he couldn''t even be bothered to shave his stubbles, why would he even care about those people?


    This person, who looked like a member of a punk-rock band, was most probably from Kano. As evidence of that shuriken he kept on throwing. Argent really didn''t think much when she saw him throwing those. But when he mentioned her master, she couldn''t help but think of that possibility.


    He only mentioned her master when he saw her move and fight. He only rted her master to her because of that. Which meant that he was quite familiar with her sword technique - the Sui-Ryu style. Although Argent was not familiar with the life of his master before they met, she knew that all the things that made him famous all happened in Kano. So the people who could recognize his swordsmanship at a nce could only be from Kano.


    She raised her guard up and instead of answering, she immediately attacked the man.


    Kazumi didn''t really expect the teenager to answer. He took out a kunai and met the swording at him. The two weapons collided, producing sparks of light. "I haven''t seen anyone using Sui-Ryu for almost a decade. It''s quite nostalgic. You just used [Mizukodo] and [Ikkaku] earlier, right?"


    Argent was not surprised when she heard this. After all, she already deduced that the guy was familiar with her sword style. If she was surprised by one thing, then it was the fact that he could urately name two of the 12 core techniques of Sui-Ryu style she used earlier.


    "Shingen must be doing really well these past years. Even epting an apprentice. Somehow, that makes me really, really... mad," he continued.


    Argent ignored him. But him directly calling her master by his name must meant that he knew her master personally. Then she noticed his little movement of throwing a kunai at her feet using his free hand. She jumped back. But when she was about tond, another shuriken flew to her direction. By its trajectory, she could see that it wouldnd at the same time as her and on the exact same ce as her.


    Her pupils shrank. She didn''t hesitate and immediately used [Kouki]. It''s a technique that could make her weightless for a few seconds, allowing her to use the air currents under her feet as a temporary foothold. This made her stop at the middle. While airborne, she didn''t waste time. She raised her sword and used [Ikkaku] once again. But she didn''t stop there. She immediately followed it up with [Habu].


    Two explosion suddenly sounded. One was from the kunai Kazumi threw first, and the other was from the shuriken. Who would have thought that none of those two actually hit the teenager. Instead, a big, straight sh came down on Kazumi. He sneered. Although he was a bit surprised, with his good reflex, he managed to avoid it with no problem. What he didn''t expect was that the moment he moved to the right, another sh was waiting for him. This time, he had no chance to avoid it.


    Kazumi gritted his teeth and flipped back but that sh still hit his left leg, producing an almost five-inch long wound. The wound was shallow but it still irked the hell out of him. How long had it been since he wasst wounded? And it was still caused by the apprentice of Shingen.


    But before he could show his anger, something dropped on his shoulder. He looked up and saw one of the teenager''s feet stepping on him, causing him to move a few steps back. Then he saw him nning to kick the side of his head using his other foot. Of course, he wouldn''t just stand there and do nothing. Being stepped on was humiliating enough. There''s no way he would take all these lying down.


    Kazumi held the ankle of the teenager''s foot that was about to kick him. He gripped it so tightly that if it was an ordinary person, their bone would definitely be broken by now. But Argent ckbourne seemed to not feel anything. Instead he thrust the sword downward, directly towards Kazumi''s forehead.


    Kazumi didn''t let go, as probably what this guy was expecting. The moment the thin sword came down, he flexibly moved his head to the side. It still caught the side of his ear. But he didn''t care. A kunai appeared in his other hand. He did not forget to put his Mana in it before quickly stabbing it on Argent''s calf. Then he let go of the teenager''s ankle and jumped backwards, waiting for the explosion to happen.


    But the expected explosion didn''t happen. The only thing he saw was the blood staining Argent''s pants.


    He suddenly felt like something was wrong. How could this kunai not explode? He was sure that he put his Mana in it. His Gift worked in a way that when he put his Mana in any solid object and once that object hit another solid object, it would definitely explode. That''s why whenever he threw something that was infused by his Mana, it would definitely explode the moment it hit something. The size and power of the explosion depended on the amount of Mana he put in an object.


    Even if he infused a little amount of Mana in that kunai, it would still cause a small explosion. He was already expecting the little duke''s leg to explode, scattering his meat and bones. He was even imagining that beautiful face writhing in pain. But instead, all he got was a bit of blood and the teenager''s still indifferent face.


    Kazumi''s first thought was that this Argent ckbourse did something to mess up with his Mana. So he threw another shuriken towards the direction of the teenager, infusing it with as much Mana as he could.


    Argent furrowed her brows. Because the moment the man threw the shuriken, she could already feel therge amount of Mana inside it. Instinctively, he felt that this one would cause a much bigger explosion than normal. So she used [Mizukodo] to be as far away as possible from the area of explosion.


    Her guessed was right. When that shuriken hit the ground, arge explosion powerful enough to wipe the surrounding trees and shake the ground happened. Smoke formed and slowly drifted upwards. Even if Argent already moved far, she was still blown away and her back hit a tree. Before she could steady her feet, someone already gripped her neck and pushed her back towards the tree.


    Kazumi''s eyes behind the mask was shining brightly while looking at Argent ckbourne. With the explosion that just happened, he could prove that there was nothing wrong with his Mana. Then that meant that the problemy with this person.


    Suddenly, all the thoughts of Hattori Shingen was thrown off of his head. Even the fact that Luce seemed to give Argent special attention was easily forgotten. All he could think of was how to check if his Gift would not really affect this person.


    An almost bloodthirsty smile appeared on his face. "Say, if I stab you right now, would you really not explode?"


    He took out a kunai and stabbed it down towards Argent.

 Chapter 179: to the explosion

    Chapter 179: to the explosion


    SOLIS looked back at the area of the forest where the loud explosion came from. He could still feel the tremor from it. They were just there a few minutes ago. If he and his brother stayed there just a bit longer, they would probably be blown away by the explosion. He frowned in dissatisfaction. That Kazumi. Solis would definitely ask Luc to punish him.


    He hugged his brother''s arm. "Brother, is it really okay to leave just like that?"


    "Yes. There''s nothing we could do there anyway," Luna said calmly.


    "But doesn''t it just make you angry? We''re the ones who found Argent ckbourne first but Kazumi was the one who got all the fun. It''s unfair!"


    "Let him."


    It''s better if he ended up hurting Argent ckbourne. That way, he would definitely be punished by Luc. Seeing how Luc gave special attention to that Albion duke, he''d definitely be mad if Kazumi hurt him. Luna was actually hoping he''d kill the duke. Because if he did, Luc would probably not only punish him, he might even kill him. Wouldn''t that be nice?


    Truthfully, Luna was a bit grateful that Kazumi appeared. Because of him, his brother''s attention was diverted. When he recognized Argent ckbourse, he was already thinking on how to transfer his brother''s attention from the duke. Since he knew that once Solis found something that he considered truly interesting, it would be hard to dissuade him. And that Argent ckbourne being the creator of sPhones perfectly fit the bill.


    But then, Kazumi came and Luna didn''t need to do anything more. If Solis continued, they might be the one ending up being punished.


    Solis leaned his head on his brother''s thin shoulder. He''s still dissatisfied. But since they already left, he couldn''t do anything about it anymore. "Then should we look for something more fun?"


    "No. The envoys from Anatolia would be back today. You should stay at the Apostolic Pce just to be sure."


    Solis pouted. He almost forgot about those guys. Their arrival meant that he had to return to Anatolia tomorrow. "I don''t want to go back to the Sun Pce."


    Luna raised his hand and ruffled his brother''s soft hair. "You can always sneak inside my tower."


    "That''s still not enough. I hope the two of us could always stay together," Solis said, his voice tinged with sadness. Then he was suddenly filled with anger. "I wish that old goat would just die already. Then the two of us could finally be free."


    Luna''s eyes darkened by the mention of this ''old goat''. "Don''t worry. Soon, he could no longer affect us."


    ----------


    Viper almost lost his foothold because of the sudden shaking of the floor caused by the unexpected explosion. It was much stronger than the earlier tremor from the Holy Temple. Which meant that this explotion happened much nearer. He nced outside the window and, sure enough, he saw smokeing up from a distance.


    What if Argent was involved in that explosion? When he realized that there''s a high possibility of that happening, everything around him just became inconsequential. Even the Pope he''s currently fighting. Of course, that included the wound he got during hisst failed attack.


    He turned to the window and was nning to jump over. But because of his sudden movement, the wound on his stomach opened even further. He didn''t mind the pain. He was quite used to such things, after all. All he wanted right now was to check if Argent was safe or not.


    "What, leaving so soon?" the Pope said, pulling back Viper''s attention.


    He looked back at the Pope. Aside from his destroyed outer robe, he still looked as pristine as ever. Viper hated to admit it, but the bastard really was strong. They''ve been fighting for quite a while but he was the only one who ended up being wounded.


    If this bastard was not hated by his master, Viper would probably feel a bit admiration for the guy. After all, the strong always deserved some kind of respect. But sadly, he was. Although even if he wasn''t, the fact that he showed an abnormal interest towards Argent was enough to put him on Viper''s ever increasing hate list.


    "As much as I wanted to beat the shit out of you right now, Argent''s safetyes first. So do try not to die until we meet again."


    Then he jumped off the window.


    Lucern didn''t bother to follow. He looked towards the direction of the explosion and a worried frown appeared on his handsome face.


    ----------


    Lei Feng collected his Mana back. Without the influence of his Gifts, the wind and lightning surrounding the whole area of the za slowly disappeared. Following that, the rain also slowly eased.


    He looked down, he didn''t expect for the whole Holy Temple to disappear. This weapon that Argent created wasparable to the weapons she made at their original world. Weapons that were considered as treasures by the government of their country.


    In the military, she was known as the ''Doctor''. Her real identity was considered a ssified information that only few higher-ups in the government were allowed to know. His rank was already a Captain then, he even had his own squad. But even so, he wasn''t given the priviledge of knowing her real identity.


    Despite being the leader of the operation that night, his superior only told him to apprehend the Doctor living in herb located at some isted area. When he said that he needed more information, at least show him the Doctor''s picture so he wouldn''t mistake another person for her. But his superior only told him that that wouldn''t be a problem. Because the Doctor was the only one living there.


    Which ultimately lead to the ident that night.


    Lei Feng shook his head, forcing himself not to think about that stupid mistake. He already had too many of those. He would only drown if he continued to wallow in it.


    He looked down again and saw that the guards of the second prince of Albion were leading the people away from the za, all of them walking in an orderly manner.


    It''s hard to imagine that earlier, all of them were panicking. Almost causing a stampede. But thankfully, a bloody incident like that was prevented by the prince''s timely acting. Add that to the almost real-like holographic image of the goddess and the sess of the n was almost a foregone conclusion. Anyone who knew Argent could see her handwriting all over this n.


    But he must admit, without the prince''s effective performance, this definitely wouldn''t be a sess. Considering how deeply rooted religion was in these people''s hearts.


    Since his part was already done, Lei Feng was nning to contact Argent when he heard some kind of explosioning from the forest. It wasn''t that loud, most of the people leaving the za probably didn''t even notice it. But because of his current position, hovering in the clouds and all that, he could clearly see the explosion just now.


    For some reason, he couldn''t help but think of Argent and worry immediately filled him.


    Before he could think more, he immediately flew towards that direction.

 Chapter 180: leaving the forest

    Chapter 180: leaving the forest


    WHEN the kunai came down, Argent raised her sword in a timely manner and blocked it. Then she kicked the man''s crotch to make him lessen his grip on her neck. But the man only grunted and tightened his grip on her neck even more. Even the force he exerted on the the kunai increased. He even put a foot between her legs to prevent her from doing what she just did.


    Argent felt like her lungs was burning. Her vision was starting to get spotty. These were signs that she''s close to suffocating. When that happened, she might faint due tock of oxygen. Something that she should definitely avoid at this moment.


    So, she made a choice.


    Kazumi felt that the strength of the teenager was slowly weakening. He just became more excited. He couldn''t wait to stab him and see if he would really explode or not. He''d rather he wouldn''t. Because that would prove that his Gift didn''t work on him. If it didn''t, then was it only his Gift or all Gifts? Then if so, could Luce have known about it? Could that be the reason why Luce consider Argent ckbourne as special?


    Then the duke''s sword broke suddenly. Kazumi''s smile became wider. Without the hindrance of the sword, he could now easily stab the duke. And so he did. Of course, he didn''t forget to input as much Mana as he could into the kunai. He burried it on the teenager''s shoulder as deeply as he could.


    As expected, no explosion happened. But before he could feel ted, he suddenly felt a faint pain on his chest. He frowned and looked down. Argent was holding the other half of the broken sword and its sharp end was now burried on his chest. His eyes widened slightly. Knowing that he''d been stabbed, the faint pain he felt suddenly became sharper.


    "Y-you--"


    Kazumi coughed up blood. With this sudden turn of events, he reluctantly let go of Argent''s neck. The de was pulled out of his chest and he uncontrobly stepped back.


    With her neck being freed, Argent coughed and finally breathed that much needed air. She put the two broken parts together and it connected to be a whole sword again. She removed the kunai on her shoulder and walked towards the man with a fox mask.


    She kicked him, causing him to stumble and fall on the ground. Then she pressed her foot on the stab wound on his chest.


    Despite the situation, Kazumi still couldn''t help butugh, coughing up more blood in the process. "A-are you going to kill me?"


    Argent smiled darkly. "Why don''t you guess?"


    She raised her sword and stabbed it down. But before it could reach the man, she suddenly felt a swirling of Mana beside her. Then Harlequin appeared and pushed her away.


    "I''m sorry, as much as I wanted for this guy to suffer, I can''t let him die here," he said.


    Argent was quite surprised by Harlequin''s sudden appearance that she didn''t manage to react immediately. Because she really thought that he was already dead. After all, Viper pumped him with that much poison. But who would have thought that he was not only alive, he seemed scot-free as well.


    Harlequin bent down. His whole body still hurt like hell. If Ripley didn''te in time, he might be already dead by now. And when Ripley finally healed him, that explosion happened. He wanted to ignore it and just rest somewhere but Ripley forced him to go and check it. Because of the possibility that Kazumi was involved with it.


    Personally, he really didn''t give a shit whether Kazumi blew himself up or not. But sadly, the crazy bastard still had his use. It would be a big lost to the Pope if he died here identally. So, he dragged his hurt body and teleported here. He didn''t expect that he would really see Kazumi almost pushed into a corner by the NoGift duke.


    He hated to admit it, but he could feel a reluctant admiration for the guy.


    Harlequin just shook his head, touched Kazumi, and teleported out of there.


    Argent didn''t have any time to stop them. When she saw that they were already gone, she turned her sword back into a bracelet and then took a deep breathe. Now that the enemy was gone, the pain from her wounds just became much more intense. Especially the one on her shoulder.


    She could feel her own breathing starting to get harder. She ignored that and just nned to walk out of the forest. Hopefully, Lynx had already brought her mother to a much safer ce. It''s best if they met up with her sister. But the moment she took a step, she felt her surrounding spinning.


    She was sure she would definitely fall, face-first, on the ground. But before that could happen, she suddenly heard a slightly loud swishing of wind. Then a strong arm mped her waist and she was pulled back. Her back collided with something hard.


    She looked up and felt like everything just stopped when her gaze collided with a pair of obsidian ck eyes.


    "Are you alright?" Lei Feng asked, his voice full of worry.


    When Lei Feng arrived at this area, all he saw was the figure of Argent. The moment he saw her about to fall, his body just moved on its own. He immediately flew down and caught her.


    It had been a month since Argentst saw Lei Feng. When he called her earlier, she was a bit surprised but at the same time, a bit d to hear from him again. But now that she saw him, she kind of didn''t know what to feel. There''s a strange, awkward feeling inside her that she didn''t really know how to describe. But because of that, her dizziness suddenly disappeared.


    "Let go of me first," she said.


    Because of what Argent said, Lei Feng only realized then that he was still holding her. Feeling her slim waist, he immediately let go. The tips of his ears turning red. "Sorry." He stepped back. That''s when he noticed Argent''s current state. There was a wound on her shoulder. He could also see blood seeping through her calf. "You''re hurt!"


    "It''s nothing."


    "How could it be nothing?"


    He took out a bandage from his space ring and started putting a temporary bandage on Argent''s shoulder without waiting for her to protest.


    Argent looked at Lei Feng''s face full of concentration while bandaging her shoulder. "You always carry a bandage with you?"


    "upational habit," he answered. "Who did this to you?" he asked in a cold voice, his eyes brewing with dark emotions.


    "Some masked person who''s most probably an Apostle."


    Those Apostles again. He prevented himself from clenching his fists because he might hurt Argent. He then kneeled down to bandage her bleeding calf. "Where are they now?"


    "Gone. They ran off after receiving a beating from me."


    Lei Feng looked up. "You beat them up?"


    Argent looked down. Seeing Lei Feng looking up at her with that kneeling posture, it felt like she was looking at some big ck dog. She looked away before she startedughing. If he knew what she was thinking, Lei Feng might just punch her. "Of course I did," she just said.


    Lei Feng stood up. "That''s good." His anger was abated by just a tad bit because of that. "We should go and look for a Healer that could heal your wounds."


    Hearing that, Argent suddenly remembered that Lei Feng didn''t know that Gifts didn''t work on her and thus couldn''t be healed by Mana. "No need. Let''s just go and leave this ce."


    Lei Feng wanted to argue about not looking for a Healer, but then he suddenly heard a very familiar and irritating voice calling Argent.


    "Argent!"


    The two turned towards the direction of the voice and saw Viper running towards them.


    "Are you alright?" Viper asked when he reached them, he didn''t even notice Lei Feng standing beside Argent. He was all he could see. Then he saw the bandaged wounds on him. "Who hurt you?"


    Argent was about to answer when she saw the deep wound on Viper''s stomach. Blood was continuously dripping down. She looked at the direction where he ran from and saw a trail of blood. She returned her gaze back at Viper. How the hell was this guy still standing? "You''re bleeding."


    Viper''s face suddenly brightened. "Are you worried about me?"


    Was that really the point? "You need a Healer," she just said.


    "I knew it. You must be really, r-really, wo- wor... ried... ab--"


    Viper didn''t manage to finish what he''s saying because he suddenly fainted and fell back to the ground. It was most probably due to extreme blood lost.


    Argent turned to Lei Feng who was currently expressionless. "Could you bring him along with us? I know you don''t like him but I''m probably the reason he''s hurt right now." After all, he was left alone to fight with the Pope while she, her mother, and Lynx escaped. "Please?"


    Lei Feng sighed, there''s no way he could refuse her. "Okay. But would his poisonous skin be a problem?"


    "No." Argent kneeled beside the unconcious Viper and turned on the limiter bracelet she gave him. She stood up then turned to Lei Feng. "Could you bandage him too? Please?"


    Lei Feng almost smiled. Because she said thatst ''please'' as if she just remembered to say it. It was kind of cute. So even if he''s reluctant to bandage the snake, he still willingly did it.


    Once done, he put Viper behind his back and then held Argent''s waist using one hand. "This way, you won''t be hurt while we''re flying," he said, in case Argent refused to be held this way.


    Argent stared at his red ear tips. She looked down and just nodded.


    Then Lei Feng flew and the three of them left the forest.

 Chapter 181: assembly and departure

    Chapter 181: assembly and departure


    AURUM was walking back and forth, her heart full of dread and worry. He and y were now at the agreed meeting point. It was at the outskirts of Victoria City, behind a big boulder that was in between the official road and the forest. It was big enough to hide a lot of people at the same time. That''s why when her brother saw this on their way to the city, she chose it as their meeting point once they''re done with the n.


    When the fake goddess disappeared and she and y were done with their part of the n, they decided that it''s time to go to their meeting point and just leave all the clean-up to popsicle. Which should be the case. It would amplify his image as a hero in the people''s hearts. Since he was the one who would mostly reap all the rewards after this incident, it''s only right for him to work hard for it.


    But now that their part was done, all of Aurum''s thoughts were now focused on her brother and mother. Even if Lynx and that snake were with Argent, she couldn''t help but feel that something would go wrong and that her brother and mother would fall into some kind of danger. As time passed by, her anxiety just continued to heighten and she couldn''t calm down.


    Her brother would be facing that devious Pope after all. He was projecting a gentle and kind image in front of people. He was doing it so perfectly that he could easily move the hearts of the countless followers of the Temple of Gaia. Who would have thought that behind his warm smile was a ck heart? Using those minions of his to kidnap her mother just to force them to look for those artifacts was an act only a nefarious person would do.


    How hateful.


    She was about to step forwards when both her shoulders were suddenly held. Aurum looked up and saw y in front of her. "What?"


    "Calm down. Your brother will be alright. He will definitely save your mother ande back safely. This is your brother we''re talking about. The same guy who could literally turn the impossible into possible. It would be bad if your burn out from stress before they could even return. Wouldn''t you want to wee them with a smile?" y said, looking straight at Aurum''s currently disguised ck eyes.


    Surprisingly enough, Aurum did calm down. She''s still worried, of course, but he''s not drowning from it anymore. She took a deep breath. "You''re right."


    Instead of worrying, she should believe on her brother. Worrying tirelessly like this only seemed like she didn''t have any faith in her.


    Seeing Aurum''s expression get a little bit better, y let out a sigh of relief. He didn''t quite understand but he didn''t like seeing Aurum this way. In his opinion, a carefree smile on her face suited her best. He''d rather see her with her usual proud and stubborn look than this.


    They suddenly felt some kind of wind current from above. They both looked up but didn''t see anything. The wind current felt like it wasing closer and closer, then they noticed that the grass area in front of them seemed to be ttened. But before they could think of what exactly was happening, an opening suddenly appeared and someone walked out from it.


    "Aurum!" ck called who just stepped out of the flying shuttle.


    "ck?" Aurum said, a bit surprised suddenly seeing him. So that wind current was just from the flying shuttle that was about tond. She immediately walked towards him. "Is it safe tond here?"


    "Don''t worry, White checked for any sign of humans around beforending here." ck then turned to y. "Hi y!"


    "Hey ck," y returned who already walked near them.


    "Oh that''s right, Aurume here quickly."


    After saying that, ck suddenly pulled Aurum inside the flying shuttle that was still currently invisible to them. y, of course, followed.


    The first thing Aurum noticed was White sitting at the very center with wires attached to her nape. Then there was that elf sitting at one corner. Then her gaze finallynded on the figure lying on the make-shift bed. It was a woman with golden brown hair that slightly passed her shoulder. Her bronze skin looked like it was kissed by the sun itself.


    "Mother!"


    She immediately ran and knelt beside her mother. She observed her mother from head to toe, looking for any signs of injuries. After not seeing one, she was still not relieved. After all, if she remembered correctly, one of those Apostles put her under their Gift. Her mother might be okay outward, but there''s a possibility that something was wrong inside.


    y looked on at the unconscious woman lying on the makeshift bed. So this was the Duchess?


    "She''s fine, she''s only unconscious," a voice suddenly said.


    Aurum turned towards the voice and saw Lynx standing just beside her. She didn''t even notice him because all her attention was focused on her mother. "Are you certain?"


    Lynx nodded. He was secretly hanging around that cottage, so he practically heard most of the things the duke and the Pope talked about.


    Aurum felt like her heart just went back to its proper ce when she heard that. Knowing that her mother was alright, another important problem came to mind. "How about my brother? Where is he? Why didn''t he go back with you?"


    "We met an Apostle while we''re trying to leave the forest. He told me to take your mother away while she stays back and fight with him."


    When Lynx was finally out of the forest, he decided to go to that invisible contraption instead of going straight to the meeting point. He just thought that delivering the Duchess quickly to a safe ce was much better than traipsing around town with her in his arms. That''s why, in his mind, that invisible contraption was a better choice. Since it''s much closer to the forest.


    Though he did have some problem making sure that no one would notice him while he was jumping up from building to building. It''s a good thing that the people were still affected by what just happened to the Holy Temple, so nobody was really paying much attention to their surroundings.


    He sessfully managed to take the unconscious Duchess to this contraption. And thus, this situation.


    "You mean, you just left my brother there? How about that snake, where was he during all this?" Aurum asked, she was starting to get frantic. Just the thought of something wrong happening to her brother was enough to make her cold all over.


    "It''s alright, Miss Aurum. Master contacted me earlier. He''ll soon arrive here," White said with her usual sweet voice with no ups and downs.


    Aurum turned to White. "Truly?"


    "Yes, I have no reason to lie to Miss Aurum."


    She held onto her chest, trying to calm her heart that was still filled with dread and fear. She reached out to her mother''s hand and held it tightly, trying to find some kind of reassurance from her warmth. "That''s good."


    But she didn''t have time to rx when she heard ck say; "Look, it''s Master!"


    Aurum looked at the screen in front and saw a figure slowly flying down from the sky. No, it''s not just one single person. She squinted his eyes and immediately recognized Zhang Lei Feng. Although it''s kind of weird suddenly seeing him here, her attention was more focused on the person he was holding. It was her brother. Not only her, there seemed to be another person on the general''s back.


    But she didn''t care about that small detail. All she could focus on was her brother. She stood up and ran outside the flying shuttle. The moment she got out, the generalnded at the same time. She saw him putting down her brother.


    "Brother!" She ran towards them. That''s when she noticed the bandages. "You''re hurt!"


    "It''s okay, these wounds are not that deep," Argent said, trying to appease her sister. Just by looking at her, she could tell that she was probably very distraught at this moment.


    "But"


    "I''m really okay," she assured Aurum. Which wasn''t really a lie. Aside from a little bit of blood loss, she was truly fine. "How about Lynx, was he already here?"


    Aurum still wanted to fuss about her brother''s injuries, but she knew nothing woulde out of it right now. Since Argent was very determined to say that she was fine. Then she''d just fuss over itter.


    "Yes, she''s inside the shuttle with Mother," she said, answering her brother''s question.


    Argent finally let out the sigh of relief she''d been withholding. While being flown here, she was full of worry about what could have happened to the two. Especially with her mother.


    "Then it''s time to leave this ce."


    She looked back at Lei Feng who was still carrying Viper at his back. She gestured for him to follow and he nodded.


    Then they all entered the flying shuttle.

 Chapter 182: goodbye, victoria city

    Chapter 182: goodbye, victoria city


    THE first thing Argent did when she entered the shuttle was to look at her unconscious mother. She had been afraid that something might happen to her mother while Lynx was carrying her out of the forest. Like the possibility that the two might have encountered another Apostle. It would have been hard for Lynx to fight another person with her mother in his arms. Good thing something like that didn''t happen. With both her mother and sister here, all her worries and fear finally turned into relief.


    "Master!" ck eximed and was about to pounce on her.


    But before he could, Aurum stood in front of Argent and then put her forefinger on his forehead to stop him. "Don''t even think about it. Brother is injured, you''ll hurt him if you just jump on him like that," Aurum scolded.


    ck was about toin because Aurum stopped him from hugging his master. But when he heard that his master was injured, he walked around Aurum and looked worriedly at Argent. Then he saw the bandage on her shoulder and calf. "Master, are you alright?"


    Argent put her hand on top of ck''s head. "I''m fine, just a few wounds."


    "Master, there''s a medicine kit in the shuttle. Should I clean and put medicine on your wounds?" White volunteered.


    "Let me do it," Aurum said before Argent could answer. "Where''s the medicine kit, White?"


    White pressed something on one of the screens in front of her and a small opening suddenly appeared on one of the walls. Inside was a box which was probably containing medicine.


    Before Aurum could walk, Argent stopped her. "Let''s do itter once wended somewhere safe away from here," she said. The wound on her shoulder was a bit deep. If she didn''t go to a healerter, the people here who didn''t know about her special constitution might find it weird.


    "But Brother-"


    Argent gently shook her head, silently trying to make her sister understand her predicament. It looked like it worked because Aurum just nodded and bit her lips in frustration.


    "Rather than me, I think Viper needed the medicine more," Argent said instead.


    Then she looked back at Lei Feng who was supposed to be carrying Viper on his back. She was slightly taken aback when he saw his expression. His face was extremely pale. Not the pale that a sick person would have but the kind of pale when someone saw something extremely shocking. She''s not even sure if he''s aware that he subconsciously let go of Viper who was now lying pitifully on the shuttle''s floor.


    "Lei Feng?" she said, trying to catch his attention.


    Lei Feng seemed to finally realized what he''s doing. He looked away and tried his best to sound as normal as possible. "Sorry. I seem to have overused my Mana. It''s making me a little bit dizzy."


    "Then sit somewhere so you could rest," Argent said, not asking more even though she felt like what he said was not truly the case.


    Lei Feng nodded and sat on one of the empty seats. He clenched and unclenched his fists. His heartbeat was still beating uncontrobly. The shock of seeing a face he didn''t think he would see again in this life was just too much. It felt like his heart would just jumped out of his chest. His brain couldn''t even think properly. His mind was just filled with memories of the past. Those bittersweet memories that always left him with regret and pain.


    It was the time of his life when he discovered that he discovered the true meaning of happiness. But that didn''tst. That happiness soon turned into his personal nightmare. A nightmare that was still wrapped around his subconscious even until now. There''s only one person who could free him from it. But he didn''t have the right to ask her that.


    And now, he suddenly saw that face. The face of the girl who gave him so much happiness but at the end, he failed her in every possible way.


    Lei Feng closed his eyes, trying his best not to look back the white haired girl sitting at the very middle.


    "Lynx, could you look after Viper?" Argent said to Lynx. If she didn''t, Viper might just stay lying there in such an awkward position. Which was bad, since the wound on his stomach seemed pretty deep.


    Lynx didn''t answer because he was already walking towards the unconscious Viper. He looked down. Seeing the bandage on his stomach and his pale face, he couldn''t help but shook his head and sigh. This reckless guy. Well, at least he didn''t turn up dead.


    He supported him on his shoulder and put him on one of the empty seats.


    "Do you need medicine and bandages?" Argent asked.


    "No, thanks," Lynx answered.


    He took out a healing potion that could be sprayed on external wounds from his space ring. All of the members of Dreich Gallere were always given a supply of healing potions made by their own alchemist. With the kind of job they had, it''s important that they didn''tck those. Because one way or another, it would definitelye in handy.


    Viper surely had one. Why didn''t this guy used it? Instead he let himself passed out like this. He would definitely tell this to the others so they could tease Viper about it. He removed the bandage. The moment he did, blood started to flow out. He immediately sprayed the healing potion on the wound on Viper''s stomach. The wound was surrounded by a green light and it started to slowly close on its own.


    Argent looked at everyone inside the shuttle until her gazended on the elf sitting at the corner, trying his best to lower his presence. Ah, she almost forgot about this one. Looking at him closely, with that blond hair and those green eyes, he definitely resembled Jaxon. If you take away the pointed ears, no one would doubt that he''s Jaxon''s child. Or at least someone closely rted to him.


    She sighed. Just thinking of how she should tell this to Jaxon was already giving her a headache. She''d just think about that particr problemter. But first


    "The sess of our n was because of all thebined efforts of everyone here." As well as Winter, she''d just have to send a separate message to himter. "If even one of us didn''t do our part properly, I''m sure the end result wouldn''t have the same effect as we wanted. So I''d like to express my gratitude to everyone here." She looked at everyone involved in the n and said with a sincere expression on her face. "Thank you for your cooperation."


    y raised one of his brows. He didn''t expect this indifferent guy to actually say something like that. "We made a deal, so it''s only natural for me to do my part. And putting a stain on the Temple''s pristine reputation was more than enough incentive."


    Lynx only shrugged. After all, he''s only doing this because his master asked him to.


    Lei Feng was still a little bit shaken, so he could only nod at the end.


    "Did ck help Master?" ck asked.


    "Of course. You and White have been a great help," she said, ruffling ck''s hair.


    "Yey!" ck smiled happily, hugging Argent''s arm  the one without the injured shoulder.


    Argent turned to White. "Let''s depart. Try to look for a small vige far from here and then temporarilynd near there."


    Because, after all, the wound on her shoulder really needed stitching.


    "Yes, Master," answered White, starting the shuttle and flying it upwards.


    Argent looked out of the window and stared at the tall gate of Victoria City that''s slowly getting smaller and smaller.


    [Goodbye, Victoria City. I hope we won''t meet again.]

 Chapter 183: when did i become a charitable institution?

    Chapter 183: when did i be a charitable institution?


    AURUM gasped when she removed the bandage on her brother''s shoulder. It was a fairly deep cut. The bandage already stopped the bleeding. But it still looked pretty bad. "This is what you call shallow?" she couldn''t help but exim.


    "It looks far worse than it feels," Argent assured her sister.


    Since the bleeding stopped fairly shortly after the bandage was put on, it meant that no major blood vessels were cut. She tried to move the wounded shoulder earlier. Even if there was some pain, she could still move it. Which meant that no nerves were damaged. So as long as it was cleaned and stitched up, it would be fine.


    "It looks scary. Master, are you really okay?" asked ck.


    They were currently alone in the flying shuttle together with White, ck and their still unconscious mother. The shuttle was parked at the middle of the forest that was near a small vige. They arrived here just before sundown. The moment they did, Aurum pushed Lei Feng and y out of the shuttle. Not only them, but also that elf.


    Argent understood why her sister had to do that. It''s important that they''d be alone while treating her wounds. After all, it''s not only her special constitution they had to keep secret but also her real gender. It''s not that she didn''t trust them. She''s just not at the point where she would freely tell them about it. Especially with an unknown factor like that elf around.


    They didn''t have to worry about Lynx and Viper since the two left before they could even arrive at this ce. Lynx said that their master contacted him and told him to go back to their headquarters as soon as possible. So he slipped out of the shuttle with the still unconscious Viper.


    Knowing Viper, he''d definitely throw a fit once he woke up and find himself in a ce he didn''t expect he should be. Maybe he would even beat up Lynx for it. Argent should probably send him a messageter. No, it''s probably better to call him. He did get hurt because of helping her. That''s the least she could do.


    "Let''s clean your wounds first," Aurum could only say helplessly. "Take off your shirt."


    Argent had already taken off her coat earlier. If she didn''t take off her shirt, the wound on her shoulder wouldn''t be properly taken care off. She reached for the hem of her shirt and raised it. She winced a bit when she had to get it over her head. Once done, she was only left with the cloth tied around her chest, showcasing her well-toned body.


    Aurum stared at her brother''s upper body and couldn''t help but sigh. Other 14-year-old noble girls  no, they''re turning 15 soon  looked soft and full of feminine charms. But just look at her brother, there''s nothing remotely soft about her. Although she was still full of charms. Just the kind of charm that would attract other girls. And it looked like her brother didn''t mind that one bit. She''d probably gotten used to acting like a boy, she already forgot that she''s a girl.


    Well, even Aurum herself sometimes forgot that. She couldn''t even imagine her brother wearing some kind of dress or any other girly clothes.


    She shook her head. This was no time to think about something so foolish.


    Aurum first cleaned the wounds on Argent''s shoulder and calf with water and alcohol. After putting medicine, she simply wrapped the wound with clean bandage. But the shoulder wound was another matter.


    "Let White do it," Argent said. Being an AI robot, White would be more precise. Besides, she put a simple first-aid program in White''s system. So there''s that.


    Aurum had no choice but to give her position to White. It''s frustrating to admit, but White would probably do better than her. But before she stood up from her seat, her brother put her hand on her head and stroked her head.


    "Thank you, Aurum," she said with a gentle smile not often seen on her indifferent face.


    Aurum smiled happily. Seeing that smile on her brother''s face was enough to wipe out the tiredness that umted this entire day.


    White sat on Aurum''s former seat. She took the sterilized needle and thread from the medicine kit and started stitching the wound on the shoulder of Argent.


    ck was sitting on the side, looking on at what White was doing. He raised his head and looked at Argent, his big ck eyes filled with worry. "Is it painful, Master?"


    Argent shook her head. "No. It''s because White is very gentle."


    "As expected of White," ck said, turning his head to White and looking at her with admiration.


    "Brother, what''s our next n going to be?" Aurum asked.


    "Let''s wait for Mother to wake first."


    After all, there''s a huge chance that her n might have to change depending on the information their mother had regarding those three artifacts and the connection of the ckbourne family to that ''child of all''.


    ----------


    y, who was outside, was sitting not far from the shuttle. He just finished making a fire. That ck haired Eastern guy went off somewhere in the forest, saying that he would hunt game for dinner. So, he was left with the elf.


    y nced at the elf who was sitting beside a tree and hugging his knees. "Are you feeling alright?" he asked.


    Instead of answering, the elf just gazed down.


    "I don''t know if you still remember, but I''m one of the people you saved at that small vige somewhere here in the Southwestern continent," y continued.


    The elf turned his head a bit towards the young man with messy reddish-brown hair and deep dark brown eyes. He couldn''t remember seeing him, but he did remember the situation he was talking about. It was when he ran out of the vige, thinking that those knights captured the orphaned children who ran away. When he did, what he saw was a masked man along with some other outsiders. And he somehow ended up fighting with that masked man which lead to him being captured.


    This young man was probably one of those outsiders.


    "Really, thank you for your help back then. Things could have ended up badly for us if you didn''t appear and saved us," y said, full of sincerity.


    The elf still didn''t talk and continued gazing down aimlessly.


    "Do you need help? If you asked that silver haired teenager, he might be able to give it to you."


    The elf twitched a bit as if startled. y observed his reaction. He said what he said because the elf was just giving off this ''helpless'' vibe as if he was drowning and was silently asking someone, anyone to save him. That''s the feeling y got just looking at him.


    "Oh, what''s this? I didn''t know I''ve be a charitable institution," said an indifferent voice from behind them.


    y looked back and saw Argent wearing loose shirt and pants. He raised one of his brows at him, as if saying e on, why don''t you answer my question?''. y could only scratch the back of his head and awkwardlyughed.

 Chapter 184: my name is...

    Chapter 184: my name is...


    ARGENT looked at the elf who immediately nced away the moment she did. She took back his gaze and turned towards y. "Where''s Lei Feng?"


    "You mean the Eastern guy? He said he''s going to the forest to hunt game for dinner," y answered, a bit relieved that Argent was no longer asking about what he said earlier, about persuading the elf to ask for help from him.


    Hearing that answer, Argent was suddenly reminded of that time in Xing. When she was searching for the whereabouts of her mother, and Lei Feng and his dark guards were helping her. Most of their dinners, even their breakfasts, were made by Lei Feng. Truth to be told, she kind of missed his cooking.


    "Why did that Xing generale here anyway?" Aurum, who just walked out of the shuttle, suddenly asked. She sat on a log beside y. "Did you ask him toe, Brother?"


    Argent didn''t answer immediately because of what she just saw. Aurum sat beside y without even looking at her surroundings. As if it was the most natural thing to do. Looking so nonchnt, Aurum, herself, probably didn''t even notice what she''s doing.


    Knowing her sister, she wouldn''t approach anyone on her own if that person was not someone she feltfortable with. Most of all, she wouldn''t sit so close to that person. Argent narrowed her eyes at the space between the two.


    When did this two be so close?


    "Brother?" Aurum called. "What''s wrong? Did you not hear what I said?"


    Argent returned her gaze back to her sister. "He came here on his own," she said, answering Aurum''s earlier question.


    "Ha? Why would he do that? Our business in Xing was already over. There''s no reason for him to be here at all," Aurum said unbelievingly.


    No, wait- could her long-standing suspicion actually turned out to be true? That that stone faced general really did have those kinds of feelings towards her brother? Just like that snake bastard? She nced at Argent. Just how many guys would this brother of hers turned gay?


    Although her brother was really a girl but those guys didn''t know that. So them pursuing Argent actively like this was almost the same as admitting that they willingly turned gay for her brother. And knowing her brother, she probably didn''t even notice it.


    "He said he was on vacation and had nothing better to do," Argent said. "He was with me when that Harlequin told me to go to Victoria City, so he knew that something was about to happen there."


    See? With such ame excuse like that, her brother didn''t even think much of it. To think that overly serious looking general could actually say such a stupid excuse. But then again, her brother actually believed it so it might not be that stupid. Aurum sighed and shook her head. Should she just give Argent a lesson regarding things like this? So she would be more aware?


    Argent, who had no idea about her sister''s train of thought, looked at the elf again. He was still hugging his knees and not looking at anything around him. He''s simply exuding a depressive atmosphere.


    She walked towards him. "Raise your head." The elf didn''t have any reaction. She sighed and kneeled on one knee in front of him. She reached for his chin and forced him to look at her. "Do you know who I am?"


    Being forced to raise his head, the elf''s gaze collided with a pair of purple eyes. There were no lingering emotions in those eyes. No hate and anger, no joy and happiness, only endless indifference.


    He suddenly felt a chill down his spine. Because that gaze just reminded him of someone else''s. Someone he thought he could trust, but at the end, only betrayed him greatly.


    [Don''t me me for doing this. It''s your fault for being too stupid. Believing all my lies and not even questioning a single thing. Do you really think I will save the life of that b*tch''s son?]


    That was thest thing he heard before he was stabbed at the stomach.


    Argent, of course, noticed this. She released his chin. "Rx, I won''t eat you or something. So just answer my question, do you know who I am?"


    "No," the elf finally said.


    "Then let me introduce myself. My name is Argent ckbourne. Does that ring any bell to you?"


    The elf shook his head.


    So he was either living at a very isted area or he was being kept somewhere isted by someone. Argent didn''t want to sound conceited but her sPhones had been spread around the world. And with that interview she did with Aurum, she''s pretty sure everyone who owned an sPhone should know her face and name by now.


    Being an elf, it could either be one of those two reasons. But Argent was more inclined to believe that it was thetter. Somehow, this elf simply exuded the feeling of being oppressed and bullied all his life.


    "Then let me tell you what that name entails," she said. "I am the owner of Silver Corporation. Currently one of the biggest and richestpany in the world. I''m also a noble duke from the Kingdom of Albion. I have considerable amount of power and influence in my hands. So just like what that guy said earlier, I could help you if you asked."


    Help? The elf finally looked at this tall teenager in front of him. He still looked indifferent but unlike before, there was a silent determination in those pair of purple eyes. But could he trust him just because of that?


    It was true that he needed help. In fact, he badly needed it. With just him alone, he couldn''t possibly save his mother. Maybe that was the reason why he''s still here, even though he already had a lot of chance to leave. Because deep inside him, he was waiting for this teenager to offer his help.


    When this silver-haired teenager entered that weird contraption, the elf knew he was the one leading this bunch of people. Meaning he was also the one who ordered that kid to get him out of that dungeon. And then he witnessed when that weird flying contraption released that light that ruined a whole building.


    Alongside with what the teenager said about being the owner of a powerfulpany, he could almost be certain that this teenager could indeed help him. But the question now was, could he actually trust him?


    "Of course, I''m not going to do this for free. Because just like what I said earlier, I''m not some charitable institution," Argent said. "What we''ll have is an equal trade."


    "Equal trade?"


    "That''s right, an equal trade. I''ll help you but you have to do something for me in return."


    The elf fell into silence. Then after a long while he said, "As long as I don''t have to kill anyone, then I agree."


    "We have a deal then." Argent stood up. "Now, since I already offered my name, don''t you think it''s only right that you do the same?"


    "Janea," the elf said. He raised his head and repeated, "My name is Janea."

 Chapter 185: a new day, a new beginning

    Chapter 185: a new day, a new beginning


    ARGENT opened her eyes and sat up from the makeshift bed she was lying on. She looked down and saw that her sister, who was lying on the bed beside her, was still fast asleep. She looked around. Her mother was still unconscious. ck was charging his system. Only White was, well, in a way, awake.


    "Do you require anything, Master?" asked White in a quiet voice.


    She shook her head as an answer. She stood up and walked. As she did, she winced a bit because of the wound on her calf. When she went out of, she saw that the sun hadn''t risen yet.


    The shuttle was still parked on the forest, of course it was still on stealth mode. Just on the off-chance that someone from the nearby vige woulde this way. Argent decided to stay the night here and just wait for her mother to regain consciousness. After all, that bastard Lucern said that she would wake up today. Although she shouldn''t really put any weight on that guy''s word.


    If it was just them  she, her sister, their mother, along with ck and White  she would definitely fly straight to herb. But Lei Feng, y, and that elf was with them. As much as she considered Lei Feng as a friend, even y to some extent, she wasn''t sure if she could trust them with the location of herb or if she could even wee them there.


    Well, Argent could probably trust Lei Feng. After all, he did make that vow to her. That no matter what happened, he would never be her enemy. But y and that elf was another matter.


    She made a deal with them. Something that could benefit everyone involved. That was simply not enough reason for her to fully trust them.


    So she was waiting. Waiting for her mother to wake up and then decide what to do after that.


    Argent nced around. He saw y still sleeping inside the sleeping bag Aurum gave himst night. The elf was also still sleeping, leaning against a tree and hugging the thick nket covering him.


    After agreeing to make a deal with her, the elf  Janea  no longer acted like he wanted to be part of the background. Even the depressive atmosphere around him somehow subsided. As if some of the weight on his shoulder had been lifted.


    Argent was not sure what kind of help he needed. But she could guess. It definitely had something to do with his elf mother. If he truly was Jaxon''s son, that is.


    She looked left and right but didn''t find Lei Feng. Where was he? Then she noticed a trail of footsteps going to the deeper parts of the forest. Was he hunting game again?


    Argent followed the trail. With her movement, she fully felt the stiffness of the right part of her body. It''s because she''d been leaning on it through the whole evening so she wouldn''t aggravate the wound on her shoulder. Thus, she couldn''t fasten her pace even if she wanted to. But she still continued following the trail.


    Until the trail lead her to a cliff. There, he found Lei Feng. He was sitting on a t rock; his back was facing her. Far in front was the view of a mountain range.


    She walked towards the rock. But despite that, Lei Feng seemed to not still notice her presence. Which was very peculiar. Being a general at such a young age, he needed to hone his senses to the fullest. So why didn''t he notice her arrival?


    Argent sat down beside him. The moment she did, Lei Feng''s body twitched and then turned to her with a slightly startled expression. Before turning back to his usual stern face.


    "You shouldn''t be walking around with a leg injury," he said, looking at her with disapproval.


    "It''s just a scrape," she shrugged. "I think you have more of a serious problem than me. A general who lets someone sneak up behind his back, I think it''s time for you to retire from your job."


    Lei Feng showed a wry smile. "I was just deep in thought. But maybe I should just retire so I could join you in your many adventures. Dangerous things seemed to be always happening around you after all."


    "Don''t even joke about that. I''d rather not have these things happening around me." In fact, she''d rather stay in herb. She wouldn''t even mind being trapped there for a decade.


    "I''m not joking about your safety. I''m just saying that, if things like this one continues to happen, it would be good if I could be there by your side to offer an extra hand."


    Argent turned to look at Lei Feng and saw his usual serious expression. "You really treasure your friends, don''t you?"


    Considering how Lei Feng was definitely not the type to befriend others that easily, she''s probably one of the few he had. That''s why he''d been concerned by her business.


    Lei Feng''s expression suddenly cracked. And then, he suddenly chuckled. "Yes, I do."


    Argent stared at that smile and all she could think of was; Ah, Lei Feng sure had a nice smile. It''s like radiance spreading from the cloud-surrounded moon. Maybe because he''s not doing it often that''s why it had that kind of effect.


    She''s d that the listless expression Lei Feng had since yesterday was now gone. He probably got a lot in his mind. Maybe some kind of problem that''s been guing him. Seeing him smile, he probably just needed someone to lighten up his mood, even just a little. So he could put those thoughts away.


    "Lei Feng, if you ever are in trouble, you''re free to tell me. I will dly offer my help. Just like what you would have done if I''m the one in trouble."


    A small smile escaped his lips. He was happy that Argent noticed that something was bothering him. Because that meant, in some level, she was keeping an eye on him. Although her assumptions were incorrect, he was still d for the care she''d shown. Because he knew that only those she deemed as important, even a tiny bit, could warrant such a response from her.


    "I''m not in trouble, don''t worry. I''m just thinking about things."


    Argent was wondering if she should ask what it was that got him so listless - to the point where he couldn''t even sense the presence of another person, but then, she suddenly felt the warm rays of sunlight touching her skin. She looked to the distance and saw the slowly rising sun behind the mountain range. Filling the sky with shades of orange and pink, peach and magenta, amber and rose, radiating hope and new beginnings.


    Then suddenly, she felt her light brain vibrate. This vibration was solely designated for White. So she immediately opened it and only saw a simple sentence.


    [Master, the Duchess is awake.]


    Her eyes widened. She didn''t even notice that her hands were slightly trembling when she turned off the light brain.


    Lei Feng, of course, noticed this. "What''s wrong?"


    "My mother is awake."


    Lei Feng stoop up. "Then let''s get you there at the fastest speed."


    Before she could react, he was already holding her up, carefully avoiding the wound on her shoulder. And then they just flew. Argent had no time thinking about anything because all she could think of was her mother was finally awake.


    Soon, they arrived at the area where the shuttle was parked. The moment Lei Feng put her down, Argent immediately ran towards the shuttle''s currently opened door. Once she entered, her gaze only focused on one person.


    Anthea was sitting on the makeshift bed, stroking her sister''s hair who was currently sitting on her side. Aurum''s face was burrowed on their mother''s shoulder, her arms wrapped around her waist. Based on the shaking of her shoulders, she was definitely crying.


    Anthea raised her head and a smile bloomed on her handsomely beautiful face when she saw Argent. "I seemed to have caused you a lot of trouble."


    When Argent heard her mother''s hoarse voice, a sign that she wasn''t able to use it for months, she felt like there''s a sudden clog in her own throat. "It''s no trouble at all."


    And then she ran to her mother''s arms.

 Chapter 186: the trending video

    Chapter 186: the trending video


    THREE days after the Festival of Creation, a certain video on [Jiffy] had been trending. It was posted by an anonymous ount just the day before. For some reason, the posted video was the first thing the people would see whenever they logged in into their [Jiffy] ount. Whenever the person''s location was, whichever continent they might be from, it''s certain that they would see the posted video.


    And of course, because of human''s curious nature, they couldn''t help but just clicked and watched the said video. And with a title like; [The Disappointment of Gaia], it would definitely catch anyone''s attention.


    What they saw when they clicked it open was something that most would consider very terrifying. Especially to those who unflinchingly trusted the Temple of Gaia. Because in that video was something that could truly challenge that trust.


    The video was taken during the Festival of Creation being celebrated at Victoria City. It all started with someone walking on the stage and sitting in front of a canvas, as if going to paint. Then suddenly a pir of light struck the Holy Temple. After a few seconds, when the light disappeared, the Holy Temple that stood proudly where it hit also disappeared. What was left were just a few rubbles. Then they saw the crowd panicking.


    When they thought that a stampede would happen, a young man with blue hair and ice blue eyes took charge and prevented that from happening. They thought that was the end of it, but then another white light appeared. This time it was too ring that the people watching needed to close their eyes for a second. When they opened their eyes again, they almost couldn''t believe what they were seeing.


    An image of a woman was floating on where the Holy Temple was built. Her ash brown hair was long and flowing. She had a pair of big blue eyes that looked like a piece of jewel. She looked so beautiful, she didn''t even seem to be real.


    Then they heard someone shouting; "It''s the goddess!"


    The people who''s watching the video was startled by that. Due to that, when they looked at the image of the floating woman, they couldn''t help but think that she might really be the goddess - Gaia. After all, not only did she looked otherworldly, she also bore an extreme resemnce to the statue of the goddess that could be seen in every church of the Temple of Gaia.


    What happened next only strengthened that belief.


    The goddess cried and said, "My children, how could you disappoint me so?"


    Even her voice seemed to be not of this world. How could it not belong to the goddess?


    Then the sky darkened and streaks of lightning shed. The beautiful goddess scattered in a million particles of light. It was then followed by the frantic voices of the people in the za.


    "It''s the goddess! The goddess is angry at the Temple that''s why she destroyed the Holy Temple and appeared before us!" shouted by a woman''s voice.


    "It''s a sign! The Temple is probably doing something bad behind all our backs that''s why the goddess was forced to descend to give us all a warning!" followed by a man''s.


    "We should not believe the Temple!"


    "It''s all the Temple''s fault!"


    "Ahhh!!! The goddess is angry! We''re doomed!"


    "No! How could this be? How could we appease the goddess anger?


    "It''s all the Temple''s fault! You have to do something before the goddess punish us all!"


    Could the appearance of the goddess truly be a warning to the Temple of Gaia? With what they''re seeing and hearing, they could only believe so.


    As the rain fell and the people seemed like they''re ready to besiege the priests on the stage, almost all the people who was watching the video that it would end up in tragedy. But who would have thought that the same young man who stopped the stampede earlier spoke up again.


    "The goddess won''t punish us. Haven''t you seen clearly? Only the Holy Temple was destroyed and none of the people were hurt by that white light. It means that the goddess'' anger was not directed at us. The goddess is a benevolent andpassionate being. She would not hurt her children who love her. She would only punish those whomitted a terrible sin. Are we sinners?"


    And with just that, he stopped a tragedy before it could even begin. The video ended with him leading the people to pray to the goddess.


    After watching that video, it evoked a lot of different opinions and reactions from people. Some cried and some were angered, but ultimately, most were just disappointed and disillusioned. This was the Holy Temple  the one standing at the very core of many people''s religious beliefs. And yet, the goddess herself appeared and said that she was disappointed in them. How could they believe in what they''re saying from now on?


    If there were people who believed the content of the video or at least was now confused and shaken by it, there would, of course, be people who wouldn''t believe it. Those types of people were the one who would refuse anything and everything that would challenge their religious beliefs.


    Due to this, a debate had been going on under thement section of the posted the video;


    [I knew it! There''s no way a big organization like the Holy Temple has no dirty secrets. And it must be something really disgusting for the goddess herself to appear and punish them.]


    [I heard from someone that their using their orphanages to brainwash young kids. Giving them countless mental torture so they could be the ''perfect'' followers of the Temple.]


    [Upstairs, is that true? How horrible!]


    [That''s so disgusting! No wonder Gaia cried like that.]


    [But that''s not all, a lot of the priests, mostly those that are high in rank, are abusing their powers. Extorting money from the poor, raping under aged children, they just continue to take and take. Because they think that they''re more superior than the rest of us.]


    [I have a personal experience in this. When I was a kid and visiting a rtive from a small vige, one family there offended a Bishop. They were a family of three  the parents and their five-year-old daughter. The next day, the whole family disappeared. And the day after that, the body of the girl was found floating on the river. Blood was still flowing in between her legs. It was a very traumatic memory for me. I didn''t think it was rted to the Temple back then. But watching that video and reading thements here, I couldn''t help but connect them.]


    [Upstairs, it''s definitely that Bishop! Poor girl. I bet her parents were killed. Just how low could the Temple get?]


    [Will all of you just stop your nder?! There''s no evidence to prove that what you''re saying is true! For we all know, even this video was fake!]


    [I agree! The Temple has been nothing but good to us. How could all of you say these things?]


    [Don''t be fooled! This video is definitely fake!]


    [To the people upstairs, are you sure you''re not drunk? Just how could you fake something like these? If you know how, then please, feel free to tell us.]


    [I could attest that this video is not fake. I was there. The goddess truly appeared. She truly made the Holy Temple disappear.]


    [I was also there. I was standing near where the goddess appeared. It almost felt like I was standing near some kind of holy energy. That kind of presence, it could only belong to our goddess, Gaia!]


    [Do you people forget about our Pope? Do you think someone so kind as him would allow the things you''ve been ming the Temple of?]


    [Yes, I''m sure there''s an exnation for all of these.]


    [Wait- would no one ask about the blue-haired young man who stopped the panicking people?]


    [Oh, I know him. He''s the second prince of our kingdom  Albion! Winter Percival di Albion.]


    [A prince! No wonder he has such a noble atmosphere around him.]


    [He''s so handsome and kind. This is how a prince should be.]


    [Is this a sign that I should just migrate to Albion?]


    And so, the debate and opinions continued. Not only that, but the effect of the video also continued to spread across the five continents.

 Chapter 187: aftermath of the festival (i)

    Chapter 187: aftermath of the festival (i)


    VICTORIA City.


    Heinz was walking back to the house he shared with his brother. He just got back from the bakery and was carrying a bag of bread. He looked around and he could see knights stationed everywhere. It wasn''t that much of a surprise anymore. It had been like this for days now. Five days since the festival, to be exact.


    Honestly, he was still shocked about what happened. He wasn''t near the za when it all happened, so he didn''t witness it first-hand. But hearing everyone talking about it and watching that trending video, he almost felt like he was there himself. Who would have thought that during the year''s most celebrated holiday, something like that would happen? The Holy Temple being disintegrated into almost nothingness. And then after that, the appearance of the image of that woman. Who the people now thought as the goddess  Gaia. Then there was that heavy rain that almost resembled a storm. As if the goddess was indeed showing her displeasure to the Temple.


    Because of that, the whole town was now in lock down. And tomorrow, all the Archbishops would convene here to have a meeting with the Pope. Definitely to discuss the countermeasures they should do to lessen the negative impact of what just happened to the Temple. Although he truly wondered what they could do to fix this mess. Because it looked like things were getting really out of hand.


    Especially after that video had been released. Even now, it was still trending. Although the Temple disapproved of the sPhones, Heinz and his brother still kept one for each of them. Because it was truly more convenient than using a defaro crystal.


    He finally reached the house he shared with his brother. When he opened the door and went inside, he saw his younger brother drinking milk.


    "You''re up early," he said, putting the bag of bread on the table. It was only six o''clock, usually Heath woke up about seven.


    "I have an early shift today."


    "Then I better make breakfast quickly." Heinz pulled up the sleeves of his shirt and began taking eggs and bacon from the pantry. "Hey, Heath. Do you think the woman who appeared that day was really the goddess?" he just suddenly thought of asking.


    "Who cares if it''s her or not. The fact is, a lot of people in the world think she is," Heath answered carelessly. "If you ask me, the Temple totally deserves what''s happening to it right now."


    "Heath-!"


    "What? The Temple isn''t exactly teeming with saints. Most people part of this phony organization are worse than your run of the mill criminal," he said, taking a piece of apple from the table and biting it.


    Heinz sighed. He wanted to refute, but sadly he truly couldn''t. Because no matter how much he believed in the teachings of the Temple, some part of it were just truly rotten. "And we''re part of what you just called a ''phony organization''."


    ----------


    Kingdom of Albion.


    In one of the gardens of the pce, the one solely dedicated for the use of the King, two figures were sitting inside the gazebo and were drinking their tea. The two were the King and the second prince.


    Arthur put down the teacup on the crystal table. "I heard that video is still, what is that term? Ah yes, trending."


    "It is," Winter only said.


    "You could really feel its effect. Now everyone thinks of you as some kind of hero. Even the image of the royal family improved because of that. Now, almost all the people in our kingdom have already forgotten what your foolish brother and greedy sister did." The King picked up the cup and sip the tea. "It''s fascinating, how a simple video could bring such an effect. One should really admire Argent ckbourne for creating such a thing. Speaking of the duke, was he there at Victoria City when all thatmotion happened?"


    "No, he''s not."


    "Oh, I just thought he was. Considering the quality of the video, I thought he was even the one who recorded it."


    Winter almost choked on the tea he''s drinking. At times like this, the King could really be as sharp as a knife. Because the one who took the video was definitely either Lady Aurum or at least someone rted to Argent. But of course, there''s no way he would tell that to the King. "With the way sPhones are built, anyone could take a high quality video like that."


    "Pardon me, I''m not really well-versed in the way these sPhones work. I just assumed that since that video was spread that fast, it had something to do with the duke. After all, he''s technically the one who made those, what are those called again? Ah, Apps." Again, really sharp. Well, he probably wouldn''t be the King if he wasn''t at least this sharp. "Anyway, you should take advantage of the current situation while that video is still fresh in everyone''s mind. Go and show yourself more often to the people. I''ve already arranged activities for you. All you have to do is follow it. Continue to do well and soon, no one would even try toin once I announced you as the crown prince."


    That was something Winter had been working so hard to attain. But at this moment, he didn''t feel a shred of happiness after hearing that announcement. He wanted to sit on that throne because he knew that he could do so much for the people of Albion. He could be a good king. A better king.


    Thinking of that, he couldn''t help but remember the message he received from Argent the day after the festival.


    [I just saw the footage of what happened at that za. You did really good. I never thought you had it in you. You could seriously give my sister a run for her money. As I''ve promised to you, I will make sure to spread your amazing feat at Victoria City throughout the five continents. But what will happen afterwards would now be up to you. You will receive a lot of attention, probably not all of them good. Knowing you, you''d probably just ignore them. Still, do prove to your future detractors that you deserve all the goodwill and the love of the people supporting you. Use this chance to secure your position as the crown prince. Because there''s no one else better suited to sit on that throne.


    P.S. I think you''d be a much better King than your d*ck father.]


    The corner of his lips couldn''t help but turn up just remembering that. Only Argent could say something like that.


    "By the way, Winter, has your Mother contacted you?" the King suddenly asked.


    Winter''s small smile immediately disappeared after hearing that. So, this man was still looking for his mother. It seemed like the trail Winter purposely left for him to find already reached a dead end. So he just needed to make a new one. There''s no way he''d let hime in contact with his mother again. The King already caused him too much suffering. Why couldn''t he just let her be?


    "She sent a message to my [TalkUs] ount once, saying that she arrived safely at her destination, that I don''t need to worry about her, and that he would send me a message from time to time," he answered. Because saying that he didn''t would just seemed too unrealistic.


    The King looked sharply at Winter. "Is there a way to track that message back?"


    "No, I don''t think it''s possible. That App, [TalkUs], doesn''t have that feature."


    Arthur stared at his second son, but he couldn''t read anything from his expression. He smiled. Out of pride or disappointment, he didn''t even know. "I see. You can leave now."


    "Yes."


    Winter stood up and walked out of the garden.

 Chapter 188: aftermath of the festival (ii)

    Chapter 188: aftermath of the festival (ii)


    AT AN unknown ind, Dreich Gallere''s main headquarters.


    Viper was sitting on top of the roof of his wooden cabin. It was situated on top of a hill surrounded by a lush forest. This was his own personal spot here in this ind. Every member of Dreich Gallere with a code name was given their own space in this ind. They could choose whatever part of the ind they wanted. This was the space he chose.


    He was currently ying a video call he saved. It was from Argent, of course.


    His sweetheart''s silver hair was slightly pulled back, showing his clear forehead. There were slight dark circles under his purple eyes, showing how tired he must be. But even tired, and probably also sleep-deprived, he could still manage to take his breath away.


    Although Viper would rather not see those dark circles. What was Argent doing, not taking care of himself? That fiasco with the Temple was already over. His mother was also already saved. He should be spending time with her. Wait- maybe Argent was already looking for the next artifact.


    He should be there with him right now. Or at least he could be there with him for a couple more days. But no, that brat Lynx just had to take him. He probably even put him to sleep so he wouldn''t cause a fuss if he woke up in the middle. That''s why the next time he opened his eyes, he was already back at the ind.


    The first thing he wanted to do was to smack the hell out of Lynx. But the brat probably knew that and ran away, taking another mission.


    Viper wanted to ask his master if he could go and help Argent look for the remaining artifacts. Because based on the conversation Argent had with that bastard Pope, that''s the next thing he would definitely do. But now he couldn''t do that because he had another mission waiting for him.


    In short, everything was Lynx'' fault.


    Now all he could do was mope here and watched his recorded video call of Argent.


    [Viper, thank you for cooperating with my n. You did it quite perfectly. I do feel sorry that you had to be hurt because of it though. Please, do try to take a good rest. And also, say thank you to Lynx for me. Oh, by the way, before I forgot. Please also try to restrain yourself from sending me message non-stop or even calling. I will be busy theseing days and will probably have no time to answer you. Take care of yourself, Viper.]


    Viper traced the lines on Argent''s beautiful face. How could he resist not sending him anything? Then he suddenly thought of something. Maybe if he had some important information to share, Argent wouldn''t be mad if he sent him a message.


    With that thought in mind, he jumped off from the roof andnded safely in the ground.


    He immediately ran towards the only mountain on the ind. To reach the top, one needed to climb a steep slope. Which was not a big problem for Viper or any of the residence living in this ind for that matter. After all, every one of them had undergone almost inhuman training just so they could reach the level of physical ability they had now.


    Once he reached the top, he saw a white pce iid with gold. It was so shiny that with the light of the sun in the background, it almost blinded Viper. This was his master''s ce. It looked exactly as his home at Sin Ind. Full of gold. Seriously, just what''s with dragons and their fascination to gold?


    He was about to walk towards the entrance, when another person walked out at the same time. It was a tall man with blue-ck hair and a pair of indigo eyes. He was wearing all-ck  long ck trench coat over ck shirt, ck pants, and ck boots. His face literally had no expression, as if all his facial muscles had been frozen in ce.


    "Raven, is Master inside?" Viper asked.


    Raven only nodded and then bypassed him.


    He didn''t mind much, because that guy had always been like that. But of course, he didn''t forget to flick his middle finger at Raven''s back. Then he went ahead and walked inside the pce. He walked straight towards the pce''s highest tower.


    After climbing the stairs, he found his master sittingzily on the window sill. The warm glow of the sun was shining on his golden hair. His eyes were closed, his golden eyshes forming shadows on his cheeks. The cor of the shirt he''s wearing was opened widely, showing a broad expanse of his chest.


    "What is it, Viper?" he asked, without even opening his eyes.


    "Master, can''t you really meet Argent? I think he has a lot of questions that probably only you could give answer to," Viper said, going straight to the point.


    "I told you, it''s not yet the time for us to meet," his master answered, still not opening his eyes.


    "Then can Master tell me why? I really don''t like it when you''re being vague."


    "It''s the perks of being the master. I can be as vague and mysterious as I wanted to be."


    "Then can my vague and mysterious master gave me a vacation? I think the wound I suffered is still hurting."


    "Are you going to run off after Argent cbourne again?"


    Viper awkwardlyughed. "How could I? I really just wanted to take a rest."


    "Viper," his master finally opened his eyes, those golden orbs staring straight at him. "Is your affection for Argent ckbourne now stronger than the order I''ve given you?"


    Hesitation shed in Viper''s heterochromatic eyes. But in the end, he still answered. "No. My apologies, Master."


    "Apology epted. Now take a rest, as you should. And then do your next mission, also as you should."


    "Yes, Master."


    Although Viper was a bit disappointed, it looked like there''s still no way he could change his master''s decision. He was about to go when he suddenly remembered one thing.


    "Master, that Pope, he told me to give you a message. I don''t know if Master wanted to hear it."


    His master was silent for a moment before finally saying, "What is it?"


    "He said, no matter what Master does, everything is inevitable. And that things that are supposed to happen will happen. Because he''ll make sure it will."


    Sinir nced at the horizon when he heard those words. Everything was inevitable, huh?


    [Is that really what you believe?]


    Nox


    ----------


    Victoria City.


    Inside the study of the Apostolic Pce, Harlequin flung away the sPhone he was just holding. "That Argent, was this his n all along? To destroy the image of the Temple?"


    A young woman stepped on the thrown sPhone, destroying it. Her light green hair was cut in a weird way. Its front reached up to her waist while its back only reached below her ears. A big, thick pair of sses were covering her eyes. "Harlequin, His Holiness already told us not to use this thing whenever we''re having an important conversation. Surely you haven''t forgotten that?" she said in a preaching tone.


    "Loosen up a bit, Ripley," Harlequin said to the green-haired young woman. "We have barely discussed anything. Besides, if I didn''t have that, we wouldn''t have known what that duke did."


    "We already know without you looking," replied Ripley. "After all, that video has been going around for five days now."


    "But I must say, that Argent ckbourne is really interesting. Even thinking of a ploy like this," Kazumi interjected before turning to the still silent Lucern. "Hey, Luce, would you still not answer my question about that duke? Because there''s definitely something weird about his body."


    Kazumi could still remember how that duke''s body didn''t get affected by his Gift.


    "Let''s not talk about the duke," Limos said. Hearing Argent cbourne''s name again and again kind of made her feel ufortable. "I think it''s better to discuss what should be done to limit the damage caused by that video."


    "I agree with Limos," Ripley said. "Does Your Holiness already have a countermeasure?"


    "You all don''t need to worry about the effect this will have to the Temple. After all, in the grand scheme of things, the Temple of Gaia is just as tool. Sooner orter, it will outlive its usefulness," Lucern simply said while looking outside the window. "But I do have something nned that will temporary appease the people."


    "Wait- wait- before we proceed, Luce, I have a request," Kazumi suddenly said.


    The Pope turned to him. "What is it?"


    "Since I''m not allowed to mess with Argent ckbourne, can I mess with the people around him instead?"


    Lucern stared at Kazumi, as if reading what''s on his mind. "You have to be more specific."


    Kazumi smiled yfully. "I want to mess with his master  Hattori Shingen."

 Chapter 189: antheas thoughts

    Chapter 189: anthea''s thoughts


    LET''S all go back four days ago, during the morning that Anthea ckbourne finally regained consciousness.


    The three women of the ckbourne family were left alone inside the shuttle. White took ck out to give the three some much needed privacy.


    "I guess you found the code that I left," Anthea said. "I believe I warned you not toe. But it seems like you still did."


    She was at the Northern continent when that man with a domino mask suddenly appeared. One moment she was still surrounded by snow, the next she was suddenly in the middle of a forest. She knew right that she''d been teleported somece else and the culprit was that masked man.


    She fought and got away somehow. As she was escaping, she noticed the beeping sounds and the red light that the bracelet she''s wearing was giving off. That''s when she remembered what Argent told her when she gave her the bracelet. That when she''s in danger, the bracelet would release a distress signal that would be sent to Argent. So she would know immediately that Anthea was in danger.


    She wasn''t really sure how it worked. She just knew at that moment that she couldn''t let her daughters find out that she''s been taken. Because somehow, she just instinctively knew that she''s definitely in a very dangerous situation. Something that she''d rather not have her daughters be involved in. But she didn''t know how to stop the distress signal.


    So Anthea took her sPhone out to send a message to Argent  to tell her that the distress signal was just a false rm. But before she could do that, another masked man appeared. The man wanted to capture her. So of course, she fought back. During their fight, her sPhone broke, even the bracelet Argent gave her was destroyed. In the end, she lost the fight and was taken again. Losing consciousness in the process.


    When she woke up, she was inside a small room. She was surprised to find that she wasn''t tied or anything like that. The people who took her probably didn''t expect for her to wake up so soon. When she stood up and walked towards the door, she identally heard the conversation of the two people outside. The voices belonged to the man with a domino mask and that other masked man.


    When she heard the contents of their conversation, she was shocked beyond belief and she immediately realized why they took her. So they could get to her daughters. Because they needed someone from the direct line of the ckbournes. It''s in line to the things she just discovered about her husband''s disappearance. So she escaped. But soon, she was found again.


    She fought with all she got. But in the end, she still lost. However, before she was captured, she made sure to leave a warning for her daughters. For them to not get themselves entangled in this big web of conspiracy. She could only leave a code so as to make sure that none of those people who took her would destroy it even if they identally saw it.


    Anthea knew that once her daughters received the distress signal from the bracelet and then discovered that they couldn''t contact her, they would immediately look for a way to find her. Knowing Argent and her many strange inventions, she knew it wouldn''t be long before she found the location where she left the code. Considering how smart her eldest daughter was, she was confident that she could easily decrypt the code she left.


    And then after that, she was hoping that she and Aurum would not be ckmailed into doing the bidding of the enemy.


    That was the end of her memory of that time. When she regained her consciousness again, she was already inside this shuttle with both her daughters no less. Which could only mean that her warning didn''t do any good. But Argent and Aurum still managed to somehow get her back. Although she''s not too sure at what cost.


    "Mother, surely you didn''t think that we would abandon you?" Argent said in a scolding tone.


    "How could you even think that, Mother?" followed by Aurum who was looking at Anthea as if she just pped her.


    "Seeing that you managed to get me back, I believe you''re already aware of the danger. I just didn''t want the both of you to encounter those dangers." Anthea smiled helplessly. "But I guess that''s already useless now."


    "It''s been useless from the very beginning," Argent said, matter-of-factly. "The moment you were kidnapped, it was already a given that we would do everything to save you."


    "Brother is right!" Aurum seconded. "Mother should just thank us."


    Anthea shook her head. She should have known that with the character of these two, there''s no way they would heed her warning. She spread her arms and hugged the two. "Yes, thank you for all your hardwork."


    Feeling the warmth of her children, happiness filled her heart. She''s back, she''s alive, and both Aurum and Argent were safe. That''s all that mattered. At least for now.


    "Does Mother know the people who took you?" Argent asked after a while.


    "I don''t. I just know that they''re after the three ancient artifacts." But her children managing to get her back from those people meant that they already knew who those people were. "Who are they?"


    "They''re the evil minions of that evil Pope. Everything was nned by that bastard," Aurum answered, not caring if her mother heard her curse. Even after what they did to the Holy Temple, she still felt like it wasn''t enough.


    A deep frown appeared on Anthea''s face. "Then everything was done by the Temple of Gaia?"


    "Not necessarily. In my opinion, it''s all nned by the Pope," Argent said. "The minions that Aurum mentioned are called ''Apostles''. They''re especially trained people that''s directly under the Pope. They only follow his orders."


    Anthea''s frown became even deeper. Could the Pope''s goal be the same as Dorian''s? That''s the only reason she could think of why he would personally want those artifacts. Then a sudden thought crossed her mind. If Argent managed to take her back from the Pope and his, as Aurum called them, evil minions, then that could only mean one thing.


    "Did you perhaps manage to get the sword of the dragon king and then gave it to the Pope in exchange for me?"


    "No, Mother. There''s no way we wouldpromise with that asshole," Aurum said.


    Anthea temporarily ignored her younger daughter''s constant cursing. She was more interested in knowing if they gave the sword away in order to save her. But after hearing that they didn''t, she became even more confused. "Then how did you--?"


    "How did we get Mother back?" Argent finished what she was about to ask. "It''s a long story that I think will need a very long discussion. Mother also has a lot of things to exin to us, right?"


    Hearing that, she remembered all the things she discovered during her trip while looking for Dorian. "Yes," she smiled a bit helplessly and also with a tinge of sadness. "Quite plenty, in fact."


    "Shall we go back to brother''s ind? I think it''s better for Mother to take a much needed rest before we have that much needed talk," Aurum suggested.


    "Before that, I think Mother needed to meet someone first."


    "Ah, yes. That one," Aurum said as if realizing who Argent was talking about. "Then I call him here."


    She stood up and walked out of the shuttle.


    Anthea looked at Argent, a bit confused as to who they meant.


    "I think Mother will be surprised when you see this one," Argent only said.


    Soon, Aurum went back. The elf was walking behind her.


    When Anthea saw the child with white blonde hair and green eyes, her eyes widened unbelievingly. And when she saw his pointed ears, she became even more shocked. A scary conjecture appeared in her mind, something that she wouldn''t even dare to think if she never saw this boy.


    "Shit."


    That''s the only verbal reaction she could give. And the only thing she could think of was; Jaxon would definitely lose his mind once he saw this elf.

 Chapter 190: her whereabouts

    Chapter 190: her whereabouts


    SEEING her mother''s reaction, Argent was more sure that this elf definitely had something to do with Jaxon. Even Aurum thought the same.


    "Mother, this is Janea. We helped him at first as a favor to a friend. But now, I made a deal with him. I''ll help him with his ordeal. In return, he had to do something for me," Argent introduced the elf, exining his presence here.


    Because Anthea was still shocked seeing the elf''s familiar face, it took a while before what Argent saidpletely sunk in. Wait- wouldn''t that mean that Argent only helped the elf because she needed something from him? Surely, her daughters could see this elf''s simrity with their Uncle Jax. They should have already guessed his identity or at least thought about it.


    She nced at her eldest. When she saw no particr emotions in Argent''s face, she could only sigh. Well, this daughter of hers always had her own n. She wouldn''t get in the way of that even for Jaxon. And whatever request Argent would ask of this Janea, he''s certain that it wouldn''t be life-threatening.


    Anthea turned back again at the elf. There''s a nervous energy around him, one could just tell by the way he''s fidgeting. But despite that, he still tried to do his best not to avert his gaze. Even though it seemed like he really wanted to.


    [Brave kid. You surely wouldn''t be disappointed, Jaxon.]  she thought. "Janea, can I call you that?" she asked, trying her best to look as kindly and gentle as she could.


    Janea looked at the woman in front. From the conversations he''d heard in the past day, this woman was the mother of the twins who didn''t really look like twins. In fact, apart from looking both unnaturally beautiful, they didn''t share any simr features. Speaking of simr features, even their mother didn''t look like the two of them. Aside from the eye color she shared with the girl twin, that is. Oh, and the almost simr shade of hair color.


    He heard that this woman  the Duchess as they called her  was the reason this Argent ckbourne came to Victoria City. He had to save her from the same people who took Janea. Maybe he should consider himself lucky because of that. No, he could only be called lucky once Argent ckbourne made good on his promise to him.


    Janea nodded as answer to the Duchess'' question if she could call him by his name.


    "Then Janea, could you tell us what kind of help you needed?" Anthea asked.


    Argent didn''t stop her mother from asking. It would be better if she knew quickly what kind of help Janea needed. That way, she could immediately formte a n.


    She didn''t decide to help Janea just because he resembled Jaxon. It was more because of the fact that he''s an elf or at least a part of him was. If the amulet that y''s father left to him didn''t yield any result, then this elf could possibly be theirst resort. He might have information about the Elven Queen''s ring. No matter how small, any information would certainly be helpful.


    Argent thought that maybe she should have asked that bastard Lucern for information. After all, searching for the rest of the two artifacts seemed like she was almost doing his bidding. Even if she was indeed doing this on her own ord. Although that thought crossed her mind, she probably wouldn''t act on it even if she was given a chance to turn back time. She''d rather struggle than ask for help from that guy.


    Janea took a deep breath. He needed to answer. So that he could know, right here, right now, if Argent ckbourne had the courage to really help him. "I need you to help me save my mother."


    Mother? A certain image of a woman with long white blond hair and a pair of blue eyes speckled with golden dust shed in her mind. So she was still alive. Thank the goddess for that. "Where is your mother?" Anthea immediately asked.


    "She''s being imprisoned by the Emperor of Kievan." Janea looked straight at Argent, making sure that he wouldn''t miss any of his reaction. "Can you save her from him?"


    "I need more information and more time. But yes, I could save your mother. And just like what I promised, I definitely will," Argent didn''t hesitate to answer.


    Janea stared at him. There wasn''t any change in his indifferent expression. But his purple eyes were full of determination. For some reason, Janea was extremely relieved. As if he was able to properly breath for the first time in a long while.


    "Then I''ll trust you. Once you''re able to do your end of the bargain, I''ll do everything I can to do whatever it is you will ask of me."


    "I expect no less."


    Argent wasn''t expecting that Janea would ask her to save his mother. But that was even better. Because if he truly was who they thought he was, that meant that his mother was a full-blooded elf. She might have more information regarding the Elven Queen''s ring.


    "It''s good to reach a consensus." Anthea finally reacted after hearing the whereabouts of Janea''s mother. Then she turned to Aurum. "Aurum, could I borrow your sPhone?"


    Although Aurum was a bit confused why her mother suddenly wanted to borrow her sPhone, she still gave it to her.


    "Then could you three give me some time alone for a bit?" Anthea suddenly added after epting the sPhone.


    Argent immediately understood why her mother suddenly wanted to be alone. "Come, let''s go out," she said, pulling her sister.


    "But Brother"


    "Mother''s going to contact Uncle Jax," she whispered.


    "Oh." Then they couldn''t let Janea hear that conversation. This was not yet the time to let him know about Uncle Jax. Aurum gazed down at the elf. "Youe too, little elf."


    Janea wanted to argue about calling him a ''little elf''. After all, despite how he looked, he''s pretty sure that he''s older than these two. But in the end, he still refrained from doing it and just walked out of the shuttle.


    The twins followed behind.


    When Anthea was finally alone, she called Jaxon using Aurum''s sPhone. Soon, Jaxon''s handsome face appeared on the screen.


    Jaxon was about to ask Aurum why she called and if there was any news regarding Anthea, but he didn''t expect to see the woman herself. "A-Anthea?"


    "Hey, Jaxon."


    "H-how--?"


    He''d been worried sick since Argent told him about her n on how she would get back Anthea. He truly wanted to help, but the kid simply refused. So he didn''t have a choice but to wait for their news. Who would have thought that even after the Festival of Creation was over, he still hadn''t received any news?


    That''s why when he received a call request from Aurum, he immediately answered it. Who knew that what he would see was Anthea''s face?


    "Well, my amazing daughters managed to save me," Anthea simply said.


    Those kids, they didn''t even bother to tell him that? But hisint was minisculepared to the relief he''s feeling after knowing that one of his closest friends was safe and sound. "I''m d you''re safe."


    "Me too." Then Anthea''s expression suddenly turned serious. "Jax, I have something to tell you."


    Jaxon immediately became confused because of the sudden change. "What is it?"


    "It''s about her. nnea. I may know her current location."

 Chapter 191: shell definitely break him

    Chapter 191: she''ll definitely break him


    ARGENT''S face was dark. If it was possible, ck liquid would probably drip out of it because of how dark it was. The reason? Because of a particr person missing right now inside the shuttle.


    Let''s go back an hour ago to know who it was.


    = [An hour ago] =


    After Anthea finished talking to Jaxon, she stood up. Although she felt a bit wobbly in her feet, she could still walk a short distance. She walked towards the door of the shuttle and went out.


    Her eyes firstnded on the elf. Remembering her conversation with Jax just now, she couldn''t help but sigh. Once the two met, it would be hard for her friend but much more so for the elf. She couldn''t even begin to imagine that scene.


    The moment she went out, the twins immediately walked to her.


    "Mother, why did you suddenly walk here? What if you identally tripped?"


    "Mother, are your legs okay?"


    Aurum and Argent said almost at the same time.


    "You two, being unconscious for almost three months doesn''t necessarily mean that I became an invalid," Anthea said helplessly. She could see by the reaction of the two that they have been really scared by her sudden kidnapping.


    Then she noticed two unfamiliar faces. Both were young men. One had messy reddish-brown hair and a pair of dark brown eyes. He looked easygoing and the type that would just go with the flow. But there was hidden strength in those eyes. Which meant that when it came to things he believed in, he would do everything to protect it.


    The other one had long ck hair tied in a ponytail behind his back. His pair of obsidian ck eyes were sharp and seemed like it could cut into anything. His features obviously belonged to someone who was born from the East. But unlike most men there who had delicate features, he was tall and full of overwhelming momentum.


    "These two are?" she asked.


    "Good morning, Duchess. I''m y Grunewald, an associate of your children," y said with a smile, introducing himself.


    Aurum nced at y. This was actually the first time she heard the guy''s full name. She was a bit annoyed by that. Why didn''t she or her brother ever bothered to ask him that? Well, during that time in Shandra, they thought that their meeting was just a brief one. So having a name to call him was already enough. But then, they met again here. With all the things they had to do, asking y his surname was probably thest thing that would cross their mind.


    Even though still a bit annoyed at herself, Aurum was d that she finally knew y''s full name.


    Lei Feng, on the other hand, raised both hands  one fist was over another palm. Then he bent forward, doing the standard Xing bow. But it was not just that. The bow he made was something that only a junior would give to a respected elder. "My name is Zhang Lei Feng. It''s an honor to meet you, Your Grace."


    By the way the two introduced themselves and their ents, Anthea could immediately tell that y most probably grew up in amoner family probably somewhere in the Southwestern continent while Lei Feng must belong to an aristocratic family in Xing.


    She smiled at the two. "It''s nice to meet the both of you."


    "Mother, y was a big help during the whole operation of getting you back," Aurum said like some proud mother hen.


    "No, I really didn''t do much," y said, a bit embarrassed. Because he truly didn''t do that much. At most, he only provided some support.


    Aurum elbowed him. "Don''t be too modest. No matter how small your part was, you still helped. That''s what''s more important."


    y turned to Aurum. Without him even knowing, a soft smile already crossed his lips.


    Anthea looked back and forth between the two. Although she still didn''t know what method they used to get her back, she was much more intrigued by the interaction between the two. This was the first time she had seen her younger daughter being so actively close to a boy. She wasn''t sure if she should be worried or not.


    Both her children would soon turn 15. They were already at the age where they would be curious of the opposite sex. Despite being mature for their age, there were still a few things that she needed to exin to them. But seeing Aurum''s interaction with this boy y, she was kind of d to see her acting like a girl her age should.


    Then she nced at her other daughter. She raised one of her brows when she saw Argent frowning while looking at the two. Anthea sighed. No doubt, this daughter of hers was being an overprotective ''brother'' again. She should probably have a longer talk with Argent. And remind her, just in case, she had already forgotten, that she was actually a girl.


    Argent cleared her throat. "In terms of helping, then Lei Feng also did his part." She turned to Lei Feng. "Right?"


    Lei Feng nced at Argent. Her expression was simply telling him e on, tell them proudly all the big help you did''. But he couldn''t do that. Especially since all he did was to use his Gift to produce a storm-like effect. He couldn''t possibly act all proud just because of that. He was not so thick-faced that he could do that in front of Argent''s mother.


    So he could only say, "Um."


    Argent immediately noticed Lei Feng''s ear tips turning red. Why was this guy being shy again?


    "Then you have my gratitude, both of you," Anthea said to the two young men.


    "Lady Anthea, ck and White also did a lot to help," ck suddenly inserted, looking up at Anthea with a look clearly saying ''praise me! praise me!''.


    Anthea looked down at ck and smiled. "Yes, ck did good." She turned to the white-haired girl as well. "White too."


    ck smiled happily while White just quietly smiled.


    "Mother, are you already done talking to Uncle Jax?" Argent asked after a while, in which her mother nodded. "What did he say?"


    "He''ll meet us in your ind," Anthea answered.


    So, it''s decided. They''re next destination would be Argent''s ind. She turned to the two men and told it to them.


    "I''m going with you. I''m still on vacation, so I still have a lot of free time left on my hand," Lei Feng simply said.


    Argent was starting to wonder just how long this vacation was. Could it be that Lei Feng never had a vacation ever since he became a soldier so the Emperor allowed him to leave indefinitely?


    "As for me, I n to go back to my sister. I''ve been gone for so long, she''s probably already dying of worry," y said. "Regarding our deal, you could just find me anytime you wanted. You could contact me and I''ll give you my location."


    "Then let ck send you back. I''ll lend you one of my flying cars," Argent said then took a capsule from her space ring. She turned to ck and gave the capsule to him. "ck, send y to his sister, okay?"


    "Okay, Master! ck will do definitely do a good job!"


    "Brother, could I go with them as well?"


    Everyone, well, except for Lei Feng, the elf, and White, turned to Aurum when she said that.


    "You wanted to send y back?" Argent asked, making sure that what she just heard was right.


    Aurum nodded hesitantly. She didn''t know what came over her. She just knew that she couldn''t say goodbye to y without even talking to him properly. And she couldn''t exactly do that with all the people around.


    "It''s alright, Aurum. You didn''t have to do that," y said. Although, for some reason, what she said somehow made him extremely happy.


    "But I insist!" Aurum said before turning back to Argent. "Please, Brother. Promise, ck and I will be at the ind by evening."


    Anthea looked at her youngest daughter''s persistent face then at her eldest daughter''s increasingly dark face. "It''s okay, Aurum. You can go."


    "Mother--!"


    But Argent''sin was drowned by Aurum''s squeal. "Thank you, Mother!" she said, hugging Anthea''s arm.


    "Just make sure you won''t do anything that ady wouldn''t do," Anthea whispered in a way that only Aurum could hear.


    Aurum suddenly blushed but still nodded.


    =====


    And thus brought the current situation inside the shuttle that was flying back to Argent''s ind.


    Argent suddenly broke the pen she was holding. If that y even tried to do something inappropriate towards her sister, she''d definitely break him.

 Chapter 192: travel and troublesome thoughts

    Chapter 192: travel and troublesome thoughts


    THE flying car they were in hadn''t gone that far when Aurum received a message from her brother. She hurriedly opened it and read;


    [Since you''re going with y, you might as well check the pendant left to him by his father. See if it could be opened or anything of the like. If nothing is found, try to take a picture of it in every angle. Also, tell y that if he tries to do something inappropriate towards you, I''ll break every bone in his body.]


    Reading it and looking at thest part, Aurum''s face immediately turned red thinking of its implication. How could her brother think that? What inappropriate? She nced at y who was sitting at the passenger''s seat. His face was a bit pale, a sign that he still hadn''t got over his motion sickness. This guy, doing something untoward to her? Hah! As if that could happen. She could go naked right now and this guy would probably not even flinch.


    Then her face turned even redder. Wait- how could her thoughts even swerve that way? Was this because the burden of worrying about the safety of her mother was finally lifted from her shoulders, so her thoughts were simply going haywire? She shook her head.


    "Why is your face red?" y''s voice sounded, cutting off Aurum''s train of thought. "Are you not feeling well?"


    "I''m fine," she said, a bit annoyed. "You should worry more about yourself. You looked like you''re about to puke."


    "Please, don''t mention it. I''m trying really hard here not to think about it, you know?" he said in a bit of helpless tone. "Unless you want to witness a live vomiting scene."


    She looked at this carefree guy who, despite looking pale and obviously ufortable, still had the gall to joke around. What she thought earlier, about y not reacting even if she pranced around naked in front of him, was not really that unfounded.


    When he first saw her real face back in Shandra, he didn''t have that much of a reaction. It was something pretty new for Aurum. Since young, most of the boys her age would give her that ''lovestruck'' look. As long as she asked, they would not hesitate to give him what she wanted. Some would even follow her around. That only intensified when she turned 13 and entered puberty.


    If she hadn''t had aplete grasp of her Gift and there was no protection from his brother, those disgusting people might have already taken advantage of her.


    But y was different. There wasn''t a shred of admiration in his eyes, only curiosity. It was a novel experience for Aurum, but a very wee one. Maybe that was the reason why even if the time they spent in Shandra was not that long, she still fully remembered it. All of it.


    And then they met again at Victoria City.


    Spending time with him, teaching him proper etiquette, slowly getting to know him, and simply just knowing little details about him - those things piling up resulted in the emotions that slowly built up inside her. Emotions she wasn''t really sure she wanted. Especially during this time when they still needed to look for those artifacts and also looked out for any attacks that the Pope and his minions might throw at them.


    But she still couldn''t help herself. As evidence of her being here right now.


    She sighed. Was she alreadypletely hopeless, she wondered?


    Aurum''s annoyed look didn''t escape y''s eyes. "Are you perhaps regretting going with me?"


    Somehow, that possibility made him a bit sad. It was just as inexplicable as the sudden happiness he felt when she told everyone earlier that she would go with him. He didn''t even feel scared when Argent red at him as if he wanted to skin him alive. Having these continuous ups and downs of emotions was not like him at all. He might not know the whys of it, but at least he knew the ''what'' or perhaps he should say the ''who''. Which, in this case, was Aurum.


    He only experienced this out-of-nowhere surged of emotion when it involved her. Which meant she''s the source of it all. But he truly wondered what this feeling was. If it''s something good or totally the opposite.


    "That''s not it," Aurum said.


    "Then what?"


    Aurum stared at y''s face, she could practically see a sticker posted on his forehead with a big ''I don''t know anything'' written on it. She suddenly wanted to take revenge. Make him as ufortable as she was.


    "It''s because of the message my brother sent. He said he''ll break every bone in your body if you try to do something inappropriate towards me." She stared at y, making sure she wouldn''t miss any change on his expression. "But there''s no way you''d do that, right?"


    To her utter surprise, y''s whole face turned red.


    He turned away and almost stuttered. "O-of course not!"


    Unknowingly, a smiled already crossed Aurum''s lips. Well, wasn''t this interesting?


    ----------


    Jaxon looked outside the window of the carriage he''s in. It was being pulled by four gryphons at once. It was the limit of the number of gryphons that could pull a carriage at one time. Any more than that and the gryphon line would be in chaos. Fighting with each other instead of flying.


    If it was up to him, he''d let a hundred gryphons pull this carriage just so he could reach his destination faster. Now he''s truly regretting why he didn''t ept that flying contraption that Argent made when she offered him one. He just thought that it was too precious of a gift. Now, he couldn''t do anything about it.


    If he had one, then he''d be at Argent''s ind before noon. But as things went, it would take at least half a day to reach the ce with this four-gryphons drawn carriage.


    He needed to go there faster. Faster. Faster.


    After that talk he had with Anthea, he felt like his whole world had just been turned upside down. He dared not believe it. How could he? He''d been hoping and hoping for years. Searching every crook and cranny of the world. But nothing came out of it. Until his heart just became paralyzed with pain and hopelessness.


    Then suddenly, a new hope was presented to him. The only thing he could do was pack his bag and leave Amexem at the fastest speed.


    Jaxon clenched his fists. His nails digging into his palms.


    [nnea is it true? Is that boy really?]


    He closed his eyes tightly and tried his best to calm his beating heart.


    nnea

 Chapter 193: arriving at misty mountains

    Chapter 193: arriving at misty mountains


    AFTER two hours of travelling, the flying car being driven by cknded on a forest clearing. The forest was on a mountain range bordering the countries of Castille and Gaul. The range consisted of tall mountains which easily served as a barrier-like existence between the two countries.


    Because this mountain range was the natural habitat for a lot of wild beasts, not many people crossed it. Most people used the sea route, it''s much faster and safer. That''s the reason why y picked this ce as their base. One more reason was because the upper half of this mountain range was always covered by mist.


    That''s why the people named it  the Misty Mountains.


    This mist was anotheryer of protection for them. And it had been doing its job well enough for the past five months.


    y walked out of the flying contraption. He let out a relieved breath. He was finally out of the sted contraption. He could feel his stomach churning. If they traveled inside that flying contraption for another hour or so, he might truly vomit his guts out while that thing was still moving. Which would not only annoy the owner of the said flying contraption, it would also make him look like a totalme-ass.


    How could he make himself look uncool, especially in front of Aurum?


    Wait- what did Aurum have to with that? He scratched his head in annoyance. He''s bing weirder and weirder by the minute.


    ck and Aurum also went out of the flying car. Aurum turned the car back into its capsule form and put it inside her space ring. She looked around and couldn''t really tell much of anything because of the mist. She could only make out the silhouette of trees.


    "This ce looks creepy," ck said. "ck doesn''t like it here."


    Well, creepy was an apt description. Aurum thought so too.


    y turned to the two, his face already a lot better than when he was still inside the flying car. He patted ck''s head. "I''m sorry, ck. This was the best thing we coulde up with under the circumstance we''re in."


    ck looked up at y who was smiling apologetically at him. He suddenly felt guilty forining. "Sorry, y. ck wasn''t trying to insult your ce."


    y chuckled when he saw ck''s downcast expression. "It''s okay. Don''t be sad. I''m not mad."


    ck looked up. "Really?"


    "Really."


    After hearing that, ck was revitalized once again. "Okay!"


    Looking at the interaction between the two, Aurum realized just how good y was in handling kids. Probably because he had a little sister and mostly because of his experience at the orphanage. He''d definitely make a great father. Wait- what the heck was she suddenly thinking? She shook her head. Her brain must have been suddenly filled with water from all these fog around.


    "Is your ce near here?" she just asked.


    "Yes. We just have to climb up for a bit," y answered. "Let''s go. I''ll lead the way."


    y walked forward. Aurum looked at his back and she suddenly remembered the blushing face he made earlier. Somehow, she wanted to see that face again. A teasing smile appeared on her lips. She walked towards him and then hugged his arm. Completely forgetting what her mother said about acting like a realdy. She visibly felt his whole body stiffened.


    "W-what are you doing?" y asked, and then he almost wanted to kick himself. What was he stuttering for?


    "As you can see, I''m holding you. I can barely see. I needed someone to hold onto or I might trip," Aurum answered without even batting an eye, as if that was what she really intended.


    y could feel something soft touching his arm. He suddenly felt like his brain had just been fried and all the blood in his body rushed up to his face. He pulled away from Aurum before he started thinking about things that he shouldn''t think. "Don''t be too close."


    Even with the fog around, at this distance, Aurum could still see the blush on y''s face. She smiled inside. So, her earlier assumption was correct. She didn''t imagine it. This guy was not as immune to her as he thought he was. That simply knowledge made her extremely happy.


    Of course, she tried hard not to show it on her face. Instead, she looked at y in dismay. "Are you saying you''re just going to let me fall?"


    y didn''t know how to answer. He was still flustered by Aurum''s action earlier. He couldn''t think properly. And now he had no idea how to react. So he just did the first thing that came to his mind. He reached for her hand and intertwined their fingers together.


    "Then is this okay? This way, even if you fall, I can immediately catch you."


    Aurum looked down at their interloping fingers. A strange kind of warmth spread to her heart. "Yes, this is just fine."


    "Eh Aurum, why do you need y to hold your hand? You''re acting more like a kid than ck. Even though you''re obviously older. That''s totallyme," ck said, shaking his head.


    Aurum narrowed her eyes at ck. "ck if you continue to talk nonsense, I''ll leave you here. Do you want that?" she asked sweetly.


    ck eyes widened. "You can''t leave me! I''ll tell Master!"


    "Of course I can. You know why? Because my brother will always pick my side no matter what," she continued on with the same sweet voice.


    ck''s big eyes quivered and he looked like he was about to cry at any second.


    Seeing him like this, y sighed. "Aurum, don''t tease ck to the point of crying."


    Aurum pouted. "But it''s his fault."


    "You''re older. You should have more patience."


    "Tch. Fine." Aurum nced back at ck. "I won''t leave you here so don''t cry."


    ck sniffed and then ran to y''s side. "y, thank you for protecting me from that bad guy, Aurum." Then he stuck out his tongue.


    This kid. Aurum just knew she shouldn''t have been softhearted.


    "Don''t fight you two and let just go," y said.


    He continued walking into the mist. But as he did, all y could feel was the warmth radiating from the soft hand he was holding. And all he could hear was the loud beating of his heart.

 Chapter 194: the peak without mist

    Chapter 194: the peak without mist


    "SOME of the wild beasts here are a great source of food. There were even a lot of edible fruits and vegetables scattered around. So even without enough money, we haven''t been starving," y said when Aurum asked where they get their food. "But some of us still go down the mountain once a month to buy supplies we couldn''t find in the forest."


    They were still a quarter away from their destination. y wanted to continue talking. Because that way, he wouldn''t have the time to think about the soft hand he was holding. If he let himself drown in that feeling, he probably wouldn''t want to ever let go. Which was really bad in itself. Because that''s a thought he shouldn''t ever entertained.


    "But wasn''t hunting those wild beasts dangerous?" Aurum said after she heard y''s answer to her question.


    "We only pick those wild beasts that we''re sure we could handle. And we set traps around, so sometimes we don''t necessarily fight them face to face."


    "Hmm. Then where do you get your money? Do some of you also work?"


    y gazed down at Aurum and grinned. "Whenever we raze a vige orphanage under the Temple, we also steal from them. You can''t imagine the amount of gold coins we got from that."


    But that amount was still not enough. Especially since the number of people joining them were continuously growing. There were even children among those. So they needed more to support and help those people properly integrate back to society. That''s why y didn''t hesitate to agree with Argent when he said that he''s willing to sponsor their cause. After all, if there''s someone in this world who didn''tck money, then it''s Argent ckbourne.


    His only requirement was for y to let him see the pendant that his father left him. That was not really such a hard thing to do. That could not even be considered as a sacrifice. Inparison to the benefits he and the others would gain, letting Argent borrow his pendant was almost nothing.


    As they walked closer to their destination, the mist was also slowly receding. Aurum could now see her surroundings much clearly.


    "The mist is disappearing," shemented.


    "It''s because we''re nearing the peak of this mountain," y said. "The mist thinned more and more as you walk closer to the top."


    "Oh I could see a number of wooden houses in the distance," ck said.


    "We built those as a temporary housing for us."


    y and the others who were thrown out of the vige with him worked for a bit in a carpentry job. That''s why they were at least able to build these rudimentary houses. It''s not the best looking of houses but it was certainly enough for them.


    "Wouldn''t the mist lose its purpose if it disappeared by the time you get to the top?" Aurum asked, if she''s not mistaken, this mist served as a camouge for y and his friends so that they wouldn''t be immediately found by people.


    "It''s fine. Normally, people wouldn''t even go here. Aside from the abundance of wild beasts, there''s also a lore going around this area that prevents people from climbing these mountains. It was said that these mountains were cursed by the goddess. That''s why it was surrounded by mist all-year round. As time went by, the lore just became more and more out hand. They say that stepping here, people would immediately be swallowed by the mist. That there''s no possibility of them going back. Instead of the mist, that lore is more useful as a camouge than anything," y exined.


    Well, the people in the five continents were all suspicious by nature. So it''s not really a surprise that people believed something like that. If she didn''t grow up with her brother, she would also probably be the same. "And yet, you guys still chose this ce as your base."


    y shrugged. "Who has time to believe some lore when you have to look for a ce you could settle into?"


    Their group consisted of 11 young adults and four children. It''s their main priority to find a ce to temporary settle. At least for the children. It wouldn''t be good to constantly change ces, especially with four kids in tow. Good thing they found this ce. It didn''t only provide them withnd but it also gave them an abundant source of food.


    "We''re here!" ck announced.


    Aurum looked around, the mist alreadypletely disappeared. She could now clearly see the surroundings. The peak was not steep, like most mountains. The ground was a bit ttened. That''s probably why y and his friends were able to build these simple wooden cabins. But the first thing she noticed was the huge and tall tree standing at the very middle. It''s like some sort of umbre epassing the whole area.


    "Do the wild beasts here not attack this area? Aurum asked.


    She noticed that there wasn''t any sign of the ce being ravaged by beasts, something that''s quite ironic considering how this mountain was supposed to be teeming with them.


    "No. Weirdly enough, they don''t go to ces that''s not surrounded by the mist," y said.


    On their first night here, everyone was on guard. But as days passed by, they slowly noticed this strange phenomenon. Which probably only added to the advantages of this ce.


    Her brother would surely want to study this mist if she was here and heard that. That''s what Aurum first thought. Argent was simply the type to study anything that awaken even the slightest of her curiosity.


    "Isn''t that Boss?" called by a voice from their left.


    "What, the Boss is back?" followed by another.


    Then four young men who were near the ce they''re at, came running towards them. All of their attention was on y.


    "Boss, was your mission sessful?" one asked.


    "Did you manage to save the elf?" added another.


    "Everyone, calm down. I''ll tell you all about itter," y said, trying to get the people surrounding them to back away a little.


    And then finally, one of the four noticed Aurum and ck''s existence. Well, not really ck, just Aurum.


    "This is?" he said while staring at Aurum in awe.


    Then the other three also turned to Aurum. The girl had long flowing golden hair tied in a high ponytail. Her big amber eyes were surrounded by long golden eyshes. Her lips were pinkish red. And her delicate skin was as white as expensive porcin.


    All of them couldn''t help but just stare. This was the first time they had seen such a beautiful girl. No, it''s more urate to say that she was the most beautiful girl they had ever seen.


    Aurum smiled at the four. "Hello."


    And the four just felt that their hearts had just been hit by an arrow.


    Looking at the four''s bewitched expression, y furrowed his brows. There was a prickling sensation inside his chest. He suddenly thought that these four looked a bit annoying.


    "Boss, who is she?"


    "What''s her name?"


    "Boss, you didn''t kidnap her did you?"


    y felt like a few muscles on his face were starting to tick. "Go back to whatever you''re doing earlier," he almost growled.


    Then he pulled Aurum towards the cabin that he shared with his sister, almost stomping on his way.


    Aurum stared at y''s back and she couldn''t help the tender smile that crossed her lips.

 Chapter 195: formally meeting flora

    Chapter 195: formally meeting flora


    CLAY led Aurum and ck to the wooden cabin nearest the huge tree standing at the peak. On their way, they were stopped by a couple of people. All of them stared at Aurum with admiration in their eyes. Their eyes almost turned into heart shapes. Which only annoyed y even further. Seriously, one would think they hadn''t seen a girl in their lives.


    He quickened his steps. Once he reached the cabin he shared with his sister, he opened the door and pulled Aurum inside. ck followed.


    "Flora!" he called.


    There was a rustling of footsteps. Then the curtain bead that separated the living room from another room  probably the kitchen  was pushed to the side. A pretty girl wearing a simple green dress then walked out. Her long light brown hair was braided at the back, its tips were tinted green. Her dark brown eyes were so simr to that of her brother''s. And after seeing y, those eyes just shone with undeniable joy.


    "Brother!" She ran and threw herself at her brother, hugging him. "Wee back!"


    y smiled gently and patted her sister''s back. "I''m back."


    Aurum looked at this scene. So that''s how he smiled when he''s around his sister? She felt a bit envious. But then again, having a good rtionship with her brother herself, she understood treating your siblings differently than others.


    "Why didn''t you tell me you''reing back today?" Flora asked with a bit ofint in her voice. "Then I would have prepared more food."


    "I really didn''t have time to call," y exined.


    Flora pushed away from him. She was about to say something when she noticed a little boy and a girl standing on both sides of her brother. The boy had ck hair and big ck eyes. He looked to be about ten years old. He was tilting his head to the side and was looking at her with curiosity.


    Wait- wasn''t this the boy who was with those two teenagers who helped them back in Shandra? If she''s not mistaken, the kid''s name was ck. Then the girl-


    She nced at the girl. Although the hair color was the same, she looked totally different from the girl named ''Gold''. That one looked extremely ordinary. But nothing was ordinary about the girl standing before her. Aside from that, she also kind of looked a bit familiar. Like she''d seen her from somewhere.


    "Brother, this is--?"


    "You''ve met her back in Shandra. She used the name ''Gold'' back then," y said.


    Now that he thought about it, those twins really used quite the unoriginal names back then. No, it''s probably more urate to say that Argent was just toozy to think of better names. Aurum was better than him in that aspect. At least the names they used in Victoria City was very well thought out of.


    Flora was more confused than shock. This girl was the same one from Shandra? But how could they look so different? "Did you let someone alter your face to look like this?"


    The corner of Aurum''s mouth pumped. Was this girl saying that she couldn''t possibly have a face like this if she didn''t alter it in some way? If she wasn''t sure that she didn''t feel any malicious intent from Flora, she would definitely be annoyed. And she''s y''s sister, so Aurum had more patience for her.


    She smiled. "No, this is my real face. The one I used in Shandra was a disguise."


    Flora was truly amazed. "You look so good!"


    How could someone be this beautiful? This girl even appeared to be two or three years younger than her. Once she matured more, she would definitely be much more beautiful than now.


    Aurum truly smiled this time. "Thank you."


    y looked at his sister and suddenly wanted to scratch his head a bit. He didn''t know that even Flora, like the others, would be affected by Aurum''s face like this. He turned to Aurum. Well, he must admit that she really was beautiful. But was that really enough to lose your mind over? Rather than her face, Aurum''s personality was much more interesting.


    "If you used a disguise back in Shandra, then does that mean that ''Gold'' is not your real name?" Flora asked.


    "Yes. My real name is Aurum ckbourne."


    Aurum ckbourne? Why did that name sound so familiar? Ah! Wasn''t that the name of the girl with the highest number of followers in [Jiffy]? Although it had only been a little more than five months since she''d been out of the vige, she''s now fully acquainted with this magnificent device called sPhones. She thought they''re the most convenient piece of gadget ever made.


    They''re much easier to usepared to defaro crystals. Not only could you use it formunication, you could also use it for entertainment purposes. During her free time, she would often watch videos or even look at the [Jiffy] ount of those famous people. It''s a good way to pass the time and to gather information.


    One of the ounts she''d been following was Aurum ckbourne''s. Although she seldom posted anything, every time she did, the likes andments would go on millions. Flora should have realized it was her the moment she saw that golden hair and those amber eyes.


    But wait- if this girl, who she thought was named ''Gold'', was actually Aurum ckbourne, then that guy who introduced himself as ''Silver'', could he possibly be--?


    Flora turned to his brother. "Then that ''Silver'', he is?"


    "He''s my brother," Aurum said, answering Flora''s question.


    So Flora was right. That ''Silver'' was actually Argent ckbourne. The genius creator of sPhones and also the owner of Silver Corporation. That alone was enough to garner the admiration of people. And yet he was not just that.


    The duke was a famous NoGift and yet he still managed to defeat that knight who was escorting her and the other girls. It just showed how much perseverance and hard work he put into just to be strong and fight without relying on Mana or Gifts. And from what she saw, she was truly sessful on that ount.


    "I''ll let the two of you speak," Aurum suddenly said before any of them could speak again. "How about I make lunch for all of us? That''s the kitchen, right?"


    Before Flora could say anything, Aurum already walked towards their cabin''s small kitchen. The little kid, ck, was trudging behind her. Wait- was it really alright to let someone like Aurum ckbourne cook lunch for them?


    She was about to walk towards the kitchen as well when her brother stopped her.


    "Let''s talk first," y said. "I have something to discuss with you."


    Looking at her brother''s somewhat serious expression, Flora could only nod.

 Chapter 196: were the best proof that they existed

    Chapter 196: we''re the best proof that they existed


    THE pair of brother and sister sat opposite each other on the living room of their small cabin.


    "Brother, what is it you need to discuss with me?" Flora asked.


    She couldn''t help but look back at the kitchen. If she''s not mistaken, wasn''t Aurum ckbourne a noble? Could a nobledy who grow up with tons of servants to do her bidding actually be able to cook? What if her cooking utensils were destroyed? No, the more important question was, would Flora be able to eat her cooking and say that it''s delicious?


    "Don''t worry, Aurum won''t make a mess in your kitchen," y said, noticing his sister''s train of thought.


    "How do you know? Wait- why are you addressing her so informally?"


    "Is there a reason I couldn''t?" y asked, a bit confused why Flora would even ask that.


    "She''s a noble youngdy. We''re justmoners. How could it be alright to just call her by her name? Won''t she be mad?"


    y stopped. He never really thought of that. Maybe because neither Aurum nor Argent acted like the usual nobles  you know, those who were so high-browed they couldn''t see anything below their nose. They thought that they''re high above than anyone else. Especially the people they considered as moners''. If Flora didn''t remind him, he would totally forget about the twins being nobles.


    But then, so what? He''s not really the type of person who would worry about something like that. He didn''t want to start treating the twins differently just because of that. Argent aside, Aurum would surely p him senseless if even tried.


    "You shouldn''t focus too much on things like that," y said to his sister. "Remember, you''re no longer confined in that vige where you''re constantly told that those in higher position should be respected and obeyed. We''re the same human as them. If we start to think that they''re some sort of higher beings just because of the circumstance of their birth, then wouldn''t that mean that we''re demeaning our own existence?"


    Flora didn''t speak for a moment. Her brother was right. Maybe she had lived in that kind of environment for too long that that kind of mentality was engraved on her without her even realizing it. Just as her brother said, she was already free. She was no longer encased inside that small ce, being constantly watched by those priests.


    "I know, Brother."


    "Good." y smiled and patted Flora''s head gently. "Now, let''s move on to the more important part. You know that I went to Vitalya to save that elf who helped us. In one of its towns, Achea, I meet Aurum and her brother again. I asked them for help when I found out that the elf might be at Victoria City. They agreed. But in exchange, I have to make a deal with them."


    Flora suddenly became nervous. "A deal?"


    y chuckled. "Don''t worry. It''s not something remotely nefarious. In exchange for their help, they only needed one thing. For that one thing, aside from helping saving the elf, Argent is even willing to sponsor our cause."


    "That Argent ckbourne is going to sponsor us?"


    Flora was no longer nervous, instead she was excited. She''d only been out of the vige for a little more than five months, but even she knew how wealthy Argent ckbourne was. If this was true, then they''d be able to help a lot more people oppressed by the Temple of Gaia. Maybe they could even build amunity. That would definitely benefit everyone. Especially the kids.


    "Yes. In exchange for all of those things, Argent wanted to have a look at the pendant our father left us."


    She instinctively touched the pendant hanging on her neck and hidden beneath the dress she''s wearing. "Why?" she asked, a bit confused.


    Because she truly couldn''t understand. The ne their father gave to her brother was just an ordinary ne as far as she knew. Why would Argent ckbourne promise all that to her brother just to have a look at an ordinary ne?


    "I''m not really sure myself. But it probably had something to do with the existing disagreement they have with the Temple." Although, it''s probably more than a disagreement by now, y thought.


    "You mean how the Temple considers the sPhones as sphemous objects?"


    Flora was truly dumbfounded when she found out about that. She couldn''t understand how a device that was actually helpful to people could be considered as sphemous. Were they just afraid that with the help of sPhones, their bad deeds would be easily known to people?


    "No, that''s not even the tip of the iceberg. The Pope kidnapped the twins'' mother to ckmail Argent. And then in retaliation, Argent destroyed the Holy Temple," y said.


    Flora felt like her brain was suddenly bombarded by thousands of information that she couldn''t immediately process. "Wait- the Pope kidnapped their mother, so in revenge, Argent ckbourne blew up the Holy Temple?"


    "That''s about it. You''ll probably learn about that incident regarding the Holy Temple in theing days."


    y was sure of that. Since a part of Argent''s n was to spread the video that was taken during the disappearance of the Holy Temple. Truly, Argent was scary that way. She''s even way scarier than some SS level Gift user out there. Probably the result of having an equally scary brain.


    Flora slumped backward. She suddenly felt like there''s a huge headacheing. Argent ckbourne really destroyed the Holy Temple  the biggest church of the Temple of Gaia. She couldn''t believe that there would be someone who would dare to do that. But she didn''t feel scared. She actually felt a kind of excitement she''d never felt before. Knowing that there''s someone out there willing to fight a huge organization like the Temple head on, it somehow made her happy.


    "But why do the Pope need to ckmail Argent ckbourne?" she suddenly thought of asking.


    "I''m not exactly sure. But it most probably has something to do with why he wanted to have a look at the pendant father left." y remembered how Argent asked him about the lore involving the Elf Queen and his family''s ancestor. Only after hearing that did Argent proposed that deal with him. The pendant was probably connected to whatever source of dispute the Pope had with Argent and his family. "Is it okay for you to let them have a look at the pendant?"


    "Of course!" Flora didn''t hesitate to answer. Compared to the benefits they would receive, letting them borrow the ne for a while was not that big of a deal. Besides, she was sure that their parents wouldn''t mind.


    y breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."


    "What are you thanking me for? This pendant was left to you by Father. So, there''s really no need for you to ask for my permission."


    "Of course I have to ask. The ne is not something that is mine alone. It belonged to our Father." A touch of sadness shed in y''s dark brown eyes. "It''s the only thing we have to remember him and our mother by. It''s the only proof that they had been part of this world."


    Then he suddenly felt someone stretching his cheek. He looked up and saw her sister who was now standing before him. "What are you saying? Isn''t us being here together the best proof that they existed?"


    y was stupefied for a second and then he couldn''t help theugh that erupted from him. "You''re right."


    Flora acted indignant. "Of course I am." She stood upright. "Then I''ll go and help Lady Aurum."


    y didn''t have time to say anything because Flora already walked towards the kitchen area. He could only shake his head and smile.


    Flora walked to the kitchen and saw that Aurum was already putting vegetables on a pot and stirring it while humming a lively tune. She temporarily stopped in her track. She looked at the ingredients neatly cut and arranged on the table. It seemed like her worry was totally unnecessary. Because from the looks of it, Aurum definitely knew how to cook.


    "Hey, ck, I told you to stop eating those ingredients! They''ll be gone before I even finish cooking," Aurum said to the ck haired kid who just ate a slice of tomato.


    "But ck is hungry!"


    "Then choose, continue eating those raw ingredients and not eat what I cooked or wait and eat a delicious a lunchter?"


    ck pouted. "Fine, ck will wait."


    Flora almostughed because of the interaction of the two. "Lady Aurum, do you need help?" she asked.


    Aurum turned around and then smiled at Flora. "Then could you help me stir-fry those vegetables?"


    Flora smiled back. "Okay!"

 Chapter 197: an unexpected bright green light

    Chapter 197: an unexpected bright green light


    "MASTER, I''ve turned off the defense on one part of the ind. We could now enter andnd," White said.


    Zhang Lei Feng nced outside the window of the flying shuttle. There was nothing there a moment ago. But then he saw an opening in the air and glimpsed some trees inside. Which meant that, just like this flying shuttle, there was stealth technology covering whatever it was in front of them. In this case, an ind most probably.


    The shuttle then slowly descended and entered the said opening. From above, you could see a rather big facility. It was not big in terms of height. There was only one story but it covered a wide area. The shuttlended on an open hangar that was part of the building.


    Seeing this, Lei Feng almost thought he was back in their original world. How impressive. Argent was able to build something like this in a world where technology like this wasn''t supposed to exist. An almost imperceptible smile appeared on his lips. Truly, only a genius like her could do something like this.


    Argent turned to her mother. "Mother, we''re here," she said and supported her mother to stand up. She was almost as tall as her mother so it wasn''t that much of a problem.


    She helped her mother sit on a floating chair that was already prepared on the side. It was something that she made a month ago before they depart for Victoria City. Because she knew that the possibility of her mother being unable to temporarily walk was high.


    "Sorry about this, Argent," her mother said apologetically.


    "There''s no need to apologize, Mother. None of this is your fault," Argent said, pushing the chair out of the shuttle.


    Anthea smiled bitterly. No, she definitely had some fault. If she just carefully considered the situation, she might have nned some counter-measure. But no, she was too preupied by the thought of finding her husband that she almost neglected the safety of her daughters. If they were not as capable as they were, things would probably not end like this. With all of them safe.


    [Dorian, I''m starting to doubt if finding you is even worth all these.]


    Then the bitter smile on her lips turned into a sad one. Because Anthea knew that even if she thought that, she would still look for him. No matter how much time passed, her love for him still remained strong. But no matter how strong that love was, even she was slowly getting tired from it. Which was something she should never let herself feel. Because once she did, then that strong love would only turn into hate and resentment.


    Once Argent pushed the chair out of the shuttle, she looked back at White who already walked out of the shuttle alongside Lei Feng and the elf. "White, take Lei Feng and Janea to Master''s vi so they could rest."


    There were only three vis on the ind. One that belonged to her and her sister, the other belonged to Felicia, and thest one belonged to her master. She couldn''t possibly let these two guys rest in Felicia''s vi. Of course, hers and Aurum''s was definitely out of the question. So the only one left was her master''s.


    Argent was sure her master wouldn''t mind. Especially since he wasn''t even on the ind right now. Ah, that''s right, she still had to contact his master regarding that Apostle she met at Victoria City. The one who knew her master and seemed to be also from Kano.


    He immediately recognized her Sui-Ryu style. Which meant he''s quite familiar with it. This might be a big trouble for his master if she didn''t warn him. Especially now that he''s in Xing. A country that was pretty close to Kano.


    "I''m not tired," Lei Feng said. "You and your mother haven''t had lunch yet and it''s already one in the afternoon. So, I''d rather make lunch for everyone than rest."


    Now that Lei Feng mentioned it, Argent did feel hungry. Her mother was probably hungry too. She should have been more thoughtful. Especially because of her mother''s current weak state. But right now, no one in the ind knew how to cook. Her sister went off with that y. White was not programmed to do something so mundane. Felicia was not here but in Xing. So, the only choice was Lei Feng.


    If she cared about etiquette and such boring stuffs, she''d probably feel embarrassed for letting her guest cook food for her. But since she didn''t care about those things, she had no qualms letting Lei Feng cook for them. And besides, Lei Feng''s cooking was good. She''d rather eat his cooking than heat some frozen food.


    "Okay. Then follow me," she said. Then she turned to the elf. "How about you?"


    "I- I want to rest, please," Janea said.


    He hadn''t had a decent sleep since he left that small vige where an orphanage owned by the Temple of Gaia was. After that, he was taken to Victoria City and then put in an underground dungeon. Who could actually sleep peacefully in that kind of surrounding? But somehow, he felt that he could sleep here without worrying that these people would do something to him.


    "White, bring Janea to Master''s vi. Also, give him a clean change of clothes."


    "Yes, Master," White answered.


    While White led Janea to Hattori''s vi, Argent pushed the chair where her mother was sitting. Lei Feng followed beside them.


    Anthea nced at the stoic young man standing on the side. She would have never thought that such a serious looking young man would know how to cook. Then she noticed something unexpected. The young man named Lei Feng was looking at her eldest with such gentle eyes. Truly contrary to his strong momentum.


    Her eyes widened a bit when she realized something. Could this young man be?


    ----------


    After eating their lunch, Aurum, ck, y, and Flora were all sitting in the small living room of the wooden cabin. y had already told Aurum about the gist of his conversation with his sister. Aurum was truly d that Flora agreed.


    "Thank you for agreeing," Aurum said to Flora.


    "No. I should be the one saying thank you. This deal will really be a big help to us," Flora answered.


    Aurum then remembered her brother''s message. "If it''s alright, could I see the pendant now? I''ll just take some pictures and then give it back to you."


    "Okay." Flora then immediately took off the ne she was wearing.


    The chain of the ne was just a simple silver. But the pendant hanging on it was truly extraordinary. It was shaped like a leaf. Its color was a very rich green. The green was swirling and moving as if it was alive. Aurum was immediately attracted by it.


    She carefully reached for it when Flora handed it to her. She held it in her hand. She was nning to touch it when she noticed that the small cut on her finger that she got earlier while cooking opened. Before she could put it away, a drop of blood already fell on the pendant. And then, an unexpected thing happened.


    The pendant suddenly emitted a bright green light!

 Chapter 198: because youre special

    Chapter 198: because you''re special


    AFTER eating lunch, Argent helped her mother to bathe and then convinced her to take a rest. Although she''d been sleeping for quite a long time, that wouldn''t really be considered as ''rest''. In her mother''s case, it would probably be considered more as torture.


    Argent thought it would take a lot more convincing before her mother agreed. But to her surprise, after letting her lie on the bed, her mother immediately fell asleep. It just showed how mentally exhausted she was. After making sure that her mother was truly asleep, she temporarily sat on one of the couches on the living room.


    She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. It looked like she was also a bit tired herself. Not surprising, considering how stressful the past few days had been. No, it was probably more urate to say that it had been a stressful number of months. Now that she thought about it, it''s kind of a wonder how she managed to keep her cool and think of a viable n despite everything.


    Although she had to admit, when she met the Pope faced to faced, she definitely lost that cool. That was probably the first time since she arrived in this world that she cussed the most number of times. She hated that she was affected by him, by his words, or even by his mere presence. Because it was like she was giving him some sort of importance. Something that he didn''t deserve at all.


    "You should rest," said Lei Feng''s voice.


    Argent raised her head and saw Lei Fenging out of the kitchen area. He probably just finished cleaning up the dishes. He still looked as serious as ever. But she could see the worry in those obsidian ck eyes. Somehow, knowing that he cared brought unprecedented warmth to her. What a weird feeling.


    "It''s fine," she said. "Anyway, Lei Feng, is it really alright for you to be here?"


    Lei Feng walked towards her and sat on the opposite couch. "I told you, I''m on vacation."


    Argent stared at him and then sighed because she knew she wouldn''t get a proper answer. "At least tell me if you''re going to get into trouble with the Emperor because of this."


    "I won''t. I''ve been a soldier since the age of 13. It has been seven years and I''ve never taken a long vacation since. I already defeated the barbarians from the Northern border of Xing. There wouldn''t be a problem even if I leave my post for months. His Majesty knows that, that''s why he approved of my vacation."


    Argent stared at Lei Feng and observed his expression. She couldn''t find anything wrong with it, so he just assumed that he was telling the truth. Well, at least part of the truth. "If that''s the case, then good. So, how long are you nning to stay?"


    "Until you gather the remaining two artifacts," Lei Feng answered. He saw Argent frowning, apparently not agreeing with what he just said. So before she could disagree with himpletely, he spoke first, "Don''t reject my proposal so quickly. I know there''s no reason for you to ept. But there''s no reason for you to reject it either. In fact, it could only be advantageous to you."


    Argent raised one of her brows. "Oh? In what way?"


    "You''ll have someone you could order around. You don''t even need to give that someone a sry."


    Lei Feng said it with such a straight face that Argent almostughed. "So, are you applying to be my servant and you''re even nning to do it for free?"


    "Something like that."


    Argent finally couldn''t help but chuckle. This guy, admitting something like that without even an ounce of qualms. Some might think that he might have already lost his pride as a man for saying such things. But for Argent, it''s just evidence of how much Lei Feng wanted to help her. And it certainly didn''t make him much less of a man.


    "Why do you insist on wanting to help me?" she asked, because even she wasn''t sure of what his answer was going to be. "You do know that the Pope and his Apostles are now my enemies. Following me on this quest would only equate to danger. But despite that, are you still willing?"


    "I am," Lei Feng said without hesitation. "Because you''re my friend."


    "So, you''re saying you''re willing to be in danger for your friends?" Argent asked with a bit of teasing in her tone.


    "I don''t have that many friends. But I wouldn''t do this kind of thing for all of them."


    Argent tilted her head in curiosity. "Then--?"


    Lei Feng looked at her straight in the eyes. "Because you''re special." Then he stood up. "I''ll go and walk around the ind for a bit. Try to get some rest," he suddenly said.


    And then he walked out of the vi like someone was chasing him. But not before Argent saw the suspicious blush on the tips of his ears.


    Argent was left a bit dumbfounded. What was that just now?


    Before she could think more, she felt a vibration from her light brain. A unique vibration for a video call. She clicked her light brain and opened it.


    On the screen, her sister''s beautiful face appeared. And right now, that face was filled with worry and uncertainty. She knew her sister enough to guess that Aurum was probably having a problem on how she would exin something to her. Her guess was confirmed by her sister''s next words.


    "Brother, something happened. It''s hard to exin it over video call. But I will exin it all properly once I returned to the ind."


    Argent stared at her sister. Seeing her expression, she knew that she wouldn''t get a proper exnation right now. Aurum probably only called her so she could calm herself. Whatever happened must have shocked her to a certain degree.


    "I understand. Are you flying back now?"


    "Yes. I''ll be there before the sun sets."


    Then they ended the call. Argent wondered what could have happened to have her sister so shaken.

 Chapter 199: to stand by her side

    Chapter 199: to stand by her side


    ARGENT''S desire to rest was temporarily put on hold because of that call she received from her sister. She couldn''t help but wonder what could have happened for Aurum to show such a troubled expression. Since it obviously happened while she was with y, so it most probably had something to do with the ce they went to. Or maybe even the guy himself.


    Could it be, that guy finally took action and decided to act on his dark thoughts? She shook her head. What was she thinking? Even if y''s thoughts towards her sister was not so innocent, Argent never really believed that he was capable of acting on it. He wasn''t stupid enough to do something that could be detrimental to their existing partnership. Besides, if he did do something, Aurum wouldn''t look anxious when she called her. She would look pissed instead and give her the bad news that she identally killed y.


    So, what was it?


    Argent fell into a deep thought. Now that she eliminated y, another answer easily came into mind. The pendant! But if it was, what could have possibly happened that had her sister shaken?


    She wouldn''t really know the answer until Aurum went back. So while she''s waiting, she might as well do some work. Because she knew there was no way she could rest when her brain was so active like this.


    She stood up and walked out of the vi. Then went straight to the very center where the main control room was located. She saw White already attached to the main system. She''s probably checking the system since it she had been out of the ind for a couple of days. Very efficient.


    Argent wished that ck could also be as responsible as White. She truly wondered how ck developed the kind of personality he had now. Though honestly, even if ck behaved like an ADHD child most of the time, she still preferred him that way. If he changed, then he was no longer ck.


    She didn''t disturb White and just sat in front of the three bigputer screens. Before doing what she went there to do, Argent contacted her master. A momentter, the face of a man with long ck hair tied in a ponytail appeared on the screen on the middle.


    "Argent? Why did you call?" Hattori asked, curious as to why his apprentice suddenly called.


    Argent stared at her master. She resisted the urge to rub her eyes just to make sure that what he''s seeing was right. Because her usual sloppy looking master was now looking very, well, neat. A thing that she hadn''t seen in the more than seven years since she met him. His usual stubbles were now shaved. He was wearing ck shirt instead of kimono. This made him looked a lot younger, as if he was only in his early twenties. She never imagined that her master could actually clean up nicely.


    It''s been a month since he and Felicia left for Xing. What could have happened in between that could make her master clean up like this?


    "Wow, Master, who would have thought that you''re actually this handsome?" she teased.


    "Hey, kid, don''t tease me," Hattori said, trying to sound reproachful.


    He pulled the neckline of his shirt. He still felt ufortable wearing Western clothes like this. But what choice did he have? When he apanied Felicia to the mainpany of Silver Corporation in Amexem, he had been mistaken as some weird uncle by the people working there. What, uncle. He wasn''t even that old! Granted, he''s older than Felicia. But not to the point that he should be mistaken as some old weird uncle.


    Because of his extraordinary hearing, he could perfectly hear what those people were saying. Like how he''s someone who looked like a homeless person who didn''t deserve to walk together with their Madonna. Yes, those were their words. Apparently, Felicia was quite famous in thepany. It both infuriated and annoyed the hell out of him.


    Hattori never cared about how he looked to people. But hearing others say that he didn''t deserve to stand beside Felicia was simply uneptable. How could it not be? When people were literally saying that the two of them didn''t match. Or rather, that he didn''t deserve her.


    Felicia nevermented on how he looked or the way he presented himself. Maybe she just didn''t care. Because his outward appearance was not the thing that attracted her to him. That sounded a bit egotistical, but it was the truth. It''s actually one of the reasons why he fell for her. Because she saw him. The real him.


    So, he cleaned himself up,bed his hair and dressed in a neat way. He''d been doing that for the whole duration of their trip to Xing. It was ufortable, yes. But it was a small amount to pay so he wouldn''t hear anyone say that he shouldn''t stand beside his girl.


    Argent only chuckled. "Have you and Felicia already arrived in Xing?"


    "Just a little more than a week ago. Felicia is currently preparing to meet with that prince. What was his name? Ah, Li Jun. He''s the one in charge of the project on the Xing''s side."


    Li Jun was the one in charged? Remembering the yful prince with the penchant for the color red, she was somehow not that surprised to hear that. "You didn''t have any problems getting there?"


    "No. The trip was smooth," Hattori said.


    It was probably because the ship they traveled in was owned by Silver Corporation. So even their travel time was cut short. That was probably the fastest ship he''d been in. He had no doubt that his apprentice was the one who designed it. Maybe he even made it himself.


    "The people there in Xing not giving you any trouble?" Argent asked, remembering the problems those royals brought to her sister.


    "I don''t think they dare. The Emperor put a lot of importance to this project. Apparently, he very nicely told the Empress not to mess with us or he would strip the crown prince of his title. Well, that was only all ording to Li Jun."


    That was definitely something that Emperor would do.


    "Do you want to talk to Felicia?" Hattori asked.


    Argent shook her head. "No need. I actually called because I have something to tell Master."


    "What is it?" Hattori said, full of interest.


    "I met someone in Victoria City. We kind of fought and he recognized the sword style I used. He even mentioned your name. Since he knew who I am, if he searched very carefully, it wouldn''t be long before he discovers your whereabouts. Most of all, I believe he''s also from Kano and might be connected to Master''s past. Considering how close you are right now to Kano, I just want to ask Master to be careful," Argent exined.


    Hattori fell into silence after he heard what Argent said. He seemed to be thinking about something. "What were you doing fighting someone in Victoria City?"


    Argent raised one of her brows. "Really, Master, out of all the things I said, that''s what you focused on?"


    Hattori only shrugged. "What did this man look like?"


    "He was wearing a fox mask covering the upper half of his face. But his Gift, any object he flung andnded on anything solid would explode. Does it sound familiar?"


    Hattori''s brows furrowed. "No."


    "You should be careful, Master. Aside from this guy being a bit crazy, he''s also a member of a group called Apostles. They are people who works directly for the Pope."


    Hattori looked at his apprentice. "Just what kind of trouble did you exactly get yourself into?"


    "It''s a long story. Just be careful, okay, Master?"


    "Don''t worry, I can handle whatever is thrown at me," Hattori assured Argent.


    Although he also began to worry because Felicia was with him. It didn''t matter if it was only him. But now, he had someone to protect. Maybe he needed to do some disguise just in case.


    After a while, the two finished their talk. Then Argent proceeded on editing the video that was taken yesterday  during that whole mess at the za of Victoria City while the Festival of Creation was being celebrated.

 Chapter 200: a certain dream (nightmare)

    Chapter 200: a certain dream (nightmare)


    IT was dark and the surrounding was filled with nothing but silence. A little girl who looked like she was four or five years old was walking along a corridor. The only light that was guiding her wasing from the tall windows where silvery moon beams struck.


    One could clearly see the fear and anxiety on the girl''s lovely little face. She was clutching her nightdress so tightly, showing just how nervous she was. She continued to walk, looking from left and right, even though she barely couldn''t see anything from this darkness. As if she was frantically searching for something. Or rather, someone.


    Then she heard a cry, a voice filled with suffering. Repeatedly asking for forgiveness.


    She followed the voice. Every step she took felt like she was stepping on nails. Her heart beating faster and faster as she got closer to the voice. An unknown sense of dread slowly enveloping her. But despite that, she still continued to walk. Until she ended up in front of a door.


    The tall door was like a looming shadow over the girl''s small body. She could hear voicesing from inside.


    "P-please please l-let me go" a woman''s voice cried and pleaded.


    "Let you go? Never! You are mine, An-------! Mine! You hear me?" shouted by a man''s voice, full of obsession and insanity.


    With trembling hands, the girl turned the knob and slowly pushed open the door. What she saw was something her young mind couldn''t process. All she knew was that the woman was asking for help.


    "Mama?"


    The woman turned, her silver eyes were filled with tears. But when she saw the girl, those silver eyes werepletely horrified. "R-run"


    Then the monster turned.


    And smiled.


    =====


    Argent was startled awake. Cold sweat was dripping behind her back. She could even feel her heart beating at a very fast speed. As if she ran a marathon. She took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose.


    What was that?


    It felt like she dreamt of something. No, not a dream. But a nightmare. Even though she couldn''t remember what it was, the fear she''s feeling right now was evidence enough. This kind of fear, she only felt it once since she came into this world. That time when she underwent the dragon king''s trial.


    She still couldn''t remember what happened during that trial. But the fear she felt after was still vividly fresh in her mind. Just why she knew that the fear she''s feeling right now was the same fear she felt then.


    There''s only one reason she could think of why she couldn''t remember. Because the source of this fear was connected to the memories she had forgotten. Of course, she was talking about the life she had as Xia Yin  the genius inventor from Country C.


    As far as she was concerned, her memories began at the age of five. Everything before that was just a nk te.


    She was raised in ab and was taught by scientists. When other girls her age were ying with dolls, she was tinkering with robots and already making her first invention. The government gave her all the resources she needed. But in turn, all her inventions would be given to them. She grew up in an invisible cage and the government was her warden. It wasn''t until she reached her twenties that she managed to regain her freedom.


    Growing up, every time she tried to fill in those nk spots in her memories, she would have a splitting headache. So as time went by, she never tried again. Maybe because she knew subconsciously that remembering would only hurt her. That''s why it was so easy for her to just give up. She was living just fine without those memories. So why would she waste time on remembering when she could spend it on a much useful endeavor?


    Even when she crossed into this world, that forgotten past never crossed her mind. That was until the trial of the dragon king. But it had been more than a month since then. Why did she suddenly have that nightmare now?


    Argent opened her eyes and looked at the time stamp on the screen in front of her. It was already past five in the afternoon. She didn''t even notice that she fell asleep. Was she actually that exhausted? Could it be the reason why she suddenly had that nightmare? She was so tired that her brain''s defense subconsciously lowered so she experienced that nightmare?


    This was a sign that she should take ample rest from time to time. Honestly, she didn''t want to feel that kind of fear again. Especially since she had no idea what''s the exact source of the fear was.


    Argent was about to stand when she saw a notification on the screen of one of the monitors suddenly popping out. The signal came from the flying car she lent to ck. It was asking permission tond.


    They''re finally back  Aurum and ck.


    She raised her head and saw that White was still attached to the main system. She didn''t bother her and approved the request fornding. After doing that, he walked out and went straight to the open hangar.


    When she arrived, she was slightly surprised when she saw Lei Feng. He justnded on the hangar. It seemed like he flew here.


    "Sorry, I just saw the flying vehicle and thought that you''d be here," he apologized when he noticed her arrival. "I''m not really sure if I could enter the building, so I just flew here."


    "It''s okay, no harm done," Argent said.


    Lei Feng was about to say something when he noticed Argent''s pale face. He could even see the strain between her eyebrows. "Are you alright?" he asked.


    Argent looked up and saw the clear worry in Lei Feng''s obsidian ck eyes. "I''m fine. Justck of sleep."


    "You didn''t rest?"


    "I took a nap, if that''s what you mean," she said, then jokingly punched his arm. "Don''t act so serious. I told you, I''m fine."


    Lei Feng wanted to say something more when he saw that the flying car was slowlynding on the hangar. When it did, Aurum rushed out followed by ck.


    "Brother--!"


    Aurum was about to hug her brother when she noticed the tall, serious looking man standing beside Argent. She slowed down her steps and couldn''t help but frown. She almost forgot that this guy came with her brother to this ind.


    "Master!" ck shouted and immediately attached himself to Argent''s side. "ck miss you so much!"


    Argent helplessly smiled. "What miss? It''s only been hours since youst saw me."


    "But ck still miss Master," ck pouted.


    Lei Feng stared at the boy. Even until now, he still felt a headache seeing the kid act all spoiled. So he just looked at another direction to avoid having a headache again.


    "Go and apany White," Argent just said.


    "Okay!" ck happily skipped towards theb.


    "Brother, I have something to say," Aurum suddenly said, then she gave Lei Feng a look, silently telling him to go and scram.


    Lei Feng, of course, got the message. So he said, "I''ll go and cook dinner. Food taste best when their hot. So try to head back quickly to the vi once you''re done with your talk."


    "Okay. Could you go and bring Janea on your way to the vi? He must be hungry by now."


    Lei Feng nodded and flew out of the hangar.


    Aurum stared at this interaction and couldn''t help but think of how domestic it was. Like the two was a pair of old couple or something. She shook her head. Just where did that thoughte from?


    Argent turned to her sister. "What happened when you went with y that made you sound so anxious when you called me?" she asked, not going around in circle.


    "It''s the pendant that y''s father left with him," Aurum answered, also not beating around the bush. "I identally dropped my blood on it."


    "Your blood? Did you get hurt?" Argent immediately asked worriedly.


    "I''m fine. I just pricked my finger a little. Anyway, that''s not the point. When my blood dropped on the pendant, it glowed. Like brilliant green glow. Then an image appeared after the green light slowly subsided."


    "What image?" Argent asked, already curious.


    "A map."

 Chapter 201: what is the child of all?

    Chapter 201: what is the ''child of all''?


    "A MAP?" Argent repeated.


    "Yes. The image was a bit blurry and it onlysted for about five seconds, but I''m sure it was a map," Aurum confirmed.


    An image of a map that appeared after Aurum''s blood came into contact with the pendant. Now, why did it sound so familiar? Because that''s almost like what happened when Argent tried to enter the dragon king''s temple.


    "That map will probably lead us to the location of one of the remaining two artifacts."


    Aurum frowned a bit. "How can Brother be so sure?" she asked, because the way Argent said it, it''s like she had no doubt that the map would definitely lead them to the location of either of the two artifacts.


    "Remember what I told you about how I was able to enter the temple of the dragon king? I simply put my hand on the door and it opened for me. And that door wouldn''t just open for anyone. I think the same principle could be applied to the pendant. Because it''s your blood that came in contact with it, that''s why the image of that map appeared," Argent exined.


    Aurum slowly digested what her brother said and immediately understood the meaning behind it. "The ''child of all''. Is it rted to that?"


    "That''s the most probable exnation."


    "But what exactly is this ''child of all''?" asked Aurum, confused and unsure.


    Ever since she heard the story about how her brother got the sword, she''d been worried. Of course, she couldn''t show it on the surface. Their mother was still kidnapped. They still had to formte a n to save her. Worrying about that ''child of all'' stuff was at the very back of Aurum''s mind. But now that almost everything was settled, her worries and fear just resurfaced once more.


    "Well, if I would take a wild guess, it probably pertains to you, me, and our still missing father," Argent said a bit carelessly.


    She already had her guess the moment she managed to get the dragon king''s sword. After all, ording to the legend, only the ''child of all'' could find the three ancient artifacts. And then, there was also the fact that their father also managed to do the same feat. Now, there was this deal with a pendant, that was very likely connected to one of the two remaining artifacts, reacting with Aurum''s blood.


    The ''child of all'' didn''t only pertain to her. But to the ckbourne''s. Or at least the direct line of the family. At the end, everything could be traced back to the family''s genealogical history. Argent had a very strong guess that the ckbournes were not just a normal duke household in Albion. There was something more. Something that had to with their lineage.


    "You mean, this ''child of all'' pertains to us?" Aurum said, a bit incredulously.


    "Quite probably, yes."


    "What does this term ''child of all'' even means?"


    Aurum felt a headache alreadying. She was having a hard time understanding what her brother wanted to say. So she just stopped thinking altogether. Although she didn''t mind using her brain when she needed to, it''s impossible to be an idiot when your brother was Argent ckbourne, she still preferred giving the job of ''thinking'' and ''analyzing'' to her brother.


    "My guess? It means someone who has all the blood of the four races  dragon, elf, beastkin, human. Hence, the term ''child of all''," Argent said indifferently, as if what she just said wasn''t something that could destroy one''s world view.


    "Y-you mean m-me, you, w-we have the blood of dragons, elves, and beastkins flowing in our veins?" Aurum almost stuttered saying that loudly. She couldn''t even believe that she said those words herself.


    "Most probably, yes."


    But they wouldn''t really know the truth of it unless they talked to someone privy to the whole business of the ckbourne family. Argent doubted if their mother knew about the truth of ckbourne''s lineage. Because if she did, then she would have long known about the legend involving the ''child of all'' and that their father was searching for the three ancient artifacts. Then she would probably have found clues about his whereabouts long ago. But because she didn''t, they still don''t know where that guy was now. Or if he was even alive.


    Seriously, the more Argent thought about it, the more dissatisfied she became of this missing ''father''. If not for wanting to know the truth, she would have probably already suggested to their mother to just forget about the guy. They managed to live for almost 15 years, well, almost eight years in Argent''s case, without him, would it really make a difference if he suddenly appeared now?


    But of course she couldn''t do that. Because for some reason, their mother still loved that guy. Romantic love was truly a pain in the ass.


    Aurum still couldn''t believe the meaning of ''child of all'' her brother said, especially since that meaning was rted to them. She subconsciously looked at her hands, could the blood of those three races really be inside them?


    "B-but how?" she couldn''t help but asked.


    Argent shrugged. "Maybe our great grandfather knocked up some dragon-elf-beastkin hybrid or something."


    "Brother, be serious!" Aurum scolded, her voice had a bit of frustration in the them.


    "But that''s truly the best thing I coulde up right now, considering the limited information we have."


    Argent could probably do a PCR test to check whether the two of them do have the genes of those other three races. Because, surely, there''s a difference between the gene sequence of a normal human to those with a mixed lineage. But she hadn''t had time to build a PCR machine. And she also needed the genes of someone who had a mixed lineage. Forparison. So she could know which gene sequence belonged to which race. Or at least one of the races. She had to know the exact difference. So the margin of error would be lessened. But now, she had someone like that.


    The half-elf  Janea.


    She should put that on her ''things-to-do'' list while they were still in this ind.


    "But if that''s really the case, then shouldn''t we be, I don''t know, more powerful?" Aurum said.


    Argent raised one of her brows at her sister. "You don''t think you''re powerful enough?"


    "Brother--! I mean, yeah, I''m powerful. But that''s just normal powerful. It''s not ''I have the blood of three other races in me'' powerful. Besides, you"


    "Besides, I''m a NoGift," Argent said, finishing what Aurum was supposed to say.


    Aurum looked a bit guilty. "But you''re still very powerful, Brother. Just in a different sense."


    Argent chuckled. "I know."


    But her sister did have a point. It''s also one of the things that had been bothering her. If her theory was correct, then howe the original body ended up as a NoGift? And then, there''s the fact that when her soul took over, the body''s constitution changed.


    "Let''s just wait until we talk to Mother again before we make more theories," she added.


    Aurum nodded in agreement.

 Chapter 202: antheas account

    Chapter 202: anthea''s ount


    "YOUR cooking skill is really admirable, Lei Feng," Antheaplimented the stoic young man sitting beside her eldest daughter.


    "Thank you, Your Grace," Lei Feng said humbly.


    "Yes! ck also like the dishes made by Feng," ck said while stuffing his mouth with another dumpling. "ck thinks it''s even better than Aurum''s cooking."


    Aurum knocked on the back of ck''s head. "You brat. See if I let you eat my sweets again."


    "It''s okay. ck will just ask Master to give him one," ck said with no guilty conscience.


    "You"


    Anthea chuckled seeing the interaction between the two. Even Argent showed a small smile. Lei Feng looked serious as usual but there was a bit of exasperation in his gaze, as if he''s embarrassed by ck''s antics. The only ones who didn''t have much reaction were White and the elf  Janea.


    "If you continue feeding us with these delicious Xing cuisines, I might be tempted to keep you here," Anthea said to Lei Feng again before suddenly turning to Argent. "Don''t you agree, Argent?"


    Argent who was suddenly named nced at Lei Feng. Because she was sitting beside him, she immediately noticed his reddish ear tip. This guy was probably being shy again because of what her mother said.


    So she turned to her mother and said, "Mother, don''t tease him." Then she nced back at Lei Feng. "But the food you cook is really delicious. As always."


    "As always?" asked the Duchess, obviously intrigued.


    "He''s with me when I was searching for the dragon king''s sword in Xing. He took care of our meals," Argent simply said.


    "So, not only is Lei Feng an amazing cook, he''s also a very thoughtful young man," Anthea continued topliment. "Thank you, for helping my dau- I mean, son while he was in Xing."


    "No, Your Grace. I didn''t do anything. Everything was because of Argent''s quick thinking and excellent abilities," Lei Feng said seriously.


    Anthea stared at the young man''s expression, she could tell that he really meant what he just said. But what''s more interesting to her was that he didn''t even bat an eye to her purposely almost saying the word ''daughter''. Her gaze looking at Lei Feng became even deeper.


    "Don''t be too modest. My journey in Xing went smoothly because you were there," Argent said.


    Lei Feng only gazed down. But if one would closely, they would see the happiness that sprouted in his obsidian ck eyes.


    Aurum looked at her mother suspiciously. Why was she being so warm and amodating to this stone faced general? Even dragging her brother to the conversation every possible chance she got. It''s like she was pimping Argent to the general. Wait- that couldn''t possibly be the reason, right?


    After dinner, Lei Feng and Janea went back to Hattori''s vi while ck apanied White back to theb. The only ones left were thedies of the ckbourne family.


    The three were sitting in the vi''s living room. Somehow, the atmosphere was a bit tense and stiff. As if all three were waiting for a time bomb to explode.


    At the end, it was Anthea who broke the silence. "I believe you two have a lot of questions for me?"


    "Mother, that would be the understatement of the year," Aurum said.


    "First, Mother, before we lost contact with you, you said that you found a clue about Father''s whereabouts. Can you tell us what it was that you found?" Argent said.


    Anthea looked at her twin daughters and then let out a deep breath. "A certain phenomenon happened on the same year your father disappeared. A huge pir of light that reached the sky appeared near the sea of the locked Mythos Continent. The pir was so big that almost everyone from the five continents could see it. In mystmunication with your father, he told me that they were sailing near that very ocean." And he also told her that after that voyage, everything would be alright. That they and their soon-to-be-born child would no longer have nothing to fear. A statement that even until now, she couldn''t truly understand. Until she read that letter. "There''s a high possibility that his disappearance had something to do with that pir of light and most likely the Mythos continent."


    So that''s why their mother was so confident that their father was still alive, Argent thought. It''s one of the things that had been bothering her ever since she knew about their father''s so-called disappearance.


    "I worked on that assumption. So I told the people I hired to search for your father that they should look into the whereabouts of the three ancient artifacts. Because those were the only undiscovered treasures connected to the Mythos continent. But for more than seven years, nothing helpful came up with their search," Anthea continued. Maybe because none of those people really did their very best in searching for the three artifacts. "And as you already know, seven years ago, I decided to lead the search myself."


    It was hard, she couldn''t even find any significant lead during the first year of her search. Of course, she couldn''t just spend all her days each year searching. She had toe back to her daughters, spend time with them, teach them, care for them, give them the love that they should have. So, in those seven years, she spent going back and forth between searching for her husband and then spending time with her daughters.


    The only clues Anthea could find regarding the three ancient artifacts were those myths and legends surrounding them. So like drowning person, she desperately clung to those stories. But most of them were just that, stories. There''s probably only a handful that could really be considered credible. Well, as credible as it could be. Some led her to some useful information but nothing really concrete.


    That was until five months ago.


    "You know that before I was taken by those you called ''Apostles'', I was at the Northern continent. Specifically, at a small vige located at the country of Sarmatia. There was a legend there about the Elven Queen who gave her ring to a kind viger for saving her favorite fawn."


    Argent and Aurum looked at each other at the same time when they heard that. Because that was eerily simr to the story y told them about his family''s ancestor. But they didn''t voice that out and just let their mother continue with her story.


    "There, I found traces of your father."


    "Traces?" Aurum asked. "As in proof that he''d been there?"


    Anthea nodded. "The moment I stepped into that vige, I felt a weird pull. It led me to the center of the forest, towards the tallest tree. There was a voice inside my head that I had to dig something buried near the said tree. I followed my instinct and did as the voice told me. I found a very simple and small carved wood box. I was certain that it was a magical tool. Something that would only react once I was near its vicinity. Most likely, it was left by Dorian for me. Hoping that I could find it one day." She looked up and stared at her two daughters. "Inside the box was a letter."


    Argent frowned a bit. A letter?

 Chapter 203: dorians letter

    Chapter 203: dorian''s letter


    "DO you still have the letter, Mother?" asked Aurum.


    That''s also what Argent wanted to know. Considering how their mother was kidnapped just right after, if she put the letter in her space ring and considering how she didn''t have that ring on her finger right now, then the possibility of it being taken by one of those Apostles was very high. If that letter had important information, especially about their family, and Lucern Faust got his hands on it, then he might use it as some kind of ckmailing material. That''s just something that bastard would do.


    "I still have it with me."


    Both twins seemed surprised by Anthea''s answer. They were obviously expecting the opposite.


    Anthea chuckled when she saw the expression of the two. "You two, do you have such little faith in your mother?"


    "No, Mother, it''s not that. We just have confidence on the Pope and his minions'' insidiousness," Aurum said, probably trying to console their mother in her own way.


    "Does Mother have another space ring with her that the Apostles didn''t manage to find?" Argent asked instead, because that''s the most usible reason why.


    "Almost." Anthea started to unbutton the blouse she''s wearing. When it reached her chest, she stopped and then pulled it to the side. Just above the left side of her chest was a tattoo of the sun. "This mark is the symbol of the tribe where I came from. All the children born in that tribe would be given this mark by the tribal chief. It''s kind of like a tradition. There''s a magical tool that''s being passed to the tribal chief from generation to generation. This magical tool was the one being used to engrave this sign to children of the tribe. It''s not just a simple symbol that could separate us from other tribes and people from other countries. It also gave the tribe members a small space that only they could ess. This symbol on my body is my own small space. Only I could ess it."


    Both Argent and Aurum didn''t expect that answer. They stared at the small symbol of the sun on their mother''s chest. This was the first time they''d heard something about the ce their mother was from. They knew that aristocrats from Albion secretly referred to their mother as the barbarian duchess. They only thought it was because she was from a foreign country. They didn''t expect that she was indeed from a tribe.


    Although knowing that didn''t really change the way they view her. For them, she would always be their mother. Someone they trusted, respected, and loved. That would never change no matter what her origin might be.


    "Does it have any effect on your body?" Argent asked. That was more of her focused. After all, a space carved into one''s body was surely something worrying.


    "Yes, does it hurt?" Aurum followed.


    Anthea looked at her daughters'' worried expression and she couldn''t help but smile. She expected that they would ask her about her tribe. Howe they never heard about it or why she never mentioned it to them. It''s not that she''s ashamed of her origin. No, she would never be embarrassed of where she came from. It''s just that talking about it always brought her unprecedented sadness.


    But no, her daughters'' first question was if the mark on her body had some kind of negative effect. Which mother wouldn''t be happy with that?


    Sometimes, she truly wondered if she deserved these kids. Most would say that she was a mostly absent mother who was only there a couple of months a year. That the twins literally raised themselves. Someone like her who couldn''t give her full attention to her children shouldn''t be considered a mother. She should be hated. Her children should not even care about her. Under normal circumstances, that should be the case. But no, it had never been that way when it came to her twins.


    Even when Aurum and Argent were just seven years old, they were already too mature for their age. They understood why Anthea had to leave and why she couldn''t be with them all the time. They never questioned her decision. They gave her their full support. And whenever she came back to them, it always felt like she never left. That''s why for the past seven years, despite their family''s unusual set-up, she and her twins never grew apart.


    And for that, Anthea would always be grateful.


    "No, it doesn''t affect my body or my health," she said, answering the twins'' questions.


    The two let out a sigh of relief almost at the same time.


    "That''s good then," Aurum said.


    "Could Mother show us the letter?" Argent then said.


    As answer, Anthea rubbed the mark on her chest and a small simple mahogany box appeared on her palm. She opened that and took a folded paper out. She gave it to Argent.


    Argent took it and opened it. Aurum sat closer to her brother so she could also read the letter.


    It said;


    To my dearest love, Thea,


    If you''re reading this right now, it means that I have failed. I wasn''t able toe back to you and our child. For that, any kind of apology would never be enough.


    If you managed to find this letter, it also means that you discovered that I was looking for the ancient artifacts of the three mythical races. You must be wondering why. It''s not something new. You know my love for adventures. It''s my search for undiscovered treasures that led me to you. And that''s something that I would be forever grateful.


    But what I didn''t tell you, what I dared not say, was the underlying reason why I started my adventures. There''s only one reason really. That''s right, so that I could find the three ancient artifacts.


    Before I left for this voyage, I told you that what I''m doing was for our family. So that our unborn child could live in peace. It was not a lie. It all had something to do with the ckbourne''s  my bloodline.


    I couldn''t properly exin it in this letter because of all theplicated things involved. I could probably only simplify it this way  the ckbourne''s blood is ''cursed''. Not in the most literal sense. But it might as well be. Because of my bloodline, I could only die once I reached a certain age.


    I thought I already came to terms with that. But then I met you. And everything changed. I suddenly wanted to live longer, to grow old with you, to experience life with you. Then you became pregnant. We''re going to be parents. A family! It was something I thought I already gave up on. But I found out right there and then that it was something that I''ve been wanting- no, dreaming to have.


    However, I know I couldn''t achieve that if I don''t find a cure for this ''curse''. I will die and then our child will die even younger. I couldn''t allow that to happen. I have to find that cure. If not for me, then at least for our child. That cure could only be found in the closed Mythos continent. And the only way I could go there was by using the three ancient artifacts.


    But then, you found this letter. Something I wished would never happen. I probably have been missing for years for you to go and search for me yourself. Maybe right now as you''re reading this, I was probably already dead. I fail you, I fail us, and most of all, I fail our child.


    Because of my failure, our child might not even be able to live past the age of 30. Other children born the same year could live up to the age of 300. And yet our child''s life would stop at 30. It''s uneptable and yet, inevitable. I hate myself for not being able to do anything about it. For being a useless father.


    I''m sorry, Thea. Sorry for failing. Sorry for all the pain I''ve caused you and our child. Sorry for the even greater pain that would follow. If I could take it all away, I would. But the only way that things would change was if we turn back in time and decide to not fall in love. Although, I must say, even if something like that would be possible, even knowing what I know now, I would still fall in love with you. Over and over again.


    I love you, my Thea. Please, also send my love to our child. I have no doubt that he or she was the most beautiful child in the world. And again, I''m sorry. I won''t ask for forgiveness, because I know that I don''t deserve one.


    But I ask that you tell our child about this ''curse''. That he or she should not give up until he or she found the cure themselves. They don''t deserve to have this shackle just because of the blood flowing in their veins. All the things that they should know could be found in a record book I hid in Hanover Manor''s hidden study. Just ask Gregory for the key to it.


    Thea, my love, I''m sorry. Goodbye.


    With all my heart,


    Dorian.

 Chapter 204: yes (from her heart and soul)

    Chapter 204: yes (from her heart and soul)


    ARGENT read the letter one more time, making sure that not even a single detail was ignored. There were already a lot of theories going on inside her head at this moment. This ''curse'' seemed to shorten the lifespan of the direct descendants of the ckbourne bloodline. And from what she understood from this letter, the lifespan only got shorter and shorter as generations passed. As evidence of the part where their father said that they would have even shorter livespared to him. Then there was that part about the ''cure'' that could only be found in the Mythos continent.


    These things could exin why their father suddenly left his pregnant wife and went to some adventure instead. After knowing that he would soon be a father, he probably felt panicked. Afraid that the child he would soon have would die much earlier than they were supposed to. So he desperately searched for this cure and thus his search for the three ancient artifacts.


    At this point, it''s probably safe to assume that the three artifacts could open the closed Mythos continent. If their father''s goal was to go to the Mythos continent, then that would exin why he first searched for the artifacts. Because they''re keys in some ways.


    That would also exin why that bastard, Lucern Faust, wanted the artifacts. Because just like themon viin that he was, he wanted ess to the forbiddennd. For more power? She''s not entirely sure. Maybe Lucern did want to plunge this world into hell and going to the Mythos continent was the very first step towards it. Or he simply wanted to use the power he could get there for his personal ambition. And by ambition, she meant conquering the whole world.


    If that was the case. Argent would probably feel a bit disappointed. Because it''s such a clich.


    Well, at least with this letter, it was proven that their father was not a scum man who left their mother because of his love for adventure. He really did have a reasonable excuse why he left.


    "Does this mean that we''re going to d-die young?"


    Aurum''s question cut off Argent''s train of thoughts. She turned to her sister sitting closely beside her. She could see her hands trembling, the fear in her eyes palpable. Argent forgot that despite how mature Aurum acted, how extensive her life experience might be, she was still a soon-to-be 15-year-old girl.


    Before Argent couldfort her, their mother already bent down in front of Aurum and engulfed her in her embrace.


    "You''re not. Both of you will not. I won''t let that happen," Anthea softly reassured, but one could still hear the firm determination in her voice.


    "Mother is right," Argent seconded, reaching out for her sister''s hand and squeezing it. "And have you forgotten? We already have one of the ancient artifacts in our hands. We only have to do two more steps and we can open the Mythos continent. The most important thing? I''m here. And I''ll make that happen."


    Anthea let go of Aurum and then looked at her eldest daughter. Argent still seemed indifferent. But no one would doubt that she wouldn''t aplish what she just said she would do. This was the girl who started to build her ownpany at the age of seven. The one who single-handedly brought change to the world just by creating sPhones. A girl who didn''t hesitate to fight head on against the all-powerful Temple of Gaia just so she could save her.


    That''s her eldest daughter. If she said that she would do something, then she would do her damnedest to follow through it.


    "Sorry for being so overdramatic," Aurum said after she calmed down for a while.


    She felt embarrassed. After she read the letter, the only thing that echoed in her mind was the fact that she and her brother might die young. All because of some ''curse'' that had been guing their family. Despite her mental fortitude, she still felt scared. Fear filled her whole body. If her mother didn''t embrace her suddenly, her Mana might have gone into riot. And after hearing what her brother said, shepletely calmed down.


    Because Argent was right. They already had one of the three artifacts. Even now, they already had a clue to where another one was. With her brother''s brain, there''s no way they wouldn''t find those artifacts. They would collect them, use them to open the Mythos continent, and then get that cure, whatever that might be.


    "You''re not being overdramatic. It''s just a natural reaction," Argent said.


    Aurum nced at her brother and wanted to ask; then why didn''t you react the same way? But knowing Argent, something like this probably didn''t even faze her.


    Anthea sat back on her seat. "Can you tell me the details on how you managed to get the dragon king''s sword?"


    Argent then went on and told her mother how she did it. From the information she got from the Xing Emperor about how a guy who looked like her stole a map of a treasure that didn''t exist, then finding about the legend about the ''child of all'', Aurum sending her the image of the map of the supposedly non-existent treasure, and then her finding the underwater temple and getting the artifacts.


    She didn''t bother to mention the things that happened in the that temple. Specifically, the trial she had to undergo just to get the sword. Although she could barely remember what happened, she knew if she did even try, she would definitely have that nightmare again. And she truly didn''t have the time to analyze the meaning of that nightmare. Not with all these problems around.


    After Anthea heard Argent''s story, she had no doubt that the man who stole this map from the Emperor of Xing was Dorian. But she was more concerned about this ''child of all'' business. Because from what she had gathered so far, it definitely had something to do with the ckbourne bloodline. Again.


    "It seemed like your father really did fail in obtaining the artifacts," Anthea said. Because if he did, then how could Argent take the sword?


    "He did actually," Argent said and then told her mother what the dragon king said to her. That her father managed to collect the three artifacts but then failed to proceed at the veryst step.


    Anthea gazed down at her hands and clenched both. She couldn''t help but put herself in Dorian''s ce. When he thought that everything was in his reach, but at the end it still escaped him. Dorian must have been devastated. Because too much was at stake with his sess. Not just his life but the life and future of his child as well.


    "Mother, do you think Father is still alive?" Aurum asked hesitantly.


    Anthea raised her head and said without an ounce of hesitation or doubt, "Yes."


    It''s something that she couldn''t really exin. But she was sure, from the bottom of her heart and the depth of her soul that, yes, Dorian was still alive. That''s why even after reading that letter, she never doubted that her husband had already encountered his demised. Because there''s just no way that he did.


    He might be in a situation where he couldn''t go to them. He might even be trapped somewhere. Knowing Dorian, he would definitely find a way to get back to them. She was sure of that. So the least they could do was to gather the three ancient artifacts and open the Mythos continent.


    Whatever the consequence of that might be.


    "What should be our next move?" Anthea asked.


    Argent nced down at the letter once again, particrly at thest part. "I think we should go back to Albion first."

 Chapter 205: lei fengs morning at the island

    Chapter 205: lei feng''s morning at the ind


    ZHANG LEI FENG watched the video that was currently trending on [Jiffy]. It started with the Holy Temple being struck with a pir of light. When the light subsided, the temple miraculously disappeared. And then an image of a woman stood in its ce. It had an uncanny resemnce to the statue of the goddess ''Gaia'' that the Temple spread all over the country.


    When the image spoke and said how disappointed she was and then disappeared right after, it caused chaos among the crowds gathered there. And when the rain poured down and countless lightning struck the sky, everything became even more chaotic. That''s when the second prince of Albion appeared and calmed everyone.


    But with his sudden arrival, it only made the Temple of Gaia appeared like a group of viins. The way the video was edited even added to that effect.


    He never imagined that his rain and lightning would actually look so eerie like this. It was almost as if he''s watching some sort of thriller. Even the way the camera focused on the second prince of Albion made him appear like he''s some kind of savior. It even captured the frightened expression of the people in the crowd. Making the video felt real. As if what happened there could easily happen to just about anyone. Arousing sympathy and fear to anyone who watched it.


    A small smile crossed Lei Feng''s lips. Argent did a very good job in editing this. And based on thements he''d been reading so far, he could tell that she got the effect that she wanted.


    The Temple of Gaia wouldn''t be able to simply shrug this whole thing off. If they didn''t do something about it, then this event would cause an irreparable damage on their reputation. Which was probably what Argent was after right from the very start. She could not only pay back the Temple for the things they put her and her family through, it could also temporarily keep that Pope off her back.


    Speaking of the man, Lei Feng wished he had seen him at Victoria City. His blood still boiled with anger just remembering the wounds on Argent that day. But surely, their roads would cross one day. When that time came, he would definitely give him a piece of his mind. And by that, he meant his rage.


    He checked the time and when he saw how many minutes had passed, he put his phone back in the pocket of his trousers. He then turned off the fire on the stove. Because the simmering time for the porridge he was cooking was already over. He took a big bowl and poured porridge on it. Putting a lid on the bowl, he put it inside a thermal pod  some kind of magical tool that allowed the temperature of the food inside to remain hot or cold, depending on the setting set by the person using it.


    Lei Feng was nning to give it to Argent. She didn''t eat breakfast earlier. In fact, she didn''t even show up. He was about to cook breakfast for everyone earlier but Aurum literally shoved him out of the kitchen. Even telling him that there''s no need for him to cook since she''s there. Of course, she didn''t forget to re at him while she''s at it.


    They still ate at the vi of the ckbourne''s. But Argent didn''t show up from start to finish. The Duchess said that she''d been cooped up in herb and was told that she didn''t need breakfast.


    So after returning back to the vi where he and the elf were staying, he proceeded on making porridge for Argent. After all, it''s not good for the body not to eat breakfast.


    After he''s done packing, he carried the thermal pod put of the kitchen. When he walked out of the vi, he saw the elf sitting on one of the big rocks on the yard and staring listlessly on the sky.


    "I made some porridge. You can get some in the kitchen if you want," he said while passing by the elf.


    "W-wait!" the elf called.


    Lei Feng stopped and looked back. "Yes?"


    Janea jumped down the rock. He gripped the hem of the shirt he was wearing, fidgeting a bit before managing to say, "Do you know when will we leave this ind?"


    Although this ce was the mostfortable ce he''d been in in his entire life  he had a soft bed to sleep on, he could eat delicious food three times a day, there''s warm and clean water to bathe in, and almost everyone had been nothing but kind to him  he still couldn''t force himself to be at ease. Because he knew that while he''s having afortable life here, his mother was suffering.


    If not for the connection he had with her, he''d probably long thought of the worst possible scenario. But he knew that it wouldn''t be long before that scenario mighte true. Because that thread of light connecting him to his mother was slowly starting to dim. That meant that her life force was slowly decreasing. Once the light in that thread waspletely extinguished, then his mother would also cease to exist.


    Something that he just couldn''t allow to happen. Not after everything she''d been through.


    The hands gripping the hem of his shirt clenched even tighter. Argent ckbourne said that he would help him as long as he did something for him. But this was already the second day since they came to this ind and yet he still hadn''t talk to him about any of his ns. Janea hadn''t even told him about his real situation. He couldn''t help but feel extremely anxious.


    Lei Feng stared at the elf. Just by looking at his expression, he could almost tell what he was thinking. "You already made a deal with Argent, correct?"


    Janea nodded, not sure what that had to do with his question. "Yes."


    "Then trust him. If he said that he would help you, then he would do everything in his power to do just that. That''s just the kind of person he is. So give him a little bit of your trust."


    Janea looked down and bit his lower lip. He wanted to give Argent ckbourne his full trust. Truly, he did. If he would work with him, then trust was very important. But he couldn''t. His years of mistreatment and abuse under the hands of humans just prevented him from doing that.


    Lei Feng no longer gave him his attention and continued walking.


    While on his way to Argent''sb, he felt his phone vibrating. He took it out from his pocket and saw that it was a video call from An Yi  one of his dark guards. He epted the call. An Yi would most likely give him his report of what''s happening in Xing. He told him to give him one every two weeks.


    "Master," An Yi greeted respectfully.


    "How is everything over there?" Lei Feng asked.


    "The General and the Madame are both in good health. There''s no pressing matter that Master needs attending. But, the Empress has been making a fuss about Master''s disappearance. It seems like she''s been nagging the Emperor to bestow an Imperial Decree to Master so you would have no choice but to marry the sixth princess," An Yi proceeded on reporting.


    He had a feeling that it was because of the recent marriage of the fifth prince to the son of the Left Prime Minister. It''s the most talked about scandal in the empire in recent years. After all, it''s not every day that a prince was more than willing to be the male wife of someone.


    So, in order to cover the shame of his son''s marriage, the Empress wanted the sixth princess to have a grand wedding with someone that the people respected and adored. Who else was the best candidate but their master?


    "What about the people from Silver Corporation?" Lei Feng asked instead,pletely ignoring the information about the Empress and her absurd n.


    "I sent An Er and An Wu to protect them just as you''ve ordered. But" An Yi was not sure how to proceed without making the two dark guards looked weak and ipetent.


    "What is it? An Yi, I still have a lot of things to do. So, don''t mumble and just tell me what it is."


    "The two were spotted by thedy''s bodyguard. He seemed to be a very skilled swordsman. Both An Er and An Wu were defeated quite badly."


    "I see." Lei Feng seemed to remember that the person acting as bodyguard for the person in charge of the project between Silver Corporation and Xing was Argent''s master. And also the owner of the vi he and the elf were currently staying. "Give the job to An Si. Tell him to use his Gift to monitor them. If they needed help, don''t hesitate to give it. And tell An Er and An Wu to go to the barracks and ask my father to spar with them."


    When An Yi heard that, he was already lighting a candle for the two. "Understood, Master."


    Lei Feng ended the call and continued walking towards the direction of Argent''sb.

 Chapter 206: things that needed planning

    Chapter 206: things that needed nning


    "ARGENT! Where are you now? Are you in Amexem? Of perhaps in Albion? I''m sorry for not properly saying goodbye to you. It was all that brat, Lynx''s fault. Why did he just bring me away without even consulting me? He should have at least waited until I regained consciousness. How dare he decreased the time that I could spend with you? You think it''s unfair too, right?" Viper said one after another.


    His expression changing constantly, from sad to grievous to anger and back to grievous again. It''s really amazing if one thought about it. Argent really wondered how many emotions this guy could show in just one second. That would be very interesting to see.


    "Argent, are you listening to me?" Viper called again.


    Shezily lifted her head. Truthfully, she barely listened to his tirade. After that talk with her mother, she had been spending more time in herb. Aside from formting ns and possible countermeasures, she was also building tools that could help them with their search for the next ancient artifact. Which was rted to the elves.


    When she and Aurum met y again and she heard the legend behind pendant that was passed on in his family, she had already decided that their next target would be the elves'' artifact. If she based it ording to the legend she heard in Xing, then the elves'' artifact would be the elven queen''s ring. Her decision of going after that artifact only strengthened after they met that Halfling  Janea.


    Him being a half-elf was indication enough that he could help them. Or at least, his mother should. But before she could get any kind of information from her, she should think of a way to save her first. Because that''s the deal they made. For that, she first searched any pertinent information about the Emperor of Kievan.


    Which was really not that useful. Since the only thing she found were information that everyone in the world could easily find. Like how Kievan could be found at the coldest region in the Northern continent. That the Emperor ruled its people with an iron fists. That he didn''t have an Empress but he had a son who''s the current heir to the throne. And that, outsiders had a hard time going in the country. It''s even harder to get out.


    Even if she wanted to spy on the country by using her sPhones, she couldn''t. It''s actually because of something that she had already forgotten. Three years after sPhones were released in the market, a certain incident urred at Kievan.


    Half a year before that, Finn finally managed to get a deal with a high ranking minister there. The distribution of sPhones was finally approved. Silver Corporation could finally set up a branch shop that would sell sPhones. By that time, sPhones reputation was already quite loud. So even though they only opened one shop at the capital, the opening of the branch shop was still pretty much a sess.


    With that one shop, batches of sPhones were delivered and sold across the country. It was not an exaggeration to say that the sPhones were a huge hit. Every citizen enjoyed the newfound entertainment and also the freedom it gave them to speak.


    But six monthster, something happened that changed all that.


    Dozen photos of the interior of the pce were spread across [Jiffy] and it trended in Kievan for days. When the Emperor found out about it, he was furious. No, that would probably be an understatement considering the things he did after that. He first executed the minister who approved the business deal with Silver Corporation. He burned the shop selling sPhones and also executed all the employees. All the sPhones around the country were confiscated and destroyed. Anyone who was found to own an sPhone after thatrge scale sweep was branded a criminal and was charged with treason.


    All of these were told to her by Finn. Argent was too busy that time because he was still in the middle of upgrading hisb. Finn was in-charged with almost everything in thepany. So he was also the one who dealt with the aftermath of that incident. They really couldn''t do much because the Emperor banned everything rted to Silver Corporation and that included people as well.


    Because of that, they couldn''t send help to the families of the employees who were executed just because they worked at the branch shop. Nothing else could really be done. Argent posted everything that happened in [Jiffy] via an anonymous ount. But aside from the Emperor having a much more notorious reputation, nothing else really happened. It''s not as if there''s an organization equivalent to United Nations here that could handle human rights or something.


    With the exemption of Gifts, mythical beings, magical tools, as well as her sPhones, this world could only bepared to the Middle Ages of the original Earth where her soul came from. So the things that happened in a country were not something that someone from another country could just easily intervene with.


    Even now, Argent could tell that this incident affected Finn in a way. Even though none of it was really his fault. After that, he became much more careful when dealing with other countries. Whenever they had to open a new branch, he would make sure that that country would not turn into another Kievan.


    She couldn''t truly understand why the Emperor would react that way just because photos of the interior of the pce were spread. But now that she knew that he was imprisoning Janea''s mother, she suddenly had a bad hunch. That the reason that the Emperor reacted that badly was because he''s afraid that someone might notice something. Which could only mean that he was holding the elf somewhere in the pce. Just because of this, Argent could tell that this Emperor probably held some kind of obsession towards Janea''s mother. Which also meant that it would be real hard for them to rescue her.


    It would be even harder because of her identity as the owner of Silver Corporation. She''s banned from entering Kievan. So they had to go there either secretly or in disguise.


    But before that, there''s still a lot of things that needed to be done. One was going to Albion and checking that record her father was talking about in his letter. They also needed to wait for Jaxon to arrive. So he could talk with Janea. They couldn''t exactly just proceed on rescuing the elf without telling Jaxon anything. Since he''s much more entrenched in this situation than they were.


    So the current bare skeleton of Argent''s n was wait for Jaxon to have a talk with Janea, go to Albion, rescue Janea''s mother, and finally looked for the elven queen''s ring. She''d just have to borate on each step along the way.


    "Argent!" Viper called, much louder this time.


    She looked up at Viper. He was pouting and it looked like there was a literal stamp on his face saying, ''I''m sulking right now''. "Sorry, I haven''t had a decent sleep for two days."


    After she said that, Viper''s expression changed from grievous to worried. "Are you okay?"


    "I''m fine. Just sleepy." And hungry. She hadn''t had breakfast yet.


    "Then get back to sleep. I''ll just call you again another time."


    She was about to nod and just hung up when she remembered that she hadn''t thank Viper for everything that he had done in Victoria City.


    "Viper, thank you for cooperating with my n. You did it quite perfectly. I do feel sorry that you had to be hurt because of it though. Please, do try to take a good rest. And also, say thank you to Lynx for me," she said. "Oh, by the way, before I forgot. Please also try to restrain yourself from sending me message non-stop or even calling. I will be busy theseing days and will probably have no time to answer you. Take care of yourself, Viper."


    She had to say thatst part because she knew that if she didn''t, this guy would definitely bombard her with messages and calls. Which she couldn''t really attend to right now. She''s actually quite surprised by the level of patient she had with this crazy guy. It seemed like, without her knowing, she already considered him as a close friend.


    Although she still had to be careful. Because she knew about his fascination over her. She didn''t want to do things that might fuel it even further.


    "But Argent"


    "I''ll hung up now," she said, cutting off whateverint he had. Then she swiftly ended the call.


    She leaned back on her chair and pinched the bridge of her nose. She really needed to sleep.


    Then she heard a calling from White. She turned on her light brain once again and the figure of the white haired girl appeared on the screen.


    "Master," White greeted.


    "Is there something?"


    "Master Lei Feng is outside theboratory. He seems to be delivering breakfast for Master."


    A small smile crossed Argent''s lips when she heard that. It''s like he''s truly turning into some kind of housekeeper. Which was really funny in a way, considering his identity.


    "Let him in," she just said.


    "Oh, and Master. Our radar spotted a carriage being pulled by four gryphons. They''re nearing the ind and are about to enter the vicinity at about 30 minutes."


    When she heard that, the only thing she could think of was that Jaxon was finally here. Then as if on cue, she received another call. And yes, it''s from Jaxon.

 Chapter 207: jaxons arrival

    Chapter 207: jaxon''s arrival


    ARGENT ended her chat with White and epted the calling from Jaxon.What appeared on the screen of her light brain was a very haggard looking man.His medium length dark blond hair that was usually tied in a queue was disheveled.He had stubbles on his face.There were dark circles under his emerald green eyes.In short, he was the very image of the words ''tired'' and ''stressed out''.


    It was quite obvious that he hadn''t had any rest for the past two days since her mother told him about Janea''s existence.He probably flew here without any rest.Which was understandable.If a man who had been living his life as a single man suddenly found out that he had a son, that person would probably react the same way as Jaxon.


    "Argent, we''re nearing your ind.Can you put down the shield covering it so it could be visible to us and we could enter?" Jaxon said.


    Jaxon had been here on this ind a couple of times before in the past.So, he knew its location.He never really understood how the stealth technology in this ce worked.So he just always assumed that it was some kind of shield that made the ind invisible.


    Argent stared at Jaxon.One could see the haste on his face.His expression clearly told everyone that he truly wanted to enter the ind as soon as possible.He must be feeling really anxious right now.


    "There would be an opening soon.You could drive the carriage you''re flying in immediately."


    "Okay.I''ll be there in a few minutes," Jaxon said.He seemed to want to say something.But based on the look of hesitation on his face, it also seemed like he didn''t know how to say it.


    Argent already had an idea what it could be though.About his newly found son  Janea.But she wouldn''t say anything.Because aside from the fact that she''s not good with pep talk, she doubted that anything she said right now would even help.So, she could only say, "We''ll be waiting for you."


    Jaxon nodded and ended the call.


    She then connected to ck and told him to tell Aurum and their mother that Jaxon would be here any minute now.She stood up from her bench seat and stretched her body a little.She could hear her bones making a cracking sound.Her whole body was so stiff.Especially her back.Mostly because she spent most of the past two days bent over her workspace.


    She probably should do some sword exercise tomorrow.Maybe she should ask Lei Feng to spar with her.Speaking of whom, White did mention that Lei Feng was just outside theb and was nning to deliver breakfast to her.


    She opened the door of her workshop.She was too tired and just walked out with her eyes close.But because of that, she suddenly collided with something solid.Because she didn''t expect it and add that to her tired state, she quickly lost bnce.She expected to fall but a strong hand suddenly held her arm preventing that from happening.


    "Are you alright?" asked a very familiar baritone.


    Argent opened her eyes and just as expected, she saw Lei Feng gazing down at her.Because of his sudden pull, their bodies almost collided.Even the distance between their faces were only about a few inches.


    At this distance, she could clearly see how dark his eyes were.Like some high-grade ck pearl, dark and lustrous.Aside from that, she now only noticed how good his skin was.She couldn''t even see a tiny speck of pores.This guy probably had better skin than her.But she must admit, Lei Feng was indeed very handsome.


    Then she saw his ear tips suddenly turning red.He quickly put distance between them by retreating a couple of steps back.He even looked in another direction, not meeting her gaze.


    Argent raised one of her brows.Was this guy being shy again?


    "I brought you food," Lei Feng said, showing her some kind of pod.


    She looked at the pod.Her gaze was probably full of curiosity, because he said next;


    "Any food put in here would retain the temperature you set it to.That means an ice cream wouldn''t melt and a hot soup would stay warm."


    "I see."What a convenient magical tool.


    She never really thought of making appliances before.Maybe she should create a new department in Silver Corporation that mainly focused on that.Hispany''s revenue would definitely increase.Should she talk to Finn after all this was over?


    "Please eat first then rest a bit before you proceed on doing any activities.It won''t be good if you copsed due to hunger and fatigue."


    Argent stared at Lei Feng and saw the genuine worry in his eyes.Because of that, she couldn''t bear to refuse him.


    "I''ll eat but I can''t rest just yet."She took the thermal pod from Lei Feng then walked back inside the room.She ced it on top of her work table."How do I open this?"


    Lei Feng walked towards the table and opened the thermal pod.The delicious scent of porridge filled the room.The smell caused Argent''s stomach to constrict, a sign that she was indeed hungry.


    "Howe you can''t rest?" he asked.


    She turned to him.He was looking at her earnestly.He didn''t even bother giving a curious nce to the items that were scattered around the room.That somehow brought amusement and admiration to her.Because wouldn''t that mean that in Lei Feng''s eyes her well-being was more important than her inventions?


    If this was any other person, that would definitely be not the case.She wondered why she seemed to be very important to him.Even she who could barely understand these kinds of emotions could see that Lei Feng was treating her differently.Almost as if she was someone very special.


    But she didn''t have time to ponder over that now and she didn''t really want to interrogate Lei Feng about it.It''s his personal feelings, she didn''t want to pry on it.It''s enough to know that he didn''t hold any negative feelings for her.


    Argent took the bowl of porridge, scooped a spoonful and ate it.Delicious as always.The taste was exactly as she liked it.She raised her head and answered Lei Feng''s question.


    "Because a guest ising."


    ----------


    A carriage being pulled by four gryphons flew inside the opening made by the stealth shield covering the ind.It entered the ind and slowlynded on a clear path.


    Jaxon opened his eyes.Those emerald green depths were filled with determination.It''s time.He would finally meet him  the boy named Janea.


    He took a deep breath and walked out of the carriage.

 Chapter 208: eyes the same emerald green as his

    Chapter 208: eyes the same emerald green as his


    ANTHEA and Aurum were both standing at the runway where vehicles that entered the ind usuallynd. They were waiting for the carriage that was about to enter the ind.


    When ck told them that Jaxon''s gryphon-drawn carriage was closing in, Aurum and her mother quickly left the vi and walked here. Aurum told her mother that she should just wait at the vi. After all, she could see that her mother was still exhausted from all the ordeal she went through. But Anthea refused and said that it would be rude not to wee a friend personally. Especially when that friend was about to experience something that might change his life forever.


    Aurum had no doubt that his mother was talking about the uing meeting between Uncle Jax and Janea. A meeting that would confirm if the half-elf was indeed Uncle Jax'' son. But based on the reaction of her mother when she met Janea, it was definitely the case.


    "Mother, how did Uncle Jax be lovers with an elf?" she thought of asking while they were waiting.


    Anthea chuckled. "''Lovers''? When did my Aurum learned of such a word?"


    Aurum blushed and then pouted when she realized she was being teased. "Mother, I''m turning 15 in less than a month. In some countries, I could already get married. It''s not weird for me to know such word."


    Anthea stroke Aurum''s soft golden hair. "Yes, my Aurum is all grown-up now."


    "Mother--!"


    Anthea chuckled again and then looked up at the sky. "I''m not really sure of the specifics. By the time I met your father and Jax, nnea was already sailing with them. nnea, that''s her name. She was very beautiful. With long white blond hair and a pair of the bluest eyes."


    She actually thought that she was Dorian''s lover. They just fit so perfectly together. Like two beings with out-of-this-world beauty. That thought, of course, made her angry. After all, she left her tribe for him. She didn''t do that just to find out that he had another lover.


    But she was soon proven wrong when he saw Jaxon and nnea together. Just seeing them standing together, one could see how much they loved each other. And then, he soon learned about her being an elf. nnea was always wearing a hood, so she never suspected that she was one. Heck, that possibility never even crossed her mind.


    "Then how did Uncle Jax and the elf separated?" Aurum asked.


    "I also don''t know the answer to that. She just vanished."


    When Dorian and Jaxon separated for that particr voyage, that was also thest time she saw nnea. Because she disappeared right after that. Anthea was not really privy to what happened. She asked Dorian, but he also wasn''t sure of what happened. They also couldn''t make themselves ask Jaxon. Because the guy was in so much anguish and pain, just the mere mention of nnea''s name was enough to make him suffer.


    Then years passed by. Jaxon stopped being an adventurer and took over his family''s business. Dorian went missing. She gave birth to twins.


    And now all of them were in this situation.


    Aurum also raised her head and looked at the sky. "This would be very hard for Uncle Jax."


    The woman he loved suddenly disappeared. And then many yearster, he suddenly found out that he and that woman had a son. Aurum couldn''t imagine what she would feel in that situation.


    A momentter, they saw a carriage being drawn by four gryphons entering the shield protecting the ind. It flew down and swiftlynded on the runway. It stopped a few distance away from where Aurum and Anthea were standing.


    The door of the carriage opened and a man climbed down.


    Aurum was slightly startled when she saw Jaxon. His dark blond hair was in a wild disarray, there were dark circles under his eyes, there were stubbles on his face  in short, he''s aplete mess.


    "Thea, Aurum," he greeted, walking to them. He tried to smile but it only appeared forced.


    "Hey, don''t force yourself to smile if you couldn''t. It''s just making you look ugly," Anthea joked, trying to lighten the mood.


    Jaxon''s awkward smile disappeared. His expression immediately turned serious. "Where is he?"


    "You''re not going to clean yourself up first before seeing him?" Anthea suggested. "I don''t know if you notice, but you don''t really look presentable right now."


    Jaxon looked down at himself and only then realized his current state. He looked absolutely shabby. How could he meet the boy looking so shabby? What if he thought he''s just some poor random guy? No, he couldn''t possibly make such a bad first impression.


    "Then, if I could borrow your bath," he said.


    "Then, follow us," Anthea said.


    They started walking towards the direction of the vi.


    "Are you alright now, Thea?" Jaxon asked while walking.


    "As you can see, I''m perfectly fine and healthy. All thanks to my wonderful daughters," Anthea answered with pride in her voice.


    Jaxon turned to Aurum. "You and Argent did outdo yourselves this time."


    Aurum grinned at Jaxon. "Of course, we did. Brother would never ept any other result."


    "I guess he wouldn''t."


    "That''s not what you wanted to ask though, isn''t it, Jax?" Anthea said, giving Jaxon a sideway nce.


    Jaxon stopped in his tracks and gazed down at his feet. "The boy, is he doing okay?"


    "If we''re talking physically, then he''s fine, Uncle Jax," Aurum answered.


    A bitter smile crossed Jaxon''s lips when he heard that. "Physically, huh?" That meant mentally and emotionally, he''s not. "He must have suffered a lot."


    Him and his mother. Jaxon was suddenly filled with all kinds of negative emotions just thinking of the things the two might have experienced.


    All without him.


    How pathetic and useless of him.


    A strong hand suddenly gripped his shoulder, bringing him back to reality. He raised his head and his gaze collided with Anthea''s amber eyes.


    "Stop whatever you''re thinking right now," Anthea said, her strong voice resonating. "Don''t meet that boy with a defeated look on your face."


    Jaxon felt like a cold water was suddenly poured down on him. What was he thinking? And during a time like this? He cleared his mind. The only thing he let remain was the thought of meeting the boy.


    "You''re right, Thea."


    Anthea stared at Jaxon''s face and she smiled when she saw the determination on it. "That''s more like it."


    ----------


    Janea was lying on a patch of grass, staring at the blue sky above. He was on a small clearing in the middle of the forest. He felt like this was the only ce here where he could think more clearly.


    It had been awhile since he was surrounded by trees. Being a half-elf, it was in his blood to love nature. If he could, he wanted to be always surrounded by nts and trees. It''s his dream to build a house in the middle of a lush forest and live there with his mother.


    But by the looks of things, could he really make it happen?


    He shook his head. No, he already decided to trust Argent ckbourne. With the deal they had, that duke would definitely fulfill his end of the bargain.


    He raised his hand towards the sky.


    [Mother, please, just wait a bit more. I will definitely save you.]


    His thoughts were suddenly interrupted when he heard footstepsing to his direction. He stood up and looked to the left. He wondered who it was. He knew that there were only a few of them in this ind. But these footsteps he had never heard it before. So, he was sure that it didn''t belong to anyone currently here in this ind.


    Then, who did it belong to?


    His question was answered when a man stepped into the clearing. A man with dark blond hair and eyes the same emerald green as his.

 Chapter 209: father and son

    Chapter 209: father and son


    JAXON nced down at himself.He was now wearing clean and perfectly ironed clothes.His hair was neatly arranged into a queue.His face was now also cleanly shaved.He could now meet the boy without looking so disgraceful.


    He turned to the forest at the front.ording to Argent, the boy should be here.A forest, huh?nnea also loved the forest.He couldn''t help but smile remembering that day they met.It was also in a lush forest like this.


    She was sitting near a stream, surrounded by animals and birds.Her long white blond hair was shining under the light of the sun.She was smiling andughing with the animals, as if she could understand them.And maybe she did.Her blue eyes shone like the bluest of gem.


    She looked absolutely beautiful.


    At that moment, Jaxon feltpletely thunderstruck.He couldn''t take his eyes off her.It''s like something started to course through his whole body.Something warm that he couldn''t exin.It flowed through his whole being and gathered in his heart.Causing it to beat faster and faster.


    And he just knew that this girl in front of him was his destiny.It might soundme, but that''s how he truly felt back then.


    Gaining her trust was extremely difficult.He couldn''t really me her for that.She''s an elf.Belonging to a race that should have been closed off inside the Mythos continent centuries ago.The fact that she''s somewhere outside that continent meant that she was separated from her own race.Away from her own family.Or worse, she might have even grown up without them.


    So, instead of just telling her to trust him, he did it with his action.And soon, it paid off.He gained her trust.But the most important of all, he also received her love.


    It was something he never dreamed would happen.He thought that it was just his imagination working on overdrive again.But he soon realized that it was real.He felt like he was on cloud nine.He never felt so happy in his life.And when he heard those sweet three words from her lips, he felt like he could die at that moment.It felt like his life finally had a meaning.


    So, he made a promise.To her and to himself.That as long as he lived, he would do everything in his power to make her happy.


    But it only took a year before that promise was broken.And nneapletely vanished from his life.


    He searched for her trace everywhere.But after years and years of looking, he still couldn''t find her.He thought that she simply didn''t want to be found.With her immense Mana, she certainly could do that.But based on the little information Argent gave him, that was certainly not the case.


    In some unknown ce, she suffered.All alone.Without him even knowing.He closed his eyes in pain.He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.


    [I''m sorry for letting you down, nnea]


    He opened his eyes.The pain and sadness were still in those green depths.But there''s another emotion filling them  determination.


    [I will atone for this sin.]


    But first, he needed to meet the boy.


    Jaxon entered the forest and walked to a certain direction.He actually didn''t know the exact position of the boy.He just had a feeling that he would be in this direction.


    And soon, he was proven correct.


    Standing on a clearing was a boy who looked like he was seven or eight.His white blond hair was so simr to hers that just seeing it already made him tremble.But his eyes, it was the same as his.And all his other features were also simr to him.


    This boy, he''s definitely


    Before he could think, he already started walking towards the boy.


    "Don''te closer!" Janea shouted.


    He doesn''t understand what he''s feeling right now.It''s like all kinds of emotions were coursing through him.Anger.Fear.Sadness.Hate.And longing.All of these emotions were interweaving inside him that it almost felt like he would explode.


    Janea knew.Just by looking at this man''s face, he just knew who he was.Either by instinct or simply because of the other half of the blood flowing inside his veins.A part of himself he truly hated.Because it belonged to the man he truly loathed.He who should have been there for them from the start.He who should have protected them.He who should have prevented those tragedies from happening.


    The manbeled as his father.


    And he had no doubt that that man was standing right in front of him right now.


    "Janea"


    When he heard his name being uttered by the man, he was suddenly filled with so much anger.How dare he?How dare he?How dare he?


    When he was younger, his mother would often tell him tales about this so-called ''father''.He would get excited every single time she did.Because he believed from the bottom of his heart that he woulde.That he would take them from the hell that they were in.


    But days turned to months and months turned to years.The hope that he had was also extinguished.He knew that he shouldn''t have put his hope on a person who might have even already forgotten them.Maybe while they''re suffering, he was already living happily somewhere else.


    Despite that, his mother still continued to tell him to not hate his ''father''.That he was not at fault.That it was because of her carelessness and naivety that they ended up in that kind of situation.That that person was surely also suffering because of her disappearance.


    [But Mother, just look at him.He certainly doesn''t look like he suffered.]


    "I said don''te closer!" he shouted when he saw the man taking another step towards him.


    But the man seemed to not heed his warning and he just continued walking.This angered Janea even more.This anger manifested through his Mana.Causing the ground to shake and the trees around them to move.The trees started to attack the man, their leaves turned to des and their roots turned to powerful whips.But the man still continued to walk towards him.


    He didn''t dodge the attacksing to him.He didn''t even use his Gift to defend himself.He just epted everything.As if he was epting Janea''s own pain.His body soon became battered.All beaten and full of wounds.And yet, he still continued to walk.


    "Why?Why wouldn''t you just stop?!"


    The man smiled at him."Because if I stop, I may never be able to reach you."


    He shook his head and stepped back."No, stop.Go away.Don''te near me."


    Janea''s knees gave out.He kneeled on the ground.All the pain, sadness, and anger he kept bottled up inside him just burst.And his Mana just poured out of him like tempest.He looked down and kept muttering the same thing over and over again.


    "Don''te near me.Don''te near me.Don''te near me.Don''te near me.Don''te near me"


    He knew his Mana was wreaking havoc in the forest.But he didn''t care.He just wanted everything to stop.He wanted all the pain and sadness to go away.For him to not feel this rage.


    Out of nowhere, a pair of strong arms suddenly enveloped him.A kind of warmth that he had never known before surrounded himpletely.He suddenly felt breathless.As if there was something blocking his chest.


    "I''m sorry for being 18 years toote.But I''m here now.And I won''t be leaving," he heard the man said before hugging him even tighter."I vow on the name of Gaia that I, Jaxon McAllister, will never ever let you suffer again."


    And tears just fell from Janea''s eyes.

 Chapter 210: a bit of progress

    Chapter 210: a bit of progress


    "ARE you sure you don''t want to use my healing chamber?" Argent asked Jaxon.


    She was talking about a pod about the size of an adult that would automatically get filled with healing potion the moment someone entered it.She based its design on the healing chamber from her former world.She just modified it to the materials avable in this world.She also had to take into ount the factor involving Mana.


    It''s actually a bit of trial and error, but she finally managed to built one.Now, there''s about three here in thisb.She actually wanted to make a portable version.So, she could have her sister and mother carry it with them.Then if they happened to be injured and there was no healer avable, they could just use it.But before she could make a working model, all those crap with the Temple of Gaia happened.


    It''s actually one of the things she was trying to make while she''s holing herself inside her workshop.Hopefully, she could make a functioning product before they had to leave the ind.


    "No, I''m fine.It''s only external wounds.Your little White already gave me a first-aid," Jaxon said.


    When thatmotion in the forest happened, Argent and Lei Feng were near the area.It''s because Argent suspected that something might happen, like, you know, Janea attacking Jaxon.If he just went and told the half-elf up front that he was his father, he would definitely be beaten up.Because that would be what Argent would do if she was on the same situation as the half-elf.And just as she thought, not even 30 minutes after Jaxon entered the forest, arge amount of Mana suddenly erupted from the area.


    When she and Lei Feng arrived there, they felt the ground moving like there''s an earthquake.They even saw the trees moving, no, it''s probably more urate to say that they were rampaging.Lei Feng had to fly her towards the source of the Mana.


    What they saw was Janea, standing on the center of a clearing, violent Mana constantly flowing out of his tiny body.And not far away was Jaxon, trying to reach Janea.But the half-elf kept shouting for him to not get any closer.


    Argent thought of intervening.But she soon vetoed that idea.That was something only the two could worked out between them.An outsider interfering would only make things a lot worse.


    She and Lei Feng both saw how those trees kept on attacking Jaxon.But Jaxon never tried to dodge, he didn''t even use his Gift to protect himself.Strangely enough, those trees never attacked Jaxon''s vital parts and only caused him shallow external injuries.Him being attacked by those rampaging trees continued until he reached Janea.It still didn''t stop there though.The trees still continued tearing through the forest.


    Argent couldn''t hear what the two were saying.But after a while, the trees finally calmed down.So, she guessed that Jaxon must have been able to calm the half-elf.That''s when she and Lei Feng flew down the clearing.The moment theynded, they saw that Janea had lost consciousness.Probably due to emotional and psychological stress.Meanwhile, Jaxon who looked like a bloody mess, carefully carried the half-elf as if he was holding a very rare treasure.And maybe in his mind, he really was.


    What happed there proved that the two were indeed father and son.If not, the half-elf wouldn''t have had reacted so strongly.And Jaxon wouldn''t have had endured those attacks silently.It was indeed a good idea to inform Jaxon first before they proceed into anything.


    That situation in the forest ended up with the two being brought to the built-in medical facility in theb.Janea was resting in another room while Jaxon was here, looking almost like a mummy because of the many wounds he suffered.But it seemed that he didn''t mind at all, as evidence of the stupid grin on his face.


    "Uncle Jax, are you sure you''re not just trying to gain Janea''s sympathy by refusing to use Brother''s medical chamber and making yourself look more pitiful?" Aurum said.


    Antheaughed."Aurum, saying that outright even though it''s true is kind of rude."


    "So, I''m right then?"Aurum turned back to Jaxon."Uncle Jax, you shouldn''t do that.Janea already hates you.He might just hate you even more if you do this kind of tactic."


    Jaxon could only let out a dryugh."You really don''t know how to pull your punches, don''t you Aurum?"


    "It''s my policy to be as honest as possible to the people I care about," Aurum said as if he was very proud of that fact.


    "But you''re right, that boy certainly does hate me."A sad smile crossed Jaxon''s lips."It would probably take a long while before I could even gain a shred of his trust."


    Anthea patted Jaxon''s back."But you won''t give up until you do, am I right?"


    "Of course, that has always been my n."


    That''s the least thing Jaxon could do. He knew it wouldn''t be easy to be forgiven. Not after being absent in his life since the day he was born. Even if there wouldn''te a time that Janea would not consider him as his father, he would be satisfied if the boy could at least put his trust on him. To believe that no matter what happened, he would be there for him and his mother.


    "Anthea said that you found Janea at Victoria City.What was he doing there?" he asked, he hadn''t had the chance to ask Anthea about the details on how they found the boy.He was too preupied thinking about the possibility that he and nnea had a child.


    "He was being kept captive by the Temple of Gaia," Argent answered.


    Anger immediately rose within Jaxon when he heard that.Knowing the things the Temple had put Anthea and the twins through, being kept by those people was definitely not something good."What have they done to him?"


    "He was locked in the dungeon under the Holy Temple.I''m guessing they put him there thinking that they could extract information from him about the elves'' ancient artifact.After all, it''s not everyday one could just bump into a half-elf," Argent answered honestly."We don''t know what kind of method they used, but it certainly wouldn''t be something flowery and beautiful."


    "I see. It seems like being the biggest religious organization in the world has really made them think that they could control everything if they so wished." Jaxon''s Mana suddenly filled the room, making the objects there, even Aurum and Anthea, float. "They''re pissing me off."


    Although he said that, his expression right now was more of anger than just simply being pissed.


    "Uncle Jax, we would appreciate if you also don''t make us float," Aurum said, holding down her skirt so it wouldn''t flip upwards.


    As if returning to his senses, Jaxon apologized and gently put the two down. He also took back his Mana. "Is the Temple also the one holding nnea?"


    If that was the case, then it would answer why he hadn''t managed to find her all these years.


    "They''re not," Argent refuted."ording to Janea, his mother is currently being held captive by the Emperor of Kievan."


    The Emperor of Kievan?Jaxon never expected that answer.He also tried to get information in Kievan.But it was one of the countries in the world that didn''t allow outsiders to go in so easily.So, the spies he sent there throughout the years either ended up dying or he simply lost contact with them.At the end, Jaxon never received any information that would connect to nnea.


    "Did you and nnea somehow encountered the Emperor of Kievan during your travels together?" Anthea asked, because if they did then that would exin a lot.


    Jaxon shook his head."No.nnea disliked cold weathers, so we never traveled to the Northern continent."


    So, how did she end up in the hands of that tyrant?The Emperor of Kievan was known for being merciless and cruel.He couldn''t even begin to imagine the things that could have been done to nnea while she was there.Just thinking of it was already making his blood boil.


    Without him noticing, the air around him was starting to distort because of his Mana.The objects around him was starting to have cracks.


    "Uncle Jax!" called Aurum."Don''t lose control now.We''re going to make a n to save that aunt elf.So, you better direct all that anger once we meet that Kievan emperor."


    Jaxon stopped for a moment and then chuckled.That little speech really did calm him down."You''re right."


    But before they go and save that elf, they needed to go back to Albion first to look into that record that her father left  Argent thought.


    Then a weak knock interrupted them.


    Aurum walked to the door and opened it.She smiled when he saw who was outside.She opened it wider and let the person entered.Janea then walked inside.


    "We''ll leave the two of you to talk," Anthea said before pulling Argent and Aurum out of the room.


    "Are you feeling alright now?" Jaxon asked, his voice full of unconcealed worry.


    Janea fidgeted with his fingers before finally raising his head.He was startled to see the state Jaxon was in.His body was full of bandages, showing just how many wound he had taken because of what he did.


    "Why didn''t you fight back?" he asked instead.


    "Because I deserved all these wounds on me right now."


    "Don''t think that you would easily be forgiven just because you did that," Janea said, hardening his resolve.


    "I know."


    "I- I would never forgive you.But, my mother is different.She''s still waiting for you.So, if you want to save her, then I won''t get in your way."


    Jaxon smiled.Well, this was enough.At least they''re making progress."Thank you, Janea."


    Janea looked away.And then immediately walked out of the room.


    Jaxon''s smile disappeared as he looked at the ceiling.[Just wait for us a little bit longer, nnea.]

 Chapter 211: slowly moving plan

    Chapter 211: slowly moving n


    AURUM looked out of the window of the flying shuttle she was in.It was dark but she could already see the outline of Hanover Manor from the distance.In just a few minutes, they would arrive at their family''s estate.


    They timed it so that they would arrive here near midnight.That way, they would reduce the chance of other people seeing them suddenly appear here.Even though this was theirnd, there''s still a small chance that some outsider might see them.And she just couldn''t take that chance.It''s best after all if no one found out that they were back in Albion.It would justplicate things.


    The reason why she''s currently here inside a flying shuttle travelling towards Hanover Manor could be taken back to two nights ago  the day when Jaxon arrived at the ind.They held a meeting that night and this was one of the results.


    =====


    All the people currently gathered at the ind were now inside some kind of conference room.There was a long table where they sat and a white screen at the front.


    "We''re here to devise a n to save Janea''s mother," Argent said, sitting at the very head of the table. She turned to the half-elf. "Janea, could you tell us the detailed situation of your mother and also, the state of Kievan when you left. We can''t make a proper n without those details."


    Janea opened his eyes.The timidity that he had shown so far seemed to have popped like a bubble.It might be due to Jaxon''s sudden arrival.Or maybe he just realized that acting like that wouldn''t help anyone and he just finally found his resolve.Either way, it''s better for him to remain this way.


    "My mother was being kept at the very deepest part of the Kievan Castle.It was underground.A huge room made up of iron."And hanging in that room was an iron birdcage where his mother was being imprisoned.He clenched his fists, great anger welling up inside him just thinking about it."But after I left, there''s a high chance that the emperor moved her in some other ce."


    Yes, knowing that monster, he would definitely take every precaution just to make sure that there wouldn''t be a chance that he would be back and rescue his mother.That monster would do anything just to keep her with him.That''s how much obsession he had with her.


    Jaxon''s whole body shook when he heard what Janea said.A underground room made up of iron?That''s the kind of ce nnea had been kept in?Iron was something incredibly harmful to elves.Being blessed with huge amount of Mana and loved by nature, they''re almost indestructible.Just like the other two ancient race  the beastkins and the dragons.There''s only one thing they''re weak against  iron.


    For elves, it''s like poison.Constant exposure to it would lead to weakening of their life force.They might even lose their ability to draw Mana in nature.If that connection was severed, it would be heartbreaking for any elves.And yet, nnea was exposed to that?


    Bases on Janea''s ount and reaction, Jaxon could tell that it was not only one or two years.It probably hadsted for as long as Janea had been alive in this world.Gaia knows what other atrocious thing that emperor had done to nnea.And all of those were very likely had been witnessed by Janea.


    Anger he had never known filled him.He could feel his Mana going in haywire.He just wanted to go to Kievan right now and kill that emperor, give him back the suffering he had caused to nnea and their son a million times more.


    Then a hand suddenly patted his shoulder.He looked to his left and saw Anthea shaking her head.Silently telling him that he should not release his anger right now.He knew that but he still couldnt qualm his anger.


    "If you have time to get angry, then it''s better if you used that time to think of a n to save Mother," Janea said, not bothering to look at Jaxon.


    Jaxon was startled by thatment.But it definitely calmed him down.That''s right, right now, their focus should be on thinking of ways to save nnea."I''m sorry, you''re right."


    "Can you draw the whole floor n of the castle?" Argent asked Janea after that little interlude."Every nook and cranny, from secret rooms to underground dungeons should be included.Is it possible?"


    "I can."Janea spent years in that castle.Every corners of that ce, he had carved into his mind."But I''m not that confident with my drawing skill.So, I''m not sure if I could portray it properly."


    "You don''t have to worry about that.White will help you," Argent assured the half-elf."Now, there''s a lot of things needed to be done and we couldn''t really waste any more time.So," she turned to her sister."Aurum, is it alright if you go back to Albion by yourself and check that record our father mentioned in his letter?"


    =====


    And that''s how Aurum ended uping here.While the rest went to Kievan.Well, except for White.Since she couldn''t really be separated from the ind for a long period of time.She had already spent quite some time outside because of that whole debacle with the Temple of Gaia.


    "It certainly feels like forever since I wasst here," Antheamented.She was also looking outside the window.


    Aurum nced at her mother."Mother, I still think you should have stayed at the ind.Just like what Brother have proposed.After all those things that happened, it''s important that you rest.And the ind is the best ce for that, not to mention, also the safest."


    Anthea turned to her daughter and sighed."You kids, do you really think of me as some kind of invalid?I was just kidnapped, I''m pretty sure I didn''t turn into one."


    "Mother, you know that''s not what I meant," Aurum quickly exined."We''re just worried about you.We don''t want the same thing to happen again."


    Anthea smiled helplessly when she saw that worried look on Aurum.She walked up to her and patted her head gently."I know.That''s why even though I didn''t want to, I still agreed to not go with you to Kievan.But that''s the limit of mypromise.At least let me apany you here."


    Besides, she truly wanted to know first what was written on that record that Dorian mentioned in his letter.That''s why she insisted on apanying Aurum back here in Albion despite Argent''s wishes.That girl wanted her to just remain at the ind together with ck and White.But at the end, Anthea still won their argument.On the grounds that she would only apany Aurum back to Albion.But if Aurum had to go to Kievan, she was not allowed to go with her and must stay at Hanover Manor.


    Anthea had no choice but to agree.Although she had a feeling that this was what Argent had n since the very beginning.To make her think that she''s making apromise just to not let her join the fight that would definitely happen at Kievan.Knowing Argent, it''s certainly something she would do.


    Although it certainly felt like she had been had by her own daughter, she couldn''t really do anything about it now.Since this was something she already agreed upon.


    "Don''t worry too much Aurum.After all, Master tasked ck to protect Lady Anthea.As long as ck is here, nothing would happen to her," ck suddenly inserted.


    "Yes, yes, you''re very dependable," Aurum said very perfunctorily.


    As ck said, her brother left him with them as a bodyguard for their mother.Although both of them doubted that the Temple, no, that bastard Pope would try to kidnap their mother again, it wouldn''t hurt to have an extra protection for her.It would also make them more reassured.


    She looked outside the window again.She wondered if her brothers and the others were already near Kievan by now?Then she suddenly remembered something.


    Ah, that''s right.She had to contact y and ask him if he could somehow bring that pendant of his here in Albion.

 Chapter 212: a scheming smile

    Chapter 212: a scheming smile


    AURUM slowly opened her eyes and saw the familiar ceiling of her room at Hanover Manor.She was in a dazed for a bit, wondering why she was here.Then she remembered that she, her mother, and ck had arrived here in the middle of the night yesterday.A day before they travelled here, her mother already contacted Gregory to inform him of their arrival.So, even though they arrived here at the middle of the night Gregory and his wife, the head maid Nelly were still awake to wee them.


    Because it was toote in the night, her mother told her that they should just hold-off checking that record her father left and do it early next morning.Which was now, by the way.


    She slowly stood up and stretched her body.Then walked towards the connecting room where her bathroom was.Inside, the misting from the silver bathtub almost filled the room.She could see that it was already filled with water.The tub had a magic stone inside that kept the water temperature the same as that of a hot spring.Aurum could also smell the scent of lc filling the air.


    Nelly must have prepared this while she was still asleep.She even mixed her favorite scent in the bath.A smile crossed from her pink lips, Nelly was always so thoughtful.She removed her night wear and dipped into the bath.She couldn''t help but let out a sigh of contentment when she did.


    Aurum looked up at the ceiling.She wondered what her brother was doing right now.From the ind, Kievan was much fartherpared to Albion, so her brother and her party might not be there yet.But most importantly, even if they arrived there now, they couldn''t just easily enter the ce.So, most likely, they''re currently at Gluastein  the nearest country to Kievan.


    She sshed water on her face.No, there''s no point thinking about that right now.She was sure her brother would contact her if they would encounter a problem or something.Right now, what she needed to focus on was the task given to her.


    After bathing, she wore a simple ankle-length white dress.She just let her long golden hair fell freely behind her back.She went out of her room and walked down to the dining room.Her mother and ck were already sitting there, the table already filled with sumptuous breakfast.


    "Good morning, Mother," she greeted."You too, ck."Then she sat on the left of her mother.


    "Did you sleep well?" Anthea asked.


    "Yes," Aurum answered.Shen actually didn''t expect that she would sleep sofortably.She''s probably more tired than she thought."How about you, Mother?"


    "It''s fine.Just feeling a bit unustomed."


    Because Anthea had been travelling for the past seven and a half years, she rarely came back in the manor.Especially since her daughters were not here.She almost had no reason to return back.But she still had to return from time to time if there''s an important duty that she had to fulfill as the Duchess of Hanover.But those times were few and far between.


    So, she already got used to sleeping in rustic inns.Sleeping again on her soft bed felt a bit ufortable.Add that to anxiety she was feeling, thinking of that record book Dorian mentioned in his letter, she hardly had a blink of sleep.


    "ck sleep very well!" ck said.


    Anthea chuckled and ruffled ck''s hair who was sitting on her right."Good for you, kid."


    ck smiled brightly at the duchess."Lady Anthea, should we eat?"


    Aurum put her hand on her chin and smirked at ck."You only have food in your brain.Remember not to eat too much or I''ll tell on you on Brother."


    ck pouted."Tattletale."


    "Now, now, let''s just eat," Anthea said, mediating between the two.


    Before they started eating, Nelly walked up to Anthea''s side and put a bowl of soup in front of her."Your Grace, please eat this soup.I mixed in some medicinal herbs in it to alleviate your fatigue."


    Anthea looked up at Nelly, she must have noticed that she didn''t have a proper sleep that''s why she made this soup.She smiled and said, "Thank you, Nelly.I''ll make sure to finish it all."


    Nelly smiled back and retreated.


    "Mother, have you asked Gregory about that?" Aurum asked after a while, talking about the record book her father mentioned in his letter.


    "Not yet.But I already told him toe to the studyter after breakfast."


    Hearing that, Aurum inadvertently tightened her hold on her spoon and fork.Finally, just a bit more and they would find out about the truth behind the ckbourne family''s lineage.


    ----------


    Argent looked out of the window, all she could see was endless white snow.She didn''t feel cold because of the shuttle''s good heat instion.So, even if it was snowing heavily, they could barely feel it.She heard that the Northern continent was thend of snow.That fact didn''t fully register in her until they entered the said continent.The further they got to the North, the more snow there was.Since Keivan was at the most northern part of the continent, it''s undoubtedly the coldest region.


    The flying shuttle they were in were above the small country of Gluastein.A country located at the south of the Empire of Kievan.It was called a country but it was more like a small rural state.A very thriving one at that.Most probably because before one could enter Kievan, they had to pass through Gluastein first.


    Even though Kievan was very strict when it came to the people who could enter the country, many people still wanted to enter it.Because despite being ruled by such a tyrant, Kievan was still one of the most powerful and richest country in the world.That''s why many still tried to enter the country in the hopes that they could do some business.Because the pros outweighed all the cons.


    "Argent, this is the list you wanted," Jaxon said, giving her his sPhone which contained the list that one of his subordinates staying at Gluastein just sent.


    Argent asked him before they left her ind if he could contact anyone who was working at Gluastein that couldpile a list of noble families that were about to enter Kievan.It was easy to do since the McAllister Chamber of Commerce had businesses stationed at almost all countries in the world  Kievan and Gluastein included.


    Truthfully, with his identity as the head of the McAllister family, it would not be hard for him to enter Kievan.Sure, he had to pull some strings for that to happen, but it was not something impossible.But Jaxon also knew that it would be bad if he went there using his own identity.The thing that they had to do absolutely couldn''t be traced back to him.Because that would be the safest option for nnea and their son.


    Unless, of course, they killed the Emperor.Which at this point, he''d rather do.


    "Thank you, Uncle Jax."Argent took the sPhone and started scrolling down the list.Once she found what she was looking for, a smile appeared on her lips.It was a smile that clearly tells the others that she was scheming something.She raised her head and looked at the silent general standing at the corner."Lei Feng, what do you think about being my fianc?"

 Chapter 213: the hidden study

    Chapter 213: the hidden study


    LEI FENG felt like he had suddenly been hit by lightning.He couldn''t even believe what he was hearing.It''s like Argent was able to read his deepest thoughts.No.Maybe he was having auditory hallucination that''s why he imagined her asking him to be her fianc.Yes, that''s definitely it.Because why else would Argent suddenly ask something like that?


    "Lei Feng, did you hear me?" Argent asked when she didn''t receive any response.


    "He''s probably surprised after hearing such a thing," Jaxonmented.


    Frankly, he too was surprised to hear Argent say something like that.Suddenly asking someone to be her fianc, especially if that someone had no idea of her real gender, they would definitely not be able to react immediately.But knowing Argent, she probably just said that because she already had a n in mind.And this general from Xing acting as her fianc must be a part of it.


    Truthfully speaking, it''s a mystery what a young general of a foreign country like him was doing with them.If his information was right, this Zhang Lei Feng was the most promising young general of his generation in his country.Jaxon doubted that the Emperor of Xing would easily let him traipse so freely in this part of the world like this.But there''s one thing that''s certain.Argent trust this young general.If not, then there''s no way he would be privy to all of these.And Jaxon trust Argent''s judgement.So, he didn''t question her decision on letting Zhang Lei Feng join this mission.


    "Of course, he would react that way.You''re both men after all," Janea muttered.Even if Argent ckbourne was more beautiful than most women, he''s still a guy.


    Lei Feng, of course, heard thements of the other two in the shuttle.Which meant that there was no problem with his hearing.He was not having auditory hallucination.Argent did ask him to be his fianc!


    "I will do it!" he said before he could think more properly.


    Argent blinked and was slightly taken aback by Lei Feng''s sudden enthusiasm.Because of his silence at first, she thought that he would be against it.He was even considering to just give this role to Jaxon.Even though it would be awkward as hell.


    Jaxon nced meaningfully at the young general.Even though he still looked stoic, Jaxon could easily see the excitement on his face.An incredible guess suddenly entered his mind.


    "Mr. General, you do know that Argent was not asking you to be his real fianc, don''t you?" he said, a bit of teasing in his voice.


    Lei Feng suddenly felt his whole face heating up.The fog in his brain that was currently filled with the word ''fianc'' was suddenly cleared up and he could finally think properly.Argent asking him to be her fianc was probably just part of some n she was concocting.Because of his inner desire, he became excited on his own and showed what he truly felt.


    He felt extremely embarrassed.He looked sideways and avoided the gaze of everyone."I know," he said in a firm tone, trying his best to redeem himself after showing such a shameful side.


    "I apologize if I didn''t make it clearer earlier," Argent said, noticing the blush on Lei Feng''s face.He must have been really embarrassed.Though she''s not really sure of the reason why."I already thought of how we could enter not only Kievan but also the imperial pce.And you ying as my ''fianc'' is only part of the beginning.Are you really willing?"


    Lei Feng was already back to normal.So, he was able to answer with much more conviction."I am."


    Argent smiled with satisfaction."Then let''s begin talking about this n of mine."


    ----------


    After breakfast, Anthea, Aurum, and ck went straight to the study.Not long after, Gregory also entered the room.


    "What can I help you with, Your Grace?" Gregory asked, bowing respectfully towards Anthea.


    "Gregory, can you tell me about the location of the hidden study?" Anthea said, just going straight to the point and not going around in circles.Gregory was family, after all.There''s no need to beat around the bush with him.


    Gregory showed a surprised expression for a second before it turned back to his normal stern one."Of course, Your Grace.If you could please follow me."


    He gestured for them to follow him.They didn''t waste time and did just that.They all went out the study, following Gregory.


    "Gregory, why have you never told Mother about this hidden study?" Aurum couldn''t help but ask while they were walking.


    It''s one of the things that had been bothering her ever since she read that letter of her father.If Gregory knew about the hidden study, why not tell it to her mother?If so, then maybe her mother would have long discovered that record book.


    "His Grace, Lord Dorian, asked me to take a vow.I was not allowed to divulge the location of the hidden study to anyone, not even to Her Grace.Not unless Her Grace asked me personally about it," Gregory exined.


    Aurum was slightly taken aback by that exnation.So, in short, Gregory couldn''t tell anyone about the hidden study because he made a vow not to.And the only way to get around that vow was for her mother to ask about it herself.She couldn''t help but feel pissed.What was that father of hers thinking?What if her mother never found that letter?Would she and her brother just wait for whatever ''curse'' that had been guing the direct line of the ckbournes to hit them?How could he be so careless?Seriously, if she could see him right now, she would give him a good scolding.


    "That Dorian.Once we find him, I''ll definitely beat him to a pulp," Anthea said, gritting her teeth.


    Aurum nced at her mother, she was probably thinking the same thing as her.She silently agreed with her mother.If her mother beat up her father, then Aurum would cheer her on.


    Soon, Gregory stopped in front of the library.He opened it and the three of them followed him inside.He led them towards the farthest back.There, in front of the bookshelf located at the very middle, he pulled three books in session.There was a rumbling sound and the bookshelf moved like a door.Behind it was a wall with a dark blue crystal embedded at the middle.


    "Lady Aurum, please smear a drop of blood on the crystal for the door to open," Gregory said to Aurum.


    Aurum raised one of her brows.Was this another one of those things that would only react to the blood of a member of the direct line of the ckbournes?


    "Aurum, do you want ck to cut your finger?" ck asked.


    Aurum looked down at the kid and saw him looking excitedly at her.As if the thought of cutting her finger was making him excited.She flicked his forehead."Don''t even think about it."


    She walked in front of the crystal, then took out a dagger from her space ring.She pricked her thumb a little.When a drop of her blood appeared, she immediately smeared it on the crystal.


    The crystal then lit up and the wall it was embedded in slowly separate in two.Completely opening the wall to them.As if on cue, the space behind the wall suddenly lit up.Maybe it was designed that way.So that when the wall opened, the lights inside would automatically turn on.


    Aurum turned back to her mother."Let''s go, Mother?"


    Anthea nodded, her expression turning serious.


    "Then I shall wait here, Your Grace, Lady Aurum," Gregory said, politely bowing to them.


    Anthea, Aurum, and ck entered the room one after another.It was a very sparse study.With only a mahogany desk and a chair behind it.But the most attention grabbing was the ss case at the very middle of the room.A ck book was floating inside it.Aurum had no doubt that it was the record book they were looking for.After all, it was almost as if a big sign was written on it; ''hey, yes, I''m that record book''.


    She took a deep breath before walking towards the ss case.

 Chapter 214: both of them froze on the spot

    Chapter 214: both of them froze on the spot


    ARGENT nced at the nearby table.There was a couple having their dinner there.The man looked upright with a fairly handsome features while the woman looked like a shy and delicate flower.They were nobilities from Iberia.The man had the title of Conde de Salvacion while the woman was his fiance and was a daughter of a high-ranking duke.This restaurant was part of the hotel they were staying in.Although it didn''t have a private box, it still had a certain degree of privacy because only the first-ss guests and people who could afford the overly high price of food could eat here.


    That''s why Argent and his threepanions temporarily booked a suite here.So, they could have a chance to observe the Conde de Salvacion and his entourage.ording to the information gathered by Jaxon''s men, the Conde was scheduled to arrive at the Empire of Kievan next week.That meant they had to leave here either tomorrow or the day after.That was enough time for Argent to understand the full situation and implement their n.


    Based on the information she read, this couple was going to Kievan for a diplomatic visit.That meant that they would have to enter the imperial pce.The n she thought of was fairly simple.Once they all entered Kievan, he and Lei Feng would disguise themselves as the Conde and his fiance.While Jaxon and Janea could act as the head guard and the little nephew of the Conde respectively.


    This was one of the reasons why she chose this couple when she looked through the information of the people entering Kievan in the following weeks.Not only because of their noble status but also because they had identities that were perfect for the four of them to impersonate.Just like what was mentioned above.With these identities, they could enter the imperial pce of Kievan which was the most important thing.


    When Argent saw from the information collected by Jaxon''s men that this Conde brought along a woman and a child, she knew that she hit a jackpot.This way, they could take Janea inside the pce and that''s the more important reason.Because the half-elf was the key.Their efficiency would definitely be halved if he didn''t go with them.


    And thus, she and Lei Feng were here.Mainly to observe rather than eat dinner.Both of them were disguising themselves.She was wearing her holographic choker while Lei Feng put on a human skin mask.Their appearance right now was both quite in, so as not to attract unwanted attention.


    Jaxon and Janea both decided to stay at the suite, deciding to just order room service for dinner.She didn''t force them.After all, it''s also important for the two father and son to be alone together.Maybe, in this way, they could somehow patch up their differences.


    Lei Feng who was eating his dinner quietly was also observing the couple sitting in the next table.His attention particrly focused on the Conde.It''s important he lived up to Argent''s n and not to disappoint her.Observing this Conde, he didn''t think that it would be that hard.Aside from the fact that both of them almost had the same height and build, the other barely had an expression on his face.Lei Feng might not be the greatest of actor but he certainly could y the part of someone with a poker face.


    He''s more worried about Argent who was going to impersonate thedy over there.The woman looked very dainty.She looked like she couldn''t even hurt a fly.You could see it not only on her looks but also on her every action.It''s not like he didn''t trust Argent.It''s just that, despite being beautiful beyond words, Argent didn''t have any feminine bones in her body.She was sofortable being a man that no one could hardly guess that she was a woman in herst life.


    But he guessed that Argent could probably work it out.This was her he was talking about after all.The more worrisome issue was that other thing.He couldn''t help but remember what they talked about early this morning when they were still in the flying shuttle.


    =====


    "How would we impersonate them?We don''t have time to make a human skin mask that match their faces," Janea said after Argent told them that their way in would be by disguising as the people the other mentioned.


    "You don''t have to worry about that," Argent simply said.All she needed was to get the pictures of those four and programmed them on the holographic chokers.She was toozy to exin it to the others."You just have to think how you would act like them."


    "Let me be clear, your n is to rece them once they entered and settled at Kievan?" Jaxon repeated in which Argent nodded."But isn''t the more pressing issue here how the four of us would enter that country?We can''t start with this n if we couldn''t even enter the ce."


    That was Lei Feng''s thought exactly.There was a strong barrier surrounding the whole country of Kievan.It could only be opened from the inside at certain entry points.Which was known as the four heavenly gates that corresponded to the four major direction  North, West, South, and East.The only ones who could open it were the gatekeepers assigned to each gate.And, of course, the Emperor himself.This made Kievan almost impregnable.But it also made it more isted to the world.Even more so inparison to his country of Xing.


    The people who nned to go to the country needed to undergo thorough check before they could enter.Even if one was a high-ranking aristocrat, they still needed to be checked.If no problem was found, then that''s only when they would be allowed inside the country.


    Surely, Argent also knew about that.


    Argent only smirked at Jaxon''s question."Uncle Jax, have you already forgotten my other ability?"


    Jaxon, who suddenly looked as if he became enlightened, smiled and nodded his head."I see.Then we''ll leave the matter of entering Kievan to you."


    Lei Feng was a bit dumbfounded.Because he couldn''t understand what exactly Jaxon ''saw''.


    Argent, who probably noticed his expression, just said, "I''ll exin everything when the timees.For now, let''s just leave it at that."


    =====


    And thus, even until now, Lei Feng was still curious on what method Argent would use to enter the barrier.But even thought he was itching to know the answer, he didn''t want to pester Argent about it.What if she thought that he''s annoying?Of course, he couldn''t have that.So, he''d just wait patiently.


    After dinner, the two walked back to their suite.Argent already took the picture of the Conde and his fiance.Now, they only needed the picture of the head guard and the Conde''s nephew.That could easily be solved tomorrow.


    She nced at Lei Feng who had been silent for a while now."Are you confident that you could y the role of the Conde?" she thought of asking.


    "I will try my best," Lei Feng only said before turning to her."How about you?"


    Argent grinned."I will also try my best."


    Lei Feng almost stopped.Because that smile was too different from her usual ''I''m scheming something'' smile or her ''are you stupid?'' smile or that ''you''re dead'' smile.That grin was too yful, as if she was teasing him.He had the illusion that she was being coquettish towards him.Which he knew was just that, an illusion.But he still couldn''t help the sudden urge to pinch her cheek.


    Before his brain could work, his hand already moved and did just that.


    Both of them froze on the spot.

 Chapter 215: he wouldnt disappoint her anymore

    Chapter 215: he wouldn''t disappoint her anymore


    LEI FENG could feel the satin like sensation under his fingers.The smooth and soft touch was addicting.He almost didn''t want to let go.But when he saw the bewildered look on Argent''s face, he suddenly realized what he had done.He immediately let go of her cheek that he pinched as if burnt.His whole face heated up.He felt like steam was starting toe out of the top of his head.He was probably even blushing as well.


    "I''m sorry, I- I didn''t mean to.You just look so cute at that moment and- no- I mean- just I''m sorry," he exined, all flustered.


    Argent stared at Lei Feng.She didn''t expect what the other did just now.That''s why she wasn''t able to react fast enough.She was annoyed at first.Because she disliked it whenever someone touched her without her permission first.Unless, of course, the situation called for it.And with the exception of her mother and sister.


    But seeing Lei Feng''s face that looked like a cooked shrimp, her annoyance quickly vanished.He kind of looked adorable at the moment.Especially when one thought how stern he looked normally.So, she couldn''t help but be slightly lenient.


    "No need to apologize.Just try not to do it again," she said, shrugging.


    Lei Feng was about to say ''yes'' but then he realized that he couldn''t.Because doing that would mean that he would promise not to touch Argent again.And he just wasn''t sure that he could do that.So, the only thing he could do was to remain silent.


    Argent simply thought that he was acquiescing, so, she no longer spoke and continued to walk towards their suite.


    Reaching the ce, she turned around and looked at him again."And oh, don''t ever call me ''cute'' again."


    Then she opened the door and walked inside.


    Lei Feng who was left outside just shook his head and a helpless smile appeared on his lips.He looked down at his palm.He could still feel the warm touch of her cheek.He clenched his fist.


    [Well, at least she didn''t stab me with a sword.]


    Then he followed Argent inside the suite.


    When Argent walked inside the suite, he saw Jaxon sitting alone at themon area.He was gazing down at the floor.A depressive atmosphere surrounding him.He looked like he was immersed in whatever depressive thought he was thinking.No doubt it had something to do with his newfound son and the elf that was currently trapped at Kievan''s imperial pce.


    It was true in a way.Jaxon was indeed thinking of nnea and their son.But his thoughts were far more depressive than Argent imagined.Those thoughts were fueled even further by the talk he had with Janea while they were having dinner.


    =====


    "Do you like the food?If you have a particr dish you want to eat, just tell me," Jaxon said.They were currently at the dining area of the suite room they booked.The room service he ordered just arrived.


    Janea didn''t answer Jaxon''s question and just put food on his te, silently eating.Not even ncing at Jaxon.


    Jaxon didn''t mind being ignored.He understood that Janea still hadn''t forgiven him.One could say that they were just in a stand-still right now.Janea was simply being perfunctory towards him.Because they needed to work together to save nnea.If not for that, Janea would probably not even want to be in the same room as him.


    He no longer spoke and just let Janea eat in peace.Of course, he didn''t forget to put dishes on his te from time to time.All of the dishes he ordered were vegetarian.He remembered how nnea didn''t like to eat meat.That''s only when he found out that elves actually couldn''t eat meat of any kind.Being a half-elf, Janea probably had the same constitution.


    Jaxon''s small actions didn''t escape Janea''s eyes.But he didn''t say anything and just ate quietly.His chest still felt congested whenever he saw this person.Like a huge weight had been pressing on him.Seeing him, Janea couldn''t help but be reminded of every suffering his mother had gone through.That he wasn''t there when they needed him the most.


    But he knew there was no point on him continuing to act antagonistic towards this person.That wouldn''t help anyone.What they needed right now was to work together to save his mother and take her away from that ce.


    "Are you full?" Jaxon asked once they finished eating."If you still want to eat, just tell me."


    "No need," Janea said wiping the corners of his mouth."You- what will you do once you faced the Emperor of Kievan?"


    This was a question that he had been wanting to ask.How he would act around this person would all depend on his answer.


    Jaxon was startled when he heard that question.He turned to Janea and saw his son looking solemnly at him.And he knew that if he didn''t answer him seriously, he would probably hate him even more.


    "If I have the chance, I will kill him," he answered without hesitation.


    He clenched his fists.The anger and hate he had been bottling inside him was surging again.nnea had been imprisoned by that bastard emperor for years.Just from Janea''s few descriptions, it was clear that that bastard was very obsessed with nnea.And he knew what that meant.Even if he didn''t want to think about it, the possibility of her being


    Jaxon closed his eyes tightly and took a deep breath.If he continued to think in that direction, his Mana would go out of control again.He would wait.The time for revenge was close at hand.And then he would let the Emperor of Kievan pay.He would subject him to a suffering that was much worse than what nnea experienced.A million times worse.


    Janea looked quietly at Jaxon and observed his expression.He could tell that he really meant what he said just now.He stood up."I hope you won''t renege on your words and act on it when the timees."


    Jaxon nodded.


    Janea started to walk back to his room but stopped after a few steps."Mother- she has been waiting for you.I hope you won''t continue disappointing her."


    =====


    Jaxon pinched the bridge of his nose.Trying his best to calm himself.No, he wouldn''t disappoint her anymore.This time, this time for sure, he would save her.[Please, just wait a bit more, nnea.]


    "Are you alright, Uncle Jax?" Argent asked.She actually nned to just ignore him and go directly to her room.But she thought that that would probably be too rude.


    Jaxon was startled by Argent''s voice.He didn''t even notice that there was already another person in the room.He raised his head and nodded."Were you able to do what you had to do?" he just asked instead.


    "Yes.Then, I''ll go to my room to rest.You should rest too.We still have a long day tomorrow," Argent said.


    Jaxon nodded and gestured for her to go on and rest in her room.


    Argent walked to her room after that.


    She was about to change her clothes to take a bath when she felt her light brain vibrating.A sign that someone sent her a message.She opened her light brain and saw that the message was from her sister.She didn''t hesitate to open it.


    Her pupils dted once she read the contents of the message.

 Chapter 216: the journal of the 6th duke of hanover (i)

    Chapter 216: the journal of the 6th duke of hanover (i)


    IT was a couple of pictures from pages that were seemingly taken from a book.But Argent knew that it was from the record that her father said in his letter.This ''record'' was written in a journal like way.As if detailing some important events, writing it down so that the following generations would be able to read it.


    On the first picture, the words ''Julian ckbourne, the 6th Duke of Hanover'' in beautiful cursive.Followed that was a picture of what seemed like a journal.


    The 6th month, 908 A.A.


    -I finally arrive at the Mythos Continent.It''s been my dream to go here since I was a child.I wonder what kind of adventures I will be facing.


    The 7th month, 908 A.A


    -It''s been a month since I arrived at Mythos Continent.It was everything I imagined and more.I was staying at the region controlled by the elves.My impression of elves was not that good.Last year, an elf visited Albion and became a guest at the royal pce.He was very haughty and proud, looking at everyone condescendingly as if all humans were beneath him.I thought all elves were like that.Just because they were the most loved race of the goddess, Gaia.But arriving here in Mythos and interacting with the elves for the past month, I know now that not all are like that.Yes, they are a proud race.But that was only because they took pride in their heritage.Most of them were pure and kind hearted.And it didn''t take long for me to get along with them.


    The 8th month, 908 A.A.


    -I met someone.Her name is Raenisa.She was a warrior elf.I almost fell off a cliff while I was searching for medicinal nts in the forest.She saved me.I don''t know if it was because she saved me and I was just feeling grateful, but I always wanted to talk to her and befriend her.I also think that she''s incredibly pretty.Probably the prettiest girl I have ever seen.


    The 10th month, 908 A.A.


    -It''s been two months since I met Raenisa.No matter what I do, I couldn''t get her out of my mind.Whenever we met, my heart would always beat so fast, as if I had just been in a race.I don''t even care that she always res at me or the fact that she always seems to be in a bad mood whenever I''m around.Is this some kind of illness?


    The 11th month, 908 A.A.


    -I can''t fool myself any longer.I''m in love with Raenisa.Unbearably and undeniably so.But what should I do with this love?In six months'' time, I have to leave Mythos and return to Albion.And Raenisa seems to hate me.


    The 1st month, 909 A.A.


    -There was a banquet in the vige I was staying.I attended and drank a little bit too much.No, I probably drank a lot.Because if not, I wouldn''t confess my feelings to Raenisa in front of so many of her kin.I actually have no recollection of what happened.Someone only told me about it.I''ve never been so mortified in my life.But I was also secretly d that I managed to tell her my feelings.Albeit in a very unconventional manner.


    -I immediately went to see Raenisa after.But she refused to meet me.She probably was very embarrassed because of what I did.


    That was the end of that page.This was very much like the journal of the 6th Duke of Hanover.Since Aurum sent a picture of it to him, the things that were written here must be connected to this ''child of all'' situation of the main line of the ckbournes.She looked at the date where it all started.It was more than 900 years ago and 400 years before Mythos Continent closed.The A.A. here meant After Ascension, which talked about the years after the goddess Gaia ascended to the heavens and left the five continents that she created.


    Then she proceeded on looking at the next picture.


    The 2nd month, 909 A.A.


    -Raenisa has been avoiding me for a month.Whenever she sees me, she would quickly turn to another direction as if I''m some sort of gue.She must really hate me.I think I shouldn''t show myself in front of her any more.So as not to annoy her.I''ll just look at her from a distance.


    The 3rd month, 909 A.A.


    -Something incredible happened today!Something I never thought would ever happen!I was nning to spend the remaining three months of my stay in Mythos at the Beastkin region when someone unexpected ambushed me along the way.Yes, ambushed.She stopped the carriage I was in.Almost destroying it, in fact.And yes, it was Raenisa.


    -She used me of being a coward and running away when things didn''t go my way.I became a bit angry as well when I heard her usation.So, I told her that since she hates me, what does it matter if I leave or not.Then she said that she doesn''t hate me.She''s simply just doesn''t know how to react around me.I was surprised, then I had a sudden epiphany.So, I took that chance to ask her if she also feels the same way for me as what I feel for her.


    -She said yes.


    The 4th month, 909 A.A.


    -We held a marriage ceremony at the Elven vige where we met.From this day on, we will spend the rest of our long life together.


    The 5th month, 909 A.A.


    -I returned to Albion today.But unlike when I left, I returned with my wife  Raenisa.The new Duchess of Hanover.


    -She told me about her worries.Like what if his family won''t ept her.I told her that that wouldn''t happen.Marriage between a human and another race was rare, yes, but not really unthinkable.My parents are no longer there.The only opposition we could face is from the branch family.But I assure her that their opinions don''t matter.Because I won''t let anyone separate us.


    The 10th month, 909 A.A.


    -We learned that Raenisa is pregnant.I''m going to be a father!


    The 4th month, 910 A.A.


    -Raenisa gave birth to a lovely boy.We named him Regan.


    The 4th month, 930 A.A.


    -Our son, Regan, turned 20 today.He asked if he could go to Mythos Continent to have his own adventure.I was worried at first.After all, we only have him.But Raenisa convinced me to let our son go.Saying that it''s not right to curb his potential by forcing him to just stay at one ce.At the end, I could only agree.


    The 6th month, 930 A.A.


    -Today was the day that Regan would sail to Mythos Continent.Just like me back then, he would stay there for a year.I wish that he would find his stay there as fulfilling as I did.


    The 6th month, 931 A.A.


    -Regan returned today from Mythos Continent.And just like me back then, he didn''t return alone.He was with a girl.Her name is Elmyra  a dragon and beastkin hybrid.Which was very rare in itself.Regan asked us to give them our blessings for marriage.Although I was very worried because of the possible problem that might ur from this union, I and my wife still gave them our blessings.


    After reading that passage, Argent felt a bad premonition.She could already tell how the main line of the ckbourne family suffered from the ''curse'' her father talked about in his letter.

 Chapter 217: the journal of the 6th duke of hanover (ii)

    Chapter 217: the journal of the 6th duke of hanover (ii)


    THE 3rd month, 933 A.A.


    -Elmyra gave birth to a healthy baby boy.My worries that there might be some deformation because of the union between her and my son didn''t happen.The boy - who the two named Ellion - looked like an ordinary human baby.He was so lovely.I think he looked a little bit like his Grandmother.


    The 3rd month, 934 A.A.


    -Ellion turned one today and we had to check his Gift level.He was SS, as expected.Just like Regan.But I have a feeling that Ellion is even more powerful than his father.Because he''s just brimming with Mana.I couldn''t help but worry about his future.


    The 6th month, 937 A.A.


    -Ellion is already three this year.His Mana just grows more and more powerful with each year passing.And his little body couldn''t control it.Just the other day, he identally injured a servant because she didn''t do what he wanted.I''m afraid that something worse might happen if we don''t do something.


    The 7th month, 937 A.A.


    -Ellion threw a tantrum and hurt three servants.I finally said my worries to my wife and she agreed that we really need to do something.We talked to our son and our daughter-inw who were actually also worrying about this.And we decided to take Ellion to the Mythos Continent.Raenisa suggested that we request an audience from the Elven Queen.Because she was sure that the other would have all the answers they needed.


    The 8th month, 934 A.A.


    -We arrived at Mythos Continent today.We didn''t waste time and immediately went to the Elven pce to meet the Queen.Raenisa already wrote to her a month before, so she was already expecting our visit.


    -The Elven Queen told us that there was not problem with Ellion.Because the blood of the four races flow within him, he was more powerful and stronger than a normal human.Probably even morepared to other races.The problem is not with Ellion but with the subsequent generation that would follow him.


    -I didn''t understand at first what she meant.Until it slowly dawned on me.I asked her if she was talking about the future generations of the ckbourne family.And she said yes.


    -She exined that because of the powerful blood flowing in Ellion''s veins, if he had a child with another race, the resulting progeny might not be able to handle the powerful Mana.Especially if the partner he chose is a human.The child would have a limited life span.The blood of the four races would just serve as some kind of poison.Yes, it would allow the future generation to have powerful Gifts but it would also shorten their life span.The child of Ellion''s child would have a shorter life span than their father.Then the child of that child would have an even shorter life span.And thus, the cycle would continue on and on and on.


    -I couldn''t believe what I was hearing.But I also knew in my heart that the Queen was telling the truth.If this continues, the main line of the ckbourne family would dwindle slowly until nothing more was left.I couldn''t think properly when I realized that.


    -Raenisa was stronger than me, she always was.And quickly asked the Queen if there''s something that can be done.The Queen didn''t hide it from us and told us that there was only one solution to our problem.If the blood of the four races that would be passed on to the future generation would act as a poison, then we only have to find the cure.The good news is, we don''t need to search for it.Because the elves already have it in their midst.


    -It was the fruit of the Tree of Life.


    Argent stopped reading at that point.Because that just confirmed everything that she suspected.


    The reason for the ''curse'' was because an ancestor of the main line of the ckbourne family inherited the blood of all the four races.Which in turn was also the reason the legend about the ''child of all'' was referring to their family.Because of this, the following generation of the ckbournes were born with powerful Mana and Gifts.But as any kind of power, it also had its downside.A very big one at that.


    They could only live with a limited life span.In this world where a human could live up to 300 years, that was certainly not a good thing.But that''s not all.The subsequent generations would have shorter life span than their predecessor.When it reached her and Aurum''s generation, the two of them could only live up to 30 years.If one of them had a child in the future, that child would have an even shorter life span than them.


    As the Queen said, the blood of the four races acted as a poison.And the cure to that poison was the fruit of the Tree of Life.Something that could only be found at the Elven region.


    The problem now was, the Mythos Continent closed more than 500 years ago.Which meant the generations of the main line of the ckbourne family that was born after that period wasn''t able to find a cure for their short life span.And that was the reason why her father was searching for the three ancient artifacts.Because, from Argent''s understanding of things, those three were the key to open the closed continent.


    Her father wanted to get the fruit from the Tree of Life.Not only for him but also for his child.But he failed and they didn''t even know where he was right now.


    Argent took a deep breath and slowly digested all the information she had gathered.It seemed that the problem was even worse than she expected.


    Now, it''s decided.They really needed to go to the closed Mythos Continent.

 Chapter 218: determination in those purple depths

    Chapter 218: determination in those purple depths


    ARGENT had to pinch her temple just to alleviate her headache.There was still information that still need to be read.So, she calmed herself and read the next one.This time it was no longer the written ount of the 6th Duke of Hanover but the 9th.Based on what she had read, this 9th Duke of Hanover should be the grandson of Ellion.


    But when she read the following ounts, her guess was proven wrong.


    The 2nd month, 1323 A.A.


    -Today, this record was finally handed to me.A symbolic sign that I am now the new Duke of Hanover.But I really couldn''t be happy.Because bing one meant the death of my Grandfather and Father.When I received the news that Mythos Continent closed, I still had a small hope that perhaps, they will still be able toe back.But when my people went to check the situation, they reported to him that they couldn''t even find a trace of the continent.But I won''t lose hope.I still believe that they''re not gone.I must find a way to go to Mythos.


    The 5th month, 1324 A.A.


    -It''s been a year.There''s still no news about Grandfather and Father.The Mythos Continent seemed topletely vanish in the face of the world.Its disappearance caused a major change in the society.Those that belonged to the three races that were stranded outside when Mythos closed and disappeared were treated like prizedmodities.Halflings that inherited the characteristics of their parent that belonged to the other three races were treated even worse.The former proud beings were now treated as ythings and ves.Human nature is really disgusting.


    -But there was also a little bit of resentment and gloating in my heart.If they''re so powerful, why do they have to ask for his Grandfather''s help to fix the problem they created?I know it''s wrong to think this way.I, of all people, should know the main reason why both Father and Grandfather went to Mythos Continent.Because if something happened to the elves, then it would only lead to the tragedy of their family.


    The 3rd month, 1329, A.A.


    -Five years, I still haven''t heard anything from them.I still don''t know how I could open the Mythos Continent.My wife is already pregnant.Every day I was afraid that I would just fall over and die without even her knowing.Then, there''s our unborn child.What shall this child do in the future if there''s already a death scythe hanging above their head the moment they''re born?


    That was thest entry from the 9th Duke of Hanover.Well, at least that''s the end of his part that Aurum sent to her.


    The one that followed next was the record written by the 17th Duke of Hanover.Going by this, this person must be her and Aurum''s nominal grandfather.It was written 20 years ago.


    The 5th month, 1833 A.A.


    -I feel like my body is getting closer and closer to its end.I fear for my son.He was already a young man of 21 and yet I still wasn''t able to tell him about the circumstances of main line of the ckbourne family.Since his mother died, I''ve only ever wanted for him to grow up without any kind of suffering.Just how could I tell my free-spirited son that he might die even younger than me?


    -My only hope is if I could discover a way to open the Mythos continent.But it has already been years.Will I also fail just like my predecessors?


    The 9th month, 1833 A.A.


    -A good news just arrived!Yes, it''s the one that this family had longed been waiting for.News about how to open the Mythos Continent.One of my people found the information from the Temple of Gaia.It was written on a parchment and guarded like a treasure.So, I knew it must be the truth.


    -The key to open Mythos is the ancient artifacts from the three races.I have heard of them.But I thought they were just some kind of legend.Or maybe just story used to lure the unsuspecting treasure hunters.After all, why would the treasure of the three races be found outside of the Mythos Continent?But no matter, this is the only lead that I have.I will do everything I can to look for the artifacts'' whereabouts in the remaining time that I have.


    That was the end of the message that Aurum sent to Argent.A lot of information still had to be digested.But her focus was on thest entry.Her nominal grandfather found the information about the ancient artifacts from the Temple of Gaia.Was it just coincidence?He didn''t think so.How could there such an amazing coincidence in this world?Unless, someone deliberately released information saying that what he''d been looking for could be found at the Temple.


    The most likely suspect was Lucern Faust  the current Pope.But how old was he 20 years ago?Six?If her suspicion was correct and that bastard could really scheme like that at the age of six, then he''s nothing short of terrifying.


    Argent closed her light brain and walked towards the window, looking up at the moon hanging on the dark sky.


    She still needed some time to thoroughly examine the information her sister sent to her.But she knew things would just get more and moreplicated from now on.As if it''s not already.They not only needed to look for the ancient artifacts, they still had to make sure that they would be sessful in using it to open Mythos.All the while, watching their backs from any attacks from the shitty Pope and his minions.


    Seriously, if she could, she really wanted to just kill the bastard.But she knew that that would be difficult to do.Despite the power and wealth the Silver Corporation had now, it still a little bit worsepared to the Temple of Gaia.She knew that that little stint they did in Victoria City was not enough to thoroughly destroy the reputation of the Temple that had centuries of history.As long as that bastard, Lucern, was there, he would definitely not let the Temple fall.He might already have a way to deal with it.


    But Argent had no time to deal with him now.Her focus should be on rescuing the elf currently imprisoned at Kievan''s imperial pce.A very dangerous and hard feat for sure.


    She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.She''d make sure that this rescue mission would be a sess.She swore that all of them would leave Kievan in one piece.When she finds thest two artifacts, she would definitely not let the Temple of Gaia or Lucern Faust have their way.Sooner orter, she''d make them fall to the point that they could never get up no matter how much they wanted to.She would definitely open the Mythos Continent.She would get the fruit from the Tree of Life.And she and her sister would live past the age of 30.


    When she opened her eyes, strong determination filled those purple depths.

 Chapter 219: surprise visit

    Chapter 219: surprise visit


    AURUM woke up with a headache.It''s probably because she only slept for about two hours.Who could sleep properly after she had read the things written on that record book yesterday?


    The main line of the ckbourne family had the blood of all races because one of their ancestors decided to marry an elf and their son married a dragon-beastkin hybrid.Seriously, did no one ever tell them the consequence of that?At least someone should have given them a warning.That the blood of all the four races would act as a ''poison''.Causing the generations that would follow after them to forever rely on the fruit of the Tree of Life to get rid of that ''poison'' and continue their life span.


    She even suspected that those people from Mythos purposely hid the truth so that someone like Ellion ckbourne could be born.She had read the things written about the 8th Duke of Hanover.He was powerful.The most powerful ckbourne ever born.His appearance was mostly human with no pointed ears or beast-like eyes.But his otherworldly beauty and powerful Mana bellied that fact.


    She asked Gregory yesterday if there was any portrait of Ellion ckbourne in the manor.He then took her to a room where all the portraits of all the former Dukes of Hanover were located.She only had to take one sweep before she immediately zeroed in on one particr portrait.


    The man had golden locks and a pair of purple eyes.There was a slight smile on his lips as if he knew a lot of secrets.But even if you asked, he wouldn''t tell you about it.All his features were human-like.But there was just something ethereal about him.Something magical.And she just knew this was Ellion ckbourne.


    The dukes who followed him were all beautiful.But none could have matched his beauty.Maybe because the blood of the four races was most manifested on him.


    She had also seen the portrait of her father  Dorian ckbourne.Just like how many people have said, her brother really did look like him.Only with more masculinity.She didn''t really feel anything while looking at his portrait.Unlike the former dukes, he didn''t write any entries on the record book.Maybe he''s too busy to look for the location of the three artifacts.But at least now, she probably could understand him more.The reason why he left and the reason why he disappeared.


    Because he was looking for a way to open the Mythos Continent.So, they could continue to live.She now understood that restless feeling that something was not under your control.That even if you didn''t do anything, there''s already a time limit on your life.It''s suffocating and frustrating.Even if you know how to solve it, there were still a lot of things getting in your way.


    Aurum could give her father a plus for his determination.But maybe he could have at least left some notes on where he found the three ancient artifacts.ording to what the remnant of the soul of the dragon king said to her brother, their father sessfully found the three artifacts.He just failed on using them properly.


    As a safety, just in case he failed, he should have had a n B.That''s certainly what her brother would have had done.Well, there''s no use crying over spilled-milk.What she and Argent could only do now was to look for those artifacts and make sure that they would seed.


    Of course, while they''re doing that, they still had to face the evil Pope and his bands of minions.She should probably do more mental training to have more control over her Gift.If she could, then maybe whenever they met an enemy, she could just one-hit kill them.That would certainly save them a lot of trouble.


    She stood up and called a maid to bring her bathwater.It took a while before they managed to bring everything in.


    Aurum submerged herself in the rose-scented water and thought of the video call she had with her brotherst night.


    =====


    "Could you send me a picture of every page on that record book?" Argent asked as soon as their video call connected.


    "I could.But it''s really a lot of pages.I only picked those that I deem relevant," Aurum said.


    "And you did perfectly.I just wanted to read the entries of the other dukes.Especially those that lived after the Mythos Continent closed."


    "Okay.I''ll do it tomorrow."


    Aurum didn''t hesitate to agree.Because she knew that there must be a reason why her brother asked her that.Probably to see how those dukes coped up with their situation, knowing that they had limited life span.


    "How did Mother react?" Argent asked.


    "Shocked and scared."


    Their mother almost had a panic attack when they read the part about the main line of the ckbourne family having a limited life span and that the only thing that could stop that was a fruit from the Tree of Life.Heck, Aurum would probably have reacted the same way if she wasn''t sure that it would have a more negative effect on her mother.


    "Understandable.It''s not only her children who are affected by this.But also her missing husband," Argent said in her usual indifferent manner.


    "You''re talking as if we''re not the ones who are affected," she said jokingly.


    But what she couldn''t say was that, she too was very scared about this turn of events.She just didn''t want to show that to her brother.It might just add more unnecessary pressure on Argent when she already had a lot on her te.


    "Because we will get through this.We will open that continent.We will get those damn fruits. And we won''t die before we reach the age of 30.I swear we will."


    Aurum was slightly startled by her brother''s sudden deration.But when she looked at those purple eyes filled with determination, all her fears and anxiety suddenly disappeared.


    She smiled."I know."


    =====


    Aurum finished her bath and picked a simple sky-blue dress.She wasbing her hair when someone knocked on her door.


    "Come in," she called.


    The door opened and a maid walked in."Young Lady, a friend of yours came to visit."


    The first thing that came to Aurum''s mind was y.So, before she could think properly, she was already running out of her room.She climbed down the stairs and stared at the tall young man standing not far away.But he was not the one she expected.Because this one didn''t have dark-brown hair.Instead, his hair was as fiery as a scorching red me.


    "Mis?"

 Chapter 220: mishlas entanglement

    Chapter 220: mis''s entanglement


    INSIDE a study in the royal pce of Albion, one could hear the rustling of pen against paper.Behind a mahogany desk was a young man with a cold temperament.His blue hair was neatly swept back and his ice blue eyes were focused on the documents he was reading.


    The quiet atmosphere was suddenly destroyed by the voice of a certain red-haired young man."Winter,e on, it''s near evening.Stop working and let''s go out to have dinner."


    Winter nced at Mis."I already told you, I''m busy.Unlike you, I''m not that free."


    Mis rolled his russet colored eyes."Yes, yes, of course, I couldn''tpare to the busy ''crown prince''."


    "Stop.That hasn''t been finalized yet," Winter said, looking at Mis with disapproval."The walls have ears.If someone hear you speaking like that, they might think that I couldn''t wait to be that."


    "Don''t be too paranoid.It''s almost a foregone conclusion anyway.Who would the king assign as ''that'' if not you?That little brother of yours?"There was almost augh in Mis''s voice when he said thest sentence.


    Winter didn''tment.But he could understand his friend''s reaction towards Vale.After all, out of all the five royal children of Albion, his younger brother was the most invisible.If he didn''t show himself from time to time, people might actually forget that a third prince still existed.Their own father couldn''t even bring himself to pay attention to Vale.That''s how much hecked presence.


    Just as Mis said, now that the eldest prince was exiled, the eldest princess was imprisoned, the second princess was a girl with no influence in court, and the third prince was a timid boy with barely any presence at all, the only heir left to the throne was him.The king giving him his own study in the pce meant that he was giving the second prince an official duty. It was like indirectly telling everyone that he was nning to officially recognize Winter as the crown prince.


    Many secretly approved of the King''s decision.Especially themon people.After the video of him controlling the crowd in Victoria City trended, the opinion of themon people about him became much higher.He stopped a possible stampede and also showed his strong belief to the goddess, Gaia.Thetter one particrly moved the people.


    Of course, there were still people who disapproved of the King''s decision.It''s the faction being led by the Queen.That woman would surely not allow Winter to just inherit the throne.Especially since she still had two remaining children who could fight against him.


    That''s why what happened at Victoria City was something Winter should be thankful for.It was a huge boost to his image.It probably brought him closer to the hearts of themon people of Albion.


    The main reason why the Temple of Gaia had continuously been a powerful group throughout the past centuries was because of their belief for the goddess.Even before the Temple became the huge religious group it was now, there were already many people who worshiped Gaia.The Temple just took advantage of that belief and used it to their best advantage to make their church''s influence bigger and bigger.Until them being part of people''s lives became the norm.


    That''s why what happened at Victoria City wouldn''t be enough to destroy them.As long as their hiding behind the banner of the goddess, Gaia, it would be hard to bring them down.But, at least, with what happened, he believed that it definitely made some cracks in the Temple''s perfect image.And that''s probably what Argent hoped when he nned that.


    Thinking of the Duke of Hanover, a small smile that he didn''t even notice suddenly crossed his lips.


    "But seriously, you really did a good job in that whole Victoria City fiasco," Mis suddenlymented."When did you be such a good talker?"


    "Why do you assume that I''m not?" Winter simply said, not leaving his eyes on the document he was reading.


    Mis shook his head.Why did he feel like ever since Winter reunited with his mother, this friend of his became more and more loose with his words?But that''s a good thing.At least it''s better than being a living iceberg that barely spoke.


    Seeing that he wouldn''t really be able to take Winter out of his study, he decided to just go home.So, he said his goodbye and walked out of the study.


    He was no longer in any mood to go somewhere.And since he went there by horseback, once he was out of the pce, he simply rode his horse back to the Wakefield Manor.His travel was unimpeded, so he quickly reached the manor.


    He just got off of his horse when his valet came rushing towards him.


    "Milord, a message came for you," the valet said, almost out of breath.


    "Message?Was it so important that you couldn''t wait for me to enter the manor?" Mis said, joking.


    "Milord, it''s from ''that'' manor."


    Mis quickly understood what the valet meant."What is it?Quickly, tell me!"


    "Thedy is back."


    ----------


    Mis was riding his horse towards the direction of Hanover Manor.His heart was beating wildly inside his chest.He couldn''t tell if he was excited or scared.But one thing was for sure  he couldn''t wait to see Aurum again.


    When he received the messagest evening that Aurum was back, he wanted to be at Hanover manor right at that moment.But reason prevailed and he managed to stop himself.It was highly inappropriate for him to go there at that hour.Especially since it was quite obvious that she came back to Albion secretly.He only managed to know about her return because he paid one of the gardeners a few weeks back to immediately tell him about any news he heard about Aurum.


    He knew it was wrong of him to do that.It''s like he''s viting her privacy.But what could he do?For some reason, after they talked a few weeks back, Aurum started to avoid his calls.If she wasn''t posting on her [Jiffy] ount from time to time, he might have thought that something bad had happened to her.That she was in some sort of danger.But it turned out that that wasn''t the case.She probably just simply didn''t want to answer his calls.


    He didn''t know what happened.He wasn''t even sure if he did something wrong.No matter how much he racked his brains out, he couldn''t think of anything that might have had offended her.So, this was all he could do.But now that she''s back, he wanted to know the answer from her herself.


    No matter what it might be.


    Mis chose a path where not a lot of people passed by.It''s best if no one saw him going to Hanover Manor.Because it''s quite obvious that Aurum didn''t want others to know of her return.Probably because it had not been a secret that the King had been moring to match her with Winter.But because both the duke and the duchess, even Aurum herself, were not in Albion, he couldn''t do proceed with his n.


    Not that it would matter if they were here.It''s not as if Winter would agree.Not to mention, the duke.That one would definitely not agree.


    Soon, he arrived at Hanover Manor.He jumped off from his horse and tied the reins to a nearby tree.Then he walked towards the manor and knocked on the door.The one who opened it was the manor''s severe-looking butler  Gregory.


    "Lord Brightmore," Gregory directly called his title."May I ask what might have brought you here?"


    "Good morning.I''m here to visit Aurum."Mis saw the imperceptible frown on the butler''s face.So, before he could refuse him, he quickly said, "Please, I know she''s here.I just need to talk to her.I promise I won''t tell anyone that she''s here.Please"


    Gregory probably saw how determined (desperate) he was, so he relented and let him in.


    "The drawing room is this way, Lord Brightmore," Gregory said, gesturing for him to follow.


    "No, it''s alright.I''ll just wait here."


    Gregory nodded and told one of the passing maids to call Aurum.Mis couldn''t help fidgeting.He felt truly nervous.He didn''t even notice how many seconds have already passed.He couldn''t care less about his surroundings.That was until he heard that familiar sweet voice.


    "Mis?"

 Chapter 221: aurums answer

    Chapter 221: aurum''s answer


    MISHLA raised his head as soon as he heard that voice.And there, standing at the foot of the stairs was the most beautiful girl he had everid eyes on.Seeing her, he felt his heart beating crazily.If it could speak, it would probably be shouting at him right now.Telling him to rush over there and pull Aurum into his arms.But he stopped himself.Because he knew that she wouldn''t like it.So, at the end, he could only stare.


    Her long golden hair was flowing freely behind her back.The sky-blue dress she was wearing made her skin looked softer and more delicate.And her pair of beautiful amber eyes were filled with shock.As if she didn''t expect him to be here.


    That''s probably truly the case.After all, her return to Albion was obviously a secret.She wouldn''t want anyone to know about it.And yet, here he was.Clearly trespassing.


    But even knowing that, Mis just couldn''t stop himself froming here.It''s not just because he wanted to see her.More than that, he wanted answers.To know what he had done that was so wrong that she would avoid him so tantly.Although he already had an answer in his heart, he just refused to believe it.There''s no way that he would.


    Aurum, on the other hand, was truly surprised seeing Mis here.The first thing she thought was how did he know that she was back?She probably could easily find the answer by reading his mind.But she wouldn''t do that.Despite everything, she considered him as a friend.And she would never read the mind of someone she thought of as one.Just like how she wouldn''t do it on her family and other important people to her.That would simply be disrespectful.


    Despite that, it didn''t take long for her to reach an answer in her head.There''s only one that she could think of, really.That one of the servants tattled.Thinking of that, she suddenly felt angry.It seemed that she needed to talk to talk to Gregory about the servants in the manor.They needed to do some cleaning up.Those who couldn''t be trusted should be let go and only let those faithful to the ckbourne family remain.


    They were in a sensitive juncture right now.They didn''t need people who could easily tell others their whereabouts in exchange for something.In this case, she was almost sure that it''s most likely money.Aurum didn''t want to worry about those types of people, let alone let her brother worry about it, when they already had a lot of problems in their hands.


    "Let''s go to the drawing room," she said to Mis.


    "Mdy, should we apany you?" asked one of the maids standing on the side, waiting for orders.


    Aurum almost forgot that it''s inappropriate for an unmarried youngdy to stay alone in a room with an unmarried gentleman.She''s probably too used to the freedom she had whenever shes with her brother.But seriously, this etiquette thing was just too annoying.


    "No need," she said.


    If what happened here got out and became the topic of the gossip mill, then that would only prove that the quality of the manor''s servants was truly not thatmendable.She didn''t wait for any of the maids to reply and walked straight towards the drawing room.Mis, of course, followed.


    When the two entered the room, Aurum closed the door.To make sure that no one would eavesdrop on them.


    "Please, have a seat," she said, gesturing to one of the seats inside.


    "Thank you," Mis said.


    And the both of them sat down.


    "I won''t ask you how you found out that I''m back, because I feel like I already know the answer," Aurum started."But I hope you won''t do something like this again.It would be really inconvenient for me if someone was to know that I''m here.I hope you could understand."


    Mis clenched his fists, his nails almost drilling into his palms.She sounded so distant.As if she was talking to a stranger.His chest tightened.It''s almost like he couldn''t breathe.As if he was slowly drowning.Suddenly the confusion and pain he felt just turned to anger.


    "Maybe if you at least answered one of my calls, I wouldn''t resort to this," he said, almost gritting out the words between his teeth.Maybe there was even a tone of usation in there.But he didn''t care."Do you really even think of me as a friend?"


    Aurum was startled by what Mis said.She was even more surprised seeing the obvious pain in those russet eyes.She suddenly felt extreme guilt.


    When she realized Mis''s feelings for her might be more than that of a friend, she decided to avoid him.Because she didn''t want to give him false hope.She believed that Mis was smart enough to get her message even if she didnt tell it to him directly.No matter how deep his feelings was for her, he would no doubt be hurt.But a quick pain was infinitely better than a prolonged one.


    She took a deep breath.This was an opportunity for her to cut off whatever hope that still remained in his heart.She couldn''t let him pine on her when she knew herself that her heart would never turn towards him.Mis didn''t deserve that.


    "You''re the first person that ever reached out their hand to me and asked me to be their friend, for that I will forever be grateful."


    And that''s truly how Aurum felt.She probably wouldn''t be able to adapt to society without his constant calls and messages.But she couldn''t fool herself into thinking that she could return his feelings simply because she felt grateful.Being grateful and being in love were twopletely different things.If she did ept him, the both of them would just be miserable in the future.She couldn''t subject both of them to something like that.


    She looked straight into Mis''s eyes."You''ll always be an important friend to me, Mis.That will never change.But that''s all I could offer to you  a lifelong of friendship.I hope you could understand."


    Mis felt like his heart had been hit by something.It''s like a big rock pounded it into smithereens.He hadn''t experienced something so painful in his life.He already knew that this would be her answer.For almost eight years that he had been friends with her, she never looked at him the same way he looked at her.But he hoped, he was still hoping, that one day he could change that.That one day, she would finally look his way.


    But right at this moment, Aurumpletely cut off that hope.


    Heughed bitterly.He wanted to cry because of the pain.But he couldn''t continue to make a fool of himself in front of her.He stood up.


    "I- I''m sorry.I need to go."


    He walked out of the drawing room, then out of the manor in a daze.He climbed on the back of his horse and left there.He wasn''t even sure how he managed to go back home.


    And then, inside his room, he fell down on his knees and cried.

 Chapter 222: sticking to her decision

    Chapter 222: sticking to her decision


    AURUM told a footman to follow Mis and made sure than nothing would happen to him.She saw how emotionally unstable Mis was when he left.If no one watched over him, she was worried that he might be in an ident or something simr.


    She let out a deep sigh and walked towards the back garden of the manor.She was not worried that some outsider might see her.Because the back garden of the manor faced the rest of thend owned by the ckbournes.One couldn''t catch a glimpse of it unless they get through the manor itself.The only thing she really needed to worry about was unfaithful servants who would tattle whatever they saw to anyone who paid them the right price.


    But honestly?She really couldn''t care less right now.She just wanted to breath a little bit of fresh air.Maybe it would clear her muddled head.


    Arriving at the back garden, she took a deep breath and walked aimlessly.The expression on Mis''s face when he left was still on her mind.As if it engraved itself in her brain.The confusion and pain could be clearly seen in those russet colored eyes.It was something that she probably wouldn''t forget for the rest of her life.


    For a second, Aurum deeply regretted what she did.Was it really the right decision to reject him so straightforwardly?Could she have handled it differently?Maybe in a much gentler way?Those were the things that were going through her mind at that instant.When Mis stood up and told him he was leaving, she even almost reached out to him.


    But at the end, she didn''t.And she was d for that.Because she knew that small action would just hurt him even more.Besides, what else would she say to him?There''s nothing she could say that would soften the blow of her rejection.Unless, of course, she took back all the things she just said.And that''s one thing she couldn''t do.


    So, she strengthened her resolve, stayed put, and just watched him leave.


    She believed that she made the right decision.Mis might be hurt and in pain right now, but he would get passed this.He was strong.And this experience would definitely make him even stronger.He was still young, not even 20 years of age.In time, he would definitely be able to let go of the feeling he felt for her.And then, he would meet the right woman for him.Someone who would love him with all her heart and soul.Mis deserved nothing less.


    But even so, Aurum still felt tremendous guilt in her heart.A sad smile crossed her lips.Maybe after this, the two of them could never return to being friends again.She could no longer hear the other''s funny jokes or even see him acting all spoiled.He probably wouldn''t contact her again.At least maybe until the wound in his heart healed.But this was her choice.So, whatever the oue, she should learn to ept that.


    "Aurum!" called her mother''s voice from behind.


    She turned and saw her mother walking, no, rather, rushing up to her.


    "Good morning, Mother," she greeted, trying her best to make her smile looked normal.


    But the sadness in it didn''t escape Anthea''s eyes."Are you okay?I was told that the boy from the Greaves'' family came to visit.How did he know that you''re back?Did he do anything?" she asked worriedly.


    Aurum looked at her mother''s face.There was an obvious shadow under her eyes, a sign that she didn''t have enough sleep.Maybe she didn''t sleep at all.Which was only natural after what they discovered yesterday.It was probably even harder for her than anyone else.Aside from the fact that they still had no idea about the whereabouts of her father or if he was even alive at all, if they didn''t seed in opening the Mythos Continent, then their days were already numbered.In just another 15 years, the both of them might depart in this world.Leaving their mother behind.


    Aurum couldn''t even imagine something like that happening to her.Even thinking of that possibility could already make her go insane.So, she and her brother would make sure that that wouldn''t happen to their mother.They''re going to pass this trial and live happily together.Maybe they could even find her missing father and the four of them could be a whole family again.


    "I''m fine, Mother," she said, this time, her smile was more natural."Mis found out I''m back because one of the manor servants told him.But don''t worry, I will talk to Gregory about itter.And Mis didn''t do anything to me.We just talked and catch up a little."


    Anthea felt anger when she heard that a servant told an outsider about their return.That''s not something someone who swore fealty to their family should do.Especially when the head butler specifically ordered that they should not tell anyone about it.But when she heard her daughter''sst sentence, she felt worried again.Because Aurum was obviously lying.And it had something to do with that Greaves boy.


    But she was not the type of mother who would pry into the personal business of her children.So, at the end, she could only sigh helplessly.But in the off-chance that that Greaves boy really did something that made her daughter sad, well, she wouldn''t simply let that go.


    "Don''t worry about the servants.I will talk to them myself.You should go inside with me and have breakfast.ck was already gorging himself with Nelly''s scones."


    "That brat.You shouldn''t have let him eat too much, Mother.You know it''s bad for him."


    "I''m sure he''d be fine."


    Aurum could only shake her head.It seemed that her mother still couldn''t understand the concept of ck going into haywire if he overate."I''m not that hungry.I''m going to continue walking for a while.You should go back inside and eat breakfast, Mother."


    Anthea stared at her daughter''s beautiful face, as if examining her every expression.At the end, she could only nod and walked back inside the manor.


    After she couldn''t see the back of her mother anymore, she continued walking.Her mind took her back again to what happened with her and Mis.And she couldn''t help but fall in a state of sadness again.


    She didn''t notice that she had already walked towards the front of the manor.She couldn''t even remember how she got there nor how much time had already passed.She sighed and nned to go back inside the manor when her sPhone rang.She thought it was her brother, so she answered it without looking at the name of the caller.


    "Aurum?" asked a very familiar maic low voice.


    Aurum felt like she had been nailed on the ground when she heard that voice.Unknowingly, her heart started beating faster and faster."y?"

 Chapter 223: clay in albion

    Chapter 223: y in albion


    CLAY was standing at the port.He just got off the small ship that brought him here to Albion from Castille where he took the ship.He looked around.There were a lot of busy people walking around.Some were obviously here for travel while the others looked like they came here for trading.


    This was his first time here in Albion.He heard that this was a country where etiquette and chivalry were very important.People often said that one couldn''t find a much finer gentleman than a man from Albion.He wondered if that was truly the case?So far, he had only met one young man from Albion  Argent ckbourne.But he wasn''t sure if that guy could actually be called a ''gentleman''.


    Speaking of the duke, soon after y separated from Aurum and ck, Argent sent him an address, telling him to go there, saying that what he needed would be there.He asked what he meant by that, but the other didn''t even bother to reply.Although he already expected it, it''s still kind of irritating.Despite that, y still went to the address the duke sent to him.


    To his surprise, the address brought him to a branch of Silver Corporation in Castille.The manager there seemed to be already expecting him.Because as soon as he arrived, he quickly took him to his office.He could still remember what happened after that.


    =====


    "Mr. Grunewald, please, do sit down," the manager said to y, gesturing for him to sit on the seat opposite his desk.


    y was still not sure what was happening here right now, but he still sat down."May I ask what exactly am I doing here?"


    "The owner of ourpany, the esteemed Duke of Hanover, tasked me to give you these two items."


    The manager then put two items on the table.One was obviously a space ring and the other was a piece of paper.His gaze directly went straight to the paper.He had good vision, so he immediately was able to read what was written on it.


    [This is proof that the mountain range bordering the countries of Castille and Gaul now belongs to Mr. y Grundewald.Sign on the date of]


    y''s eyes widened just reading the first part.He reached for the paper with trembling hands and read the contents again and again."Is this legal?"


    "Of course, Mr. Grundewald.If you would just look at the bottom of the deed, you would see the seal of both countries," the manager said."Which means that you are now the legitimate owner of the mountain range."


    "But how?"


    "The duke said that Mr. Grunewald should not worry about the specifics," the manager said, smiling.Then he pushed another piece of paper towards him."Now, if you could please sign on this paper, the ownership of the mountain range would immediately be transferred to you."


    y carefully put the title deed of the mountain range inside his own space ring before lifting the other paper.Once he read the contents and found that there was no problem on it, he didn''t hesitate to sign.Then he returned the paper to the manager.


    "That should be all," the manager said after inspecting the paper he just signed."And oh, Mr. Grunewald, please do not forget the space ring."


    y picked up the space ring on the desk.And until he left that establishment, he still couldn''t believe what just happened.


    =====


    He had no idea how Argent did it.That mountain range was technically owned by the two countries of Castille and Gaul.He couldn''t even begin to imagine how much money the duke had to spent just to buy it.He probably had to instruct one of his people  probably the manager y met  that they could spend as much money as they could to buy the mountain range as soon as possible.That''s definitely a lot of money.Especially if it had to satisfy two countries.


    y thought he would no longer receive any kind of surprise that day.But when he got back and checked the contents of the space ring, he totally lost his cool.Because inside the ring were ten chests filled with gold coins.His eyes almost popped out of his head when he saw that much money.Even his sister who was with him when he opened the space ring was frozen in surprise.Because both of them had never seen so much money in their lives.


    The first thing he did after he got over his initial shock was to call Argent.Thankfully, the duke answered his call.


    Their conversation went like this;


    =====


    "Argent, I couldn''t possibly ept this much money.Giving me thend deed for the mountain range is more than enough," y said.


    "I''m just doing my part of the deal.I told you, I''m going to sponsor your cause in exchange for you letting us borrow your family''s heirloom," Argent answered in an indifferent tone, as if he just didn''t give someone ten chests full of gold coins.


    "But"


    "If you don''t want it, then throw it away.I already did my end of the bargain.Whatever you do with the money, I don''t care.I''m busy.Try not to contact me again if you don''t have anything important to say."


    =====


    And that was the end of the conversation, if ever it could be called that one.


    Of course, y wouldn''t throw the money away.He''d be stupid to do that.Since he couldn''t return it to Argent, then he would just use it ordingly.Meaning he would use it for their cause of helping and freeing orphans from the clutches of the Temple.


    He left the managing of the money to his sister.She wanted to refuse at first.But he told her that he would assist the ckbournes in whatever they were doing.Although the twins never really told him what they were nning, but from the bits and pieces he heard from their conversation while they were in Victoria City, he could tell that it had something to do with those legendary artifacts of the mythical races.


    Just letting them borrow the pendant that was passed down to their family seemed underwhelming inparison to everything the duke gave him.The least he could do was to freely offer his assistance to them.Flora understood that.Because she also felt that the money and thend deed were a bit too much.Not doing something to return that kindness was something that the both of them couldn''t do.


    It such a coincidence that the day after that, he received a message from Aurum, asking him to go to Albion and bring the pendant along with him.So, he immediately left.Letting Flora be in charged of the renovations that should be done on the mountain range.


    And now, a few dayster, he finally arrived here.


    He took out his sPhone and called Aurum.

 Chapter 224: subsiding sadness

    Chapter 224: subsiding sadness


    "CLAY?"


    y''s brows visibly scrunched up when he heard Aurum''s voice over the phone.It was a bit hoarse.Like she was holding in her tears and couldn''t manage to get it out even if she wanted to."Are you alright?" he couldn''t help asking.


    Aurum, on the other side, was startled when she heard y''s question.It was as if he knew what she was feeling right now.She almost blurted out  ''no, I''m not, I just broke the heart of a very important friend and I''m not sure if our rtionship could ever return back to normal''.But she stopped herself in time.It''s not right to involve him in her emotional problems.Especially since it wasn''t just about her.


    "I''m okay," she said.


    y had a feeling that Aurum was forcing herself to smile right now.And he didn''t like it.He didn''t like it at all.She should only smile because she wanted to and not because she was forcing herself.


    "I see," he only said.He could just observe herter to know what really was the problem.


    "Why did you call?Is there a problem?" Aurum asked, changing the subject.


    "I''m in Albion.At the capital''s port, to be exact."


    Aurum was truly surprised hearing that."You''re here already?"


    "Well, you told me toe, right?"


    "Yes.But I kind of thought it would take you at least a few more days to get here."


    "The mountain range we live in is not on the other side of the world.If I take a ship from Castille, it would only take 2-3 days before I arrive here in Albion.So, it shouldn''t be that surprising that I''m here," y said, a bit amused by Aurum''s obvious surprised reaction."Besides, mdy told me to go to Albion as soon as I could.How dare I, a mere plebeian, dy time?"


    "Now, you''re just being annoying," Aurum said in an annoyed tone.


    y smiled.At least now, he could no longer hear the depression in her voice."How should I go to your house?Do I just have to rent a carriage and tell the coachman to take me to your family''s ce?"


    "No, there''s no need.Just stay there and I''ll send someone to get you."


    "Okay."


    And the two ended the call.


    ----------


    After the call, Aurum immediately asked a nearby servant to get one of the manor''s coachmen to meet her.She didn''t have to wait and soon, the coachman walked up to her.


    "Mdy," he said giving her a bow.


    "Go to the port and fetch this person," she said, showing him a picture of y from her sPhone.


    The coachman looked down and saw a young man with reddish-brown hair and a pair of dark brown eyes.He looked very normal.Not like some aristocratic gentleman.He wondered if it was a friend of thedy.Or maybe a new servant?Thetter seemed to be more probable.After all, how could their nobledy have such amoner friend?


    But it was not his ce to ask, so he just said, "Yes, mdy."


    After talking to the coachman, Aurum finally went back inside the manor.Her mother and ck seemed to have finished eating breakfast because she saw the both of them walking out of the dining room.ck quickly ran towards her.


    "Aurum, why didn''t you eat breakfast with us?Nelly made a very delicious pumpkin pie.ck ate all of it," he said, pushing out his little chest as if very proud of what he did.


    Aurum pinched his nose."Didn''t Brother warn you not to overeat?"


    ck held his reddened nose and pouted."But ck didn''t overeat!"


    "Said the one who ate a whole pumpkin pie," Aurum retorted sarcastically.


    ck bulged his cheeks."Why do you always bully ck?"


    Aurum smiled and poke one of his bulging cheek."Because it''s fun."


    "You- you bully!"


    Anthea pped her hand, stopping the bickering of the two."Okay, stop fighting you two."


    "We''re not fighting though, Mother.This is just normal for us.Isn''t that right, ck?"


    ck snorted."Hmp!ck is definitely fighting with you!"Then he turned to Anthea."Lady Anthea, ck is just going outside to y."


    Before running outside, he didn''t forget to push his tongue out towards Aurum''s direction.


    "That kid, let''s see if I don''t punish you with my fistter," Aurum said looking at ck who had already ran outside.


    "Aurum, you shouldn''t bully ck too much," Anthea said shaking her head helplessly.


    "But it''s fun," Aurum only said while smiling at her mother.


    Besides, because of her bickering with ck, the depression and sadness she was feeling finally subsided a little bit. Or maybe it already started to subside since she received the call from y.


    "By the way, Mother, y called.He''s already here in Albion.I already asked one of our coachmen to get him at the port," she said.


    At her daughter''s mention of this y, Anthea remembered the young man with reddish-brown hair and a pair of dark brown eyes.Argent had already mentioned to her that the family of this young man seemed to have a map that might lead them to one of the remaining two ancient artifacts.Most probably the elven queen''s ring.Because apparently, there was a lore being passed down from generation to generation of y''s family that talked about their ancestor meeting the elven queen and giving them the task to protect her beloved treasure.


    But arriving here so soon.He probably left immediately from where he was the moment he received the call from Aurum.


    She nced meaningfully at her daughter.Earlier, Aurum still looked very down, like she received a very bad news.But now, it was obvious that her mood was alleviated.Could it be rted to that young man, y?


    "Then I''ll ask Nelly to cook more food.He might haven''t had breakfast yet," she said."You too, why don''t you have your breakfast now?"


    Aurum shook her head."I''ll just wait for y."


    Anthea no longer persuaded her and just walked towards the kitchen to find Nelly.


    Aurum who was left decided to just sit by the window and wait for y.


    She wasn''t sure how long she waited.All her focus was outside the window.She didn''t even notice that someone had served her tea.A little whileter, she finally saw the iing carriage belonging to their family.She quickly stood up and ran outside.


    The carriage stopped at the driveway of their manor.And a very familiar figure walked out of the carriage.


    "y!" she called, not even noticing the joyful smile that crossed her lips.


    A big smile also appeared on y''s face when he saw Aurum.He stared at her intently from afar, making sure that he wouldn''t miss any expression on her face.Aside from joy, he could see a bit of sadness in those beautiful amber eyes.He knew it, something did happen.


    Before Aurum could ran towards y, a ck canon-ball suddenlyunched itself from y''s side and tackled him.It was a good thing that y didn''t fall or hit his head on the carriage.


    "y, you''re here!" ck - the canon-ball - said while hugging y''s waist.


    Seeing this, Aurum suddenly had a huge urge to pinch the brat until his cheeks became swollen.

 Chapter 225: blooming sadness and a bowl of porridge

    Chapter 225: blooming sadness and a bowl of porridge


    CLAY stared at Aurum, observing all the subtle expressions on her face.They just finished eating breakfast and was now sitting inside the pavilion located at the back garden.ck was ying at a distance, running after a small butterfly.He looked quite stupid but adorable at the same time.


    When y arrived earlier, the Duchess weed him warmly.As if he was a long lost rtive or something.It threw him off, really.He just ounted it on the Duchess being a kind person.Someone who didn''t mind interacting with amoner like him.


    After he ate breakfast with Aurum, they decided to walk at the back garden of the manor to help their digestion.Then they ended up here in this small pavilion.


    "If you want to ask something, then ask.Don''t just stare at my face, it''s embarrassing," Aurum said, almost muttering thest part.


    A red tint appeared on her white cheeks, making her even lovelier.y couldn''t help but stare at her more intently.He knew objectively that Aurum was very beautiful.It wouldn''t even be an exaggeration to say that she was one of the most beautiful girls in the world.But his admiration for her was nothing more like admiring a beautiful gem.It''s nothing remotely deep.


    But spending time with her, he realized that what his initial opinion of her was slowly changing.Getting to know her, finding out things about her that probably no one outside her family knew, it made him happy.He discovered that despite being an aristocrat, Aurum was also like any other girl her age.She could be stubborn, spoiled, and could throw a tantrum like a three-year-old.But at the same time, she was also kind, mature, and extremely smart.


    It probably made him feel a bit proud.Because that showed that she was not afraid to show those sides to him.That she already considered him as someone close and trustworthy.


    But y also knew that his thoughts towards Aurum was starting to take a dangerous turn.And he knew that the result of this was something he couldn''t afford.Not now and probably not ever.


    So, he could only put down all theplicated thoughts inside his head right now.


    He gazed down and just said the thing that had been bothering him since he called her earlier, "I was just wondering if you''re really okay.You''re voice earlier over the sPhone when I called you, I thought there was a problem."


    Aurum was not surprised hearing what y said.During that call earlier, she already suspected that the other noticed something in her voice.But she still couldn''t help but feel warm.Because it meant that he was worried about her.


    She smiled."It''s nothing.I''m fine now, really."


    It would be easy to just confide in y about everything.To tell him about her rejecting the feelings of the first friend she ever made.But she couldn''t do that.Because it involved not just her but also Mis.Telling another person about what happened between them was like rejecting Mis all over again.Especially telling it to y.It was like he was humiliating Mis by doing that.So, it never even entered her mind to tell y about it.


    y stared at Aurum''s clear expression.Although there was still a little bit of gloom between her eyebrows, he could tell that as of now, she was indeed already alright.As alright as someone who encountered a problem could be anyway.But looking at her face, he knew that she wouldn''t tell him what that problem was no matter how much he asked her.It''s probably something very personal.So, despite the loss he suddenly felt, he no longer continued on asking her.


    "That''s good," he just chose to say.And then proceeded on changing the subject."By the way, I made a decision.I talked to my sister about it and he also agreed with me."


    "What decision?" Aurum asked, a bit confused by the sudden change in subject.


    "I decided to help you and your brother in whatever it is you''re doing right now."


    Aurum didn''t expect to hear that.She wanted to quickly reject y''s offer.After all, there''s really no reason for him to get involved in their affairs.Especially since there''s a lot of dangerous elements involved.But when she saw the determined expression on his face, she couldn''t utter a word of rejection.


    So, instead, she asked seriously, "Do you have an idea what we''re doing?"


    "You''re searching for the three ancient artifacts."


    Aurum was startled when she heard that straightforward answer.But when she thought about it, y had been with them in Victoria City.It would be weirder if he didn''t even cross his mind that searching for the ancient artifacts was their goal.After all, if one was just observant enough, they would definitely see the clues lying around.


    "And you don''t think we''re just grasping on straws?" she asked.


    "No, I don''t.Your brother is definitely not someone who would do something that wouldn''t give any result.The conclusion is that you found a clue that tells you that the artifacts are real and not just part of a legend."


    Aurum raised one of her dainty brows.Well, he''s not wrong on the part about her brother.Even his guess was a bit close to the truth.She smiled inwardly.She couldn''t help but give y an appreciative nce."Then let me talk to my brother about this matter first."


    y nodded.He looked around at the spacious back garden.Remembering the huge manor that almost seemed like a castle, he was suddenly reminded again how big the difference was between his and Aurum''s status.


    And unknowingly, a little bit of sadness started blooming in his heart.


    ----------


    Argent was holing herself inside her room at the suite they were in.After reading the records made by the past dukes of Hanover, her brain couldn''t help but start thinking a lot of things in regards to the events that led to the current situation of the main line of the ckbourne family.


    But she knew that this was not really the time to think about that.What''s important right now was to save the elf being held captive by the emperor of Kievan.Only then would they be closer in finding the elven artifact.


    So, her first priority right now was to save that elf.That thing about their bloodline''s ''curse'' should be focused onter once the current situation had been dealt with.


    And with that, she decided to burry herself in work.Programming the appearance of the people they were nning to imitate onto the holographic chokers.That''s why the table in her room had some equipment she needed to do just that.She was immersed in her work when someone knocked on the door.


    Argent wanted to tell the person who was knocking to go away and not disturb her, but then she thought they might want to tell something important to her.So, she reluctantly stood up and opened the door.The one who appeared in front of her was Lei Feng, holding a tray with some bowl on it in his hands.


    Lei Feng, who finally saw Argent, couldn''t help but show worry when she saw the dark circles under the other''s eyes.She obviously didn''t sleep well.He wanted to reach out to her and wipe out those dark smudges if he could.But he knew that only proper rest could do that.


    "I made you breakfast.It''s only porridge but I hope you will eat it," he said."It''s not good to continue the day with an empty stomach," he added, because it was already nine in the morning and Argent hadn''t eaten anything yet.


    Argent looked once again at the tray Lei Feng was holding.Then she raised his head and looked at the other''s face.When she saw the undisguised worry in those obsidian ck eyes, she suddenly couldn''t bear to reject him.So, she reached out towards the tray and held it.


    "Thank you," she said simply.


    She closed the door before the other could say more.She walked towards where she was sitting earlier and put the tray on the table.She removed the lid on the bowl and the delicious scent of porridge filled the room.After she smelled that, her stomach suddenly grumbled.As if telling her how hungry it was.So, she picked up the bowl and the spoon on the side and started eating.


    When she ate her first spoonful, she felt like the warmth from the porridge traveled straight to her heart.The taste was just right, not too strong and not too nd either.It seemed like Lei Feng had already mastered her taste.An image of him wearing an apron and cooking with his usual serious expression suddenly shed in her mind.


    Unknowingly, a small smile already crossed her lips.

 Chapter 226: entering the empire of kievan

    Chapter 226: entering the empire of kievan


    IN the dead of the night, unbeknownst to everyone, an invisible shuttle was hovering above the Empire of Kievan.Of course, the ones inside were Argent, Lei Feng, and the father and son  Jaxon and Janea.


    Five days ago, the entourage of the Conde de Salvacion left Gluastein.Naturally, they had to follow.Later this afternoon, they finally arrived at their destination.It took until evening before the entourage of the Conde managed to enter through the South gate.


    Argent stared at the red dot on the screen of her light brain.This ''red dot'' was the signaling from the transmitter that Argent asked Lei Feng to attached to the coat of the Conde.It seemed that the entourage now entered an establishment, most likely a hotel or an inn.It was already dark and they couldn''t continue travelling towards the capital.


    And this was the perfect time for Argent and the others to rece their targets.


    She turned to the other three.She looked at the chokers that they were wearing."I''m going tond the shuttle.Please, push the button on the left of the choker you''re wearing."


    As she turned back around and drove the shuttle down, the other three also did as they were told.


    Janea was startled when he saw the face of Jaxon and Lei Feng changing and turning into something in.Although they had already shown him the function of this choker, he still found it very magical.But he knew there was nothing magical from it.It was simply the result of Argent ckbourne''s intelligence.He nced at the silver-haired duke.Really, just how smart was this person to be able to make things that was so out of the ordinary?


    If they managed to save his mother, she would definitely be fascinated by the gadgets Argent made.No, it shouldn''t be an ''if''.A glint of determination shed his green eyes.They would definitely save her.


    Argentnded the flying shuttle at an area near the barrier where there wasn''t any soldier patrolling.These areas were called ''Dead Areas''.ording to Jaxon''s people that had been living in Kievan, these areas were basically slums.The soldiers hardly ever roam these areas.They simply let these people be.Because the believed that no matter what these people do, they would never be able to leave the gutter they were in.It''s probably the arrogance of someone who had long been in a higher position and could only trample those who were weak.


    Truly, how disgusting.


    But this arrogance could now work in their favor.


    She asked Jaxon to let his people send the location of the Dead Area nearest to the South gate.And that ce was near where shended the shuttle.She picked a spot behind a group of tall and wide trees.Even though there''s practically no one passing by this area, there''s no harm trying to be more careful.


    The moment the shuttlended, she quickly opened the door and the three walked out.She also immediately followed.Then she took a remote from her space ring and turned the still invisible shuttle into a capsule.She picked the capsule up and put it in her space ring along with the remote.Then she pushed the left button of the choker she was wearing.Her face was immediately reced by a in looking one.


    Jaxon had seen this happened before so he was no longer surprised or even shocked.Zhang Lei Feng had seen a lot of more advanced technology than this in hisst life so seeing this scene didn''t bother him that much.But Janea was different.


    He knew that the flying contraption they were riding in could turn invisible, which was still a huge surprise for him by the way.But that contraption suddenly turning into some kind of small oblong shaped object was super new to him.He nced at Argent once again.He suddenly had a feeling that as long as he stayed with this silver-haired duke, he would see more amazing things.


    Argent straightened up and was hit by the cold wind.She tightened her jacket around her but still trembled a little.Shit.Just why was this ce so called?She was about to say something to her threepanions when she suddenly felt a warm feeling on her neck.She raised her head and saw Lei Feng putting a soft ck scarf around her neck.And then, he followed that by putting a muffler on her ears.Argent instantly felt warm.


    "So, you won''t feel cold," Lei Feng simply said in his usual serious expression.


    Argent raised the scarf a bit, hiding the small smile that appeared on her lips."Thank you."


    Jaxon looked back and forth between the two.Suddenly, he felt like he and his son just became a big and small light bulb.He cleared his throat."Shall we go?"


    Argent nodded.


    The four of them carefully walked towards the area they had already marked in the map before they even left Gluastein.Reaching their destination, before Argent proceeded on making the next move, she turned first to Lei Feng and Janea.


    "Whatever I do next, I hope you don''t show that big of a reaction.It would be bad for us if we somehow attracted attention," she reminded them.


    "Okay," Janea said.


    Zhang Lei Feng nodded with a grim expression.Up until now, he still had no idea what Argent would do to open the barrier.His guess was she was able to make another gadget that could make a small opening in a barrier like this.But that guess was so far off from what happened next.


    Argent took a deep breath.When she found out that a barrier was surrounding the whole country of Kievan, she knew that using her special constitution would be their best resort.But if she was not careful, she could make a big gaping hole in this barrier.Which would definitely be noticed in no time.The worst case, she might even destroy the whole barrier.If that happened, then this mission would be a big failure.


    They didn''t have the manpower to fight the Emperor of Kievan head on.The only chance they have to win was to do everything stealthily.That''s why it''s important that she seed in this step.


    So, she practiced hard before leaving her ind.She did it inside herb.Putting up a miniature barrier made of magic and practicing on it.It was hard, she could honestly admit.Especially since she wasn''t even sure if she could control the amount of damage her special constitution could do to an object made of Mana.


    From all the experiments she had done before, she knew that her touch could stop the flow of Mana.But it''s not like she could just project a ser'' from her hand and the things that was touched by that ser'' would crumble.She needed to be able to touch it.


    After much trial and error, she finally seeded in making a small opening on the barrier without destroying the whole thing.


    Honestly, after reading the records made by the former dukes of Hanover, she started to have doubts once again about the special constitution of this body.This body had the ''blood of all'' and yet unlike Aurum, she didn''t have any powerful Gift or powerful Mana for that matter.Not to mention, before her soul took over, the original owner was truly just a NoGift.Or was she?


    Argent shook her head.This was hardly the time to think about that problem.


    She crouched down and removed the gloves she was wearing.She could feel the Manaing from the barrier.So, even if they couldn''t see it, she knew that it was there.She touched a part and quickly removed her hand.The part she touched slowly crumbled.This was the most effective method after all that trial and error.Quite rough but very effective.


    She continued to do that until she made a hole that was big enough for them to crawl into.She passed by her hand on the hole she made.After double-checking and making sure that they could all passed-by without a problem, she turned and raised her head to her threepanions.


    "Let''s go."


    And she was the first one to crawl inside that opening.

 Chapter 227: a rather crude plan

    Chapter 227: a rather crude n


    DURING the silence of the night, in one of the Dead Areas near the South gate of Kievan, four shadows were traipsing on the dark and dirty streets.All were wearing cloaks and if one could see their faces, everyone would say that it was in and unremarkable.They were careful in their movements.Obviously not wanting any attention to fall on them.


    These four were none other than Argent, Lei Feng, Jaxon, and Janea.After sessfully entering Kievan, they were now walking towards the direction of the hotel the Conde de Salvacion and his entourage were staying for the night.Before morning arrived, the four of them needed to rece the Conde, his fiance, his nephew, and the head of the guard.So that the people who would be leaving tomorrow for the imperial pce would be their group instead.


    It would be much safer to rece them as soon as they could.There would be less suspicion that way.And since the Conde and his entourage already passed the security check on the Southern gate, there would be no more checks after that.Partly because no royalty would submit themselves to that kind of rigorous check twice.It was already a testament to Kievan''s power that they managed to make those royaltiesply to that.


    So, after Argent and the others reced the Conde and the other three, it would be a smooth travel towards the imperial pce.Or at least that was Argent hoped for.


    As they made their way out of the Dead Area, Janea couldn''t help but nced at the silver-haired duke.He still couldn''t believe what he did earlier.Making a hole out of a strong barrier like that just by touching it, he had never seen something so remarkable and scary.


    As someone who had lived in this country for most of his life, he knew just how strong that barrier was.Even with the amount of Mana he had, he couldn''t make a dent on it.The only reason he managed to leave here was because of that person.Who only betrayed him at the end.He shook his head.It''s not the time to think about that.If he continued to, he''d just be filled with anger.And he needed to be calm right now.


    Anyway, what Argent did earlier was shocking to say the least.He had never seen anything like it.Because of his elf blood, he was very sensitive to Mana.So, he could feel the moment the Mana on the barrier started to disintegrate the moment the duke''s hand came into contact with a part of the barrier.It''s like they melted at his touch.Even after they entered through the hole the duke made on the barrier and Jaxon covered it up with a boulder using his Gift, Jannea''s shock still didn''t dissipate.Even now, the shock was still there.


    He wondered how the duke did it.Was it a device that could destroy Mana?Or was it simply his ability?But Janea heard that Argent was a NoGift.So, how could he have that ability?Either way, it was amazing.But if people knew about this, many would definitely want that for themselves.And it would definitely put the duke in danger.


    Argent was probably forced to show this ''whatever it was'' to them because it was the safest way for them to enter Kievan.And based on the reaction of the Xing general who was with them, he also had no idea about this.Based on the interactions he saw between the two, one could see that they were close friends.But even if that was the case, the general still know about this ''ability''.Which meant that if the situation didn''t ask for it, the duke wouldn''t have had showed it to them.


    And he only did so to help rescue Janea''s mother.Whether it was for their deal or for the friendship the duke''s family had with Jaxon, Janea still wouldn''t forget this favor.If they sessfully rescued his mother, he would do his best to repay him.


    If Janea was finally able to get over what Argent did, then Zhang Lei Feng''s mind waspletely muddled.


    He was near Argent herself when she broke a part of the barrier.So, he knew that she didn''t use any device to do that.She just simply touched it and it crumbled away.He knew that she was supposed to be a NoGift, that''s why it was a big shock to him.But what if whatever ability she used was the result of her soul being transferred to her current body?That reasoning was not impossible considering how the same situation happened to him.


    This body originally only had a wind Gift but after his soul reced the original, a lightning Gift was added.Maybe in Argent''s case, her current body indeed didn''t have any Gift but with her soul inside, something changed and her body obtained some kind of Gift.Which was what she showed earlier.But for some reason, Lei Feng had a feeling that that was apletely different case.


    And that truly worried him.Anything unknown was worrisome.All the more so because that ''unknown'' involved Argent.


    But based on her calm reaction, it was probably not so unknown to her.Maybe she had long known what this ''ability'' of hers entailed.Knowing her, she had probably experimented the pros and cons of it long ago.But he still wanted to learn more details about it.To know what this ''ability'' truly was.But he knew this was hardly the time to ask Argent about that.They needed to focus on their task at hand.Because one wrong move would just make all Argent''s efforts to waste.Something that he didn''t want to happen.Especially if he was the one who would cause it.


    So, he took a deep breath and calmed himself.


    After almost half an hour, they managed to leave the Dead Area.


    Argent took out a map that she drew earlier.It was a simple map that would lead them to the location of the ce the Conde and his entourage were staying.She could use her light brain to directly detect the signaling from the transmitter that Lei Feng attached to the coat of Conde.But doing that might attract unwanted attention.So, it''s better to be safe than sorry.


    "Follow me," he said to the other three.


    They carefully made their way towards their destination.They removed the hood from their cloak so as not to attract more attention.It might be the middle of the night but there were still some people walking around.Not to mention, those guards that were patrolling.


    It took another 45 minutes of walking before they arrived at the front of a hotel.


    "Uncle Jax, are your people on standby?" Argent asked Jaxon.


    "Yes.Don''t worry, they will handle the Conde and the other three," answered Jaxon.


    Argent asked Jaxon to let his people who''s been undercover in Kievan toe to this small town two days in advanced.Because this was the closest town to the Southern gate where the Conde and his entourage would enter.So, she was sure that they would stay in this ce for the night.


    After they put the four into a deep sleep, Jaxon''s people would smuggle them out of the hotel and bring them to a safe ce.They would stay there for the duration of the mission  in short, until Argent and the others rescues nnea.Jaxon assured them that his people would do everything to prevent the four from appearing before the Emperor of Kievan.Of course, that didn''t include killing them.


    The four looked at each other and nodded.Then they proceeded on doing the next step.Which was going to the rooms of the four they were nning to rece.They already knew the rooms in which they needed to get into.It was told to them by one of Jaxon''s people who was responsible in monitoring the Conde and his entourage once they arrived here.So, all they needed to do was to enter those rooms unnoticed.


    And they already had a rather crude n for that.


    So, the four entered the hotel.Argent walked up to the receptionist and asked for four rooms.Because there weren''t many visitors arriving in this country during this time of the year, there were still a lot of avable rooms.Once they received the keys, they walked towards the stairs.


    As they climbed the stairs, Lei Feng and Jaxon released their Gifts.Destroying every night pearl in the hotel.Thus, putting the whole ce in darkness.Not only that, as early as when they were a few feet away from the hotel, Lei Feng used his Gift to make a temporary thunderstorm.Argent could already hear the whizzing of the wind and the loud pitter-patter of the rain.With this, even with the sudden absence of light in the hotel, outsiders wouldn''t pay too much attention to it.


    The moment all of those were done, the four quickly made their way to the room of the person they would impersonate.


    With a small lighting from a small night pearl she was holding, Argent ran to the room of the Conde''s fiance.She moved stealthily and entered the woman''s room with no problem.She could already hear the chaos outside.But paid it no mind.If she didn''t move quickly, the woman''s maids might arrive here before she could even manage to rece her.


    She walked towards the bed and saw that the woman was already sleeping soundly.But to be sure, she took out a syringe and injected the liquid inside it on the woman''s arm.She gave the same thing to Lei Feng and the other two.It''s a harmless liquid.It would only make the recipient fall into aa for about three days.Depending on their health.


    Done with that, she wrapped the woman in a nket and carried her out of the room.Outside, one of Jaxon''s people was already waiting.They had been waiting at the hotel since earlier.They were told that once four cloaked people  three tall and one short  entered the hotel and all the night pearls were suddenly destroyed, that would be their signal to quickly wait outside the rooms of their targets.


    The man outside bowed at Argent before taking the unconscious woman and disappearing into the shadows.Argent quickly went back inside the room and changed her clothes into one of the woman''s nightgowns.Then she took a long ck wig from her space ring, the same color as the woman''s hair, and put it on.Then she pushed the right button of the choker she''s wearing.And the woman''s face appeared.


    After she was done, sheid on the bed.Even though she knew she wouldn''t get any sleep this night.

 Chapter 228: wearing a dress

    Chapter 228: wearing a dress


    WHEN morning came, Argent was awakened by the knocking on the door.She sat up, she didn''t answer whoever it was who was knocking but instead stood up and walked towards the vanity table.The image reflected on the mirror was not her face at all but that of Lady Isabe of Zaragoza  the fiance of the Conde de Salvacion.It was a dainty and elegant face with a pair of hazel eyes, straight nose, and natural reddish lips.


    She must say, this face was indeed beautiful.But, of course, it still couldn''t be on the same level as her sister''s.Granted that there were probably only a handful of women in this world couldpete with her sister''s beauty.


    She fixed the ck wig she was wearing before walking towards the door.She unlocked it and pulled it open.Outside the door was a young woman in maid''s uniform.Behind her were a line of women carrying buckets of water.


    "Good morning, mydy.I already asked people from the hotel to bring hot bath water.I will help you bathe and dress," the young maid said.


    Argent smiled and the face of Lady Isabe also smiled.This was one of the functions of her holographic mask.Any expression that the wearer made would directly be reflected on the mask.Which made the holographic mask looked more genuine.


    "Thank you, Nina," she said referring to the maid.Of course, they did a lot of homework on the Conde''s entourage.If they didn''t, then it would be easy for their disguise to be taken down."But there''s no need to help me bathe.Although I would appreciate it if you could prepare my dress for me."


    Argent said all those things in the voice of Lady Isabe.It''s one of the features he added to the current choker she and the other three were now wearing.The choker would directly change the vibrationing out of the voice box to that of the sound programmed in the choker.But it would only be activated once they used the mask of the designated person they''re going to impersonate.Of course, the voice programmed in her choker was that of Lady Isabe.


    The maid, Nina, bowed."I understand, mydy."


    Argent let Nina and the women carrying buckets of water enter the room.The women went straight to the attached small room where the wooden bath tub was.Nina, on the other hand, opened one of the luggage of Lady Isabe and took out a light blue dress.She took out some sort of metal gadget from her space ring.Argent recognized it as this world''s version of iron press.Then the maid started pressing on the dress.


    Argent raised one of her brows.This maid was quite resourceful.


    "Mydy, your bath water is ready," one of the women who carried hot bath water said.


    Argent smiled at them."Thank you."


    Then the women walked out of the room.


    "Nina, once your done, you can also leave."


    Nina stopped her actions and raised her head."Mydy, how about your breakfast?"


    "I''ll go down and have breakfast with the Conde."


    "Okay, mydy."


    Done with that, Argent walked to the attached room and locked the door.She had to make sure that the maid would not identally enter the room and saw her naked body.Although she and Lady Isabe had the same body type, there would still be big differences.She couldn''t risk anything that might destroy her disguise.


    She took off her nightgown and then removed the ck wig she was wearing.She put the nightgown aside and put the wig in her space ring.Then she submerged herself in the wooden bath tub.She let out a contented sigh feeling the warm water on her skin.She closed her eyes and soon heard the opening and closing of the door of the room.Showing that Nina already finished with her job and left.


    Argentpletely rxed knowing that there was no other person in the room with her.Then she felt the ck stud on her ear vibrating.It was the vibration that''s solely dedicated for her sister.She pinched it and a screen appeared in front of her.On the screen, the beautiful face of her sister appeared.


    Aurum felt shocked seeing a strange face on the screen of her sPhone, thinking if she dialed the wrong number.But then she quickly removed that idea in her head.There''s no way she could dial the wrong number.She might forget her own number, but there''s no way she would forget her brother''s.So, there''s really only one answer.


    "Brother, is this the face of the woman you''re going to impersonate?"


    Argent was not surprised that her sister quickly figured it out.Her sister was very smart after all."Yeah.What do you think?"


    Aurum''s eyes slightly widened hearing the different voice.Even her brother''s indifferent expression was perfectly captured by this mask."It''s more believablepared to the usual mask."


    "I made some adjustments."


    She smiled a little when she heard the obvious pride in her brother''s tone."Then are you already inside Kievan?"


    "Yeah.We''ll probably arrived at the capital two-three weeks from now."


    And that''s only if there wouldn''t be any problems while they were travelling.Although they had already entered Kievan, they were still far from the capital.And with such a slow transportation mode, the least amount of time they could travel was two weeks.


    "It seems we won''t be able to celebrate our 15th birthday together," Aurum said with a hint of mncholy.


    Argent also felt a bit down.If ever this would be the first birthday since she upied this body that they wouldn''t be able to celebrate their birthday together.But she couldn''t just stop whatever they were doing right now just because of that.There were too many things at stake.


    "I''ve already prepared a gift for you.Just ask ck when that dayes.He would give it to you," she said, trying to lessen the sadness her sister was feeling.


    Sure enough, Aurum''s eyes brightened when she heard that.And then she appeared frustrated."I also prepared a gift for you.But I don''t think I could give it to you on our birthday."


    "It''s okay.You can give it to me when Ie back."


    Aurum looked at her brother, her expression suddenly turned serious."You muste back."


    "Of course, I will," Argent answered without hesitation."How are things there?" she asked, changing the topic.


    "There''s nothing much that happened.Oh, y arrived yesterday.He said he wanted to help us out."Aurum turned sideways, as if hiding her expression from her."I agreed."


    Argent stared at the faint blush that appeared on her sister''s cheeks and she suddenly wanted to hit someone.Preferably, someone named ''y''.She didn''t know what kind of ecstasy soup that guy fed Aurum that he could be favored by her sister to this extent.But she couldn''t directly oppose when her sister already made a decision.


    At the end, she could only say, "Then be sure to make good use of him."


    "Brother-!"


    "What?If he wanted to help, then he should be useful first."


    Aurum only looked helplessly at her brother.She knew that the other was only joking.Saying these things was already an approval from her.


    "I''ll make sure he''s useful," she said perfunctorily.


    They talked a bit more before ending the call.After that, Argent spent 15 minutes more soaking in the hot water before drying herself and wearing undergarments.Then she wore the long ck wig before going outside.


    She looked at the blue dress spread on her bed and she almost didn''t cringe.Since arriving in this world for almost eight years, the only time she had ever worn a dress was when she disguised herself as y''s sister during that time they went to Shandra.She was so used to being a boy, she no longer knew how to act like a girl.But she had to force herself to do so.Arge part of their mission depended on it.


    Gritting her teeth, she picked up the dress and painstakingly wore it.After that, she sat in front of the vanity table and arranged her ck wig as fashionably as she could.Whilebing her hair, a sudden knock disturbed her reverie.


    "Who is it?" she asked.


    There was a pause and then a male voice answered, "It''s me."


    If Argent was not mistaken, that was the Conde''s voice.In short, it was Zhang Lei Feng.She put down the brush on the vanity table and walked towards the door.She opened it and outside stood a man with a very serious countenance.His ck hair was neatlybed.Even the ck suit he was wearing was finely pressed.He was the very image of a rigid aristocrat.


    Worried that some servants might see them, Argent pasted a gentle smile on her face."Yes?"


    Zhang Lei Feng could only stare at the woman in front of him.Even though the face was different, he knew instinctively that it was Argent.He nced down at the other''s chest and was startled to see a bump there.He wondered what kind of stuffing Argent put inside.Even if he still thought of her as a girl, he knew that her current body now was male.So, it''s really quite surprising seeing her in women''s clothing and not feel any vition from it.


    When Argent saw where Lei Feng was looking at, she felt a vein on her forehead popping.So, she stretched out her hand and raised the other''s chin, making them looked at each other''s eyes.


    "Eyes on my face, pervert," she said with almost no expression.


    After Lei Feng heard that and understood its implication, his whole face turned red.Even much redder than a ripe tomato!

 Chapter 229: lei fengs carriage ride

    Chapter 229: lei feng''s carriage ride


    ZHANG LEI FENG was sitting inside a carriage with the usual stern expression on his face.It perfectly mirrored on the holographic mask he was wearing.Making the face of the Conde de Salvacion showed the same expression.


    There was a six, seven-year-old boy sitting beside him.He had the same ck hair and brown eyes as the Conde.One could immediately tell that they were rted.But the boy beside Lei Feng was not really a seven-year-old boy but a half-elf instead.Just like him, he was also wearing the holographic choker that Argent gave them.And the face he had right now was that of the Conde''s nephew.


    It had been two weeks since they departed from the southern area and resumed the identities of these people  the Conde, his nephew, his fiance, and his captain of the guards.Lei Feng had been sharing a carriage with Janea since then while Argent had her own carriage.Jaxon, on the other hand, was riding a horse beside the carriage he was in.


    Truthfully, Lei Feng would rather ride a horse than stay inside this carriage all day.But that was something out of character for the Conde, so he could only stay put inside.


    For the past two weeks of their journey, Lei Feng only left the carriage during meal time and if they had to stay at a hotel or an inn during the night.If this continued on, he really thought he would start growing mushroom here.


    Not only that, this wig he was wearing was really itchy.As days passed, it was slowly getting on hisst nerves.He even thought of just chopping off his real hair so he wouldn''t have to wear the damn wig.But then, he thought of his mother.If he came back to Xing with a short hair, his mother would probably have a heart attack.After all, in Xing, long hair represented a lot of things.


    So, even if he truly wanted to just get rid of the wig and his hair, he couldn''t.He could only be more patient.But he knew that his face must be growing darker and darker as the days passed.The half-elf wouldn''t even try talking to him.He probably thought that he would just end up being yelled at or something.Lei Feng also didn''t have the patience to exin to him his increasingly bad mood.And so, this resulted to a very quiet journey for the both of them.


    The only good thing about this travel was the fact that he could see Argent in various woman''s clothing.Even though she was wearing a holographic mask, it was easy for Lei Feng to superimpose her real face over it.So, all he could see was Argent wearing a dress and not the woman she''s impersonating.


    With that thought in mind, he suddenly remembered that very morning after the night they took over these peoples'' identities.


    =====


    Lei Feng was walking towards the room of the woman Argent was going to impersonate.He didn''t sleep a wink.How could he when there''s a chance that some blunder might ur during the rest of the night?So, he had to be in full alert.


    He was already wearing the disguise of the Conde.Just as nned, he gave the unconscious Conde to one of Jaxon''s subordinates.Of course, he didn''t forget to inject him with the drug that Argent gave them.It went smoothly for him.He just hoped that it was the same for the other three.


    When morning came, he quickly left the room he was in and went towards where Argent was.He had to know if nothing went wrong on her side.


    On his way, he met a maid who seemed to just walked out of Argent''s room.The maid quickly made a respectful bow when she saw him.Lei Feng ignored her and continued walking.Because based on the Conde''s character, he would definitely not greet back a maid.If he remembered correctly, she seemed to be the Conde''s fiance''s personal maid.


    She probably helped Argent in getting dress.After all, in this world,dies of noble standing usually have people helping them to dress.Not onlydies but also men as well.When he walked out of his room just now, a man was just about to knock on his door.If he''s not mistaken, that was the Conde''s valet.He''s probably there to help him bathe and dress.


    Of course, how could he let that?Although he was of the same build as the Conde, their bodies were still hugely different.So, he dismissed the valet and just walked towards Argent''s room.


    But wait- wouldn''t Argent be discovered if someone help her to dress?No, that maid just now didn''t seem to find something weird.So, Argent probably found a way to not let her help her dress.


    With a sigh of relief, he continued walking.


    When he arrived in front of the door, he knocked.


    "Who is it?" an unfamiliar woman''s voice asked from inside.


    Lei Feng was a bit startled before remembering that the holographic choker Argent gave them could change their voices to that of the person they''re impersonating.So, the voice just now was most likely the voice of the Conde''s fiance.


    "It''s me," he said.


    It didn''t take a while before a woman wearing a blue dress opened the door.She looked elegant and gentle.He remembered that this was the face of the Conde''s fiance.But he also knew that the one standing in front of him was not her.Because if it was, then his heart wouldn''t be beating so fast right now.


    It even became faster when she smiled at him, "Yes?"


    And Lei Feng just knew that the one standing before him was Argent.


    He couldn''t help but looked down at her dress, especially at the curve on her chest.Thousand of things entered his mind at that moment.But then it was immediately cut off when he felt something holding his chin and forcefully pushing his face up.Then his eyes collided with Argent''s.


    "Eyes on my face, pervert."


    Lei Feng''s whole face turned red when he heard that.


    =====


    That was such an embarrassing moment.He didn''t even remember what they talked about after that or how the hell did he get back to his room.


    Argent in a dress was truly a killer.If it was her real face and not the Conde''s fiance''s, Lei Feng might just go catatonic.Truly.There''s no saving him.


    Janea, who had no idea what''s going on inside the head of his carriage mate right now, was seriously looking at the view outside the window.Seeing the familiar scene, he couldn''t help but say;


    "We''ll probably arrive at the capital the day after tomorrow.Just in time for the duke''s birthday."


    Lei Feng''s thought was cut-off when he heard that.He sharply turned to the half-elf sitting beside him."Whose birthday?"


    Janea turned to the general."The duke''s  Argent ckbourne.Jaxon said it would be his 15th birthday."


    Lei Feng waspletely shocked hearing that answer.The only thing that went through his mind was  [What to do?I didn''t prepare any gift!]

 Chapter 230: happy birthday

    Chapter 230: happy birthday


    AURUM looked out from the window of her room.She stared at the night sky filled with stars.Suddenly, snow started to fall.She felt delighted.It had been five days since they arrived here at the Northern continent.But every time she saw the snow falling, she still felt thrilled.


    It''s not that she hadn''t seen snow before.Of course, she had.It''s just that, the snow in the Northern continent was different.It was whiter and purer.Even the shape of the snowkes was much more defined.


    She stretched out her hand and let the snow fall into her palm.


    She, her mother, ck, and y were in a hotel at a small town in one of the smallest countries in the Northern continent.The country was called Sarmatia.And the small town they were in was called Sylvan  named after the elf queen herself, Queen Sylvanna.


    This was the town where y grew up.Until he and his family moved to the Southeastern continent where the Temple of Gaia burned their home and killed his parents in the process.


    Being here was probably not easy for y.After all, this was the ce where he was the happiest.A point in his life where tragedy hadn''t struck yet.But despite that, he didn''t say anything when she suggested that they go here.As a matter of fact, he was very cooperative.Telling him the name of the town and personally guiding them here.


    They decided to go here because they couldn''t exactly do anything at Albion.They already read that record book that acted like a journal for the past Dukes of Hanover.They even searched the manor from top to bottom, looking for anything that might help them.Who knows if that good father of hers left something else in the manor?


    This town of Sylvan was where the legend about the elven queen giving her treasure to a farmer originated.Thus, the name.It spread and became a well-known legend all across the country of Sarmatia.And y''s family just happened to be the descendant of that farmer.


    They went here in the hopes that they could find clues regarding one of the ancient artifacts  the Elven Queen''s ring.Maybe they might even find the ce being pointed in that map that suddenly showed when Aurum identally dropped blood on that pendant that was left to y by his father.


    Besides, if they were on the same continent as her brother, then if something went wrong on their side, they could rush over there and give them support.


    They would have been here long ago if not for the King of Albion suddenly finding out that her mother was back at the country.At that point, they had already swiped out all the problematic servants in the manor.So, there''s definitely no one that would sell information about them.Maybe one of those kicked servants sold off the information that the Duchess and her daughter were back to someone.Or it''s also a possibility that someone had been spying at their manor and found out about it.


    Anyway, Aurum still remembered how angry her mother was the moment she returned from the pce.


    =====


    Anthea rushed inside the manor angrily, throwing the walking stick she was carrying."That f*cking bastard!"


    Aurum who just came down the stairs saw exactly this scene.She knew that her mother went to the pce today because of the sudden invitation of the King.He wanted the both of them to go.But her mother said to her that it''s alright if only she went.She would just say that she''s sick or something along those lines.But that meant that there was no way for her to refuse the King''s invitation.


    So, they could onlypromise and let her mother go.But seeing her like this, Aurum immediately knew that things probably didn''t go well.She rushed towards her.


    "Mother, what''s wrong?Did the King do something that made you angry?" she asked, worriedly.


    Seeing her daughter, Anthea tried to calm her anger.But the fire inside her heart still remained.


    "That bastard king proposed a date for your engagement to his son, the second prince.He acted like I already agreed to the whole thing!The audacity of it all.He said that he already talked about this with Argent.That might be true but there''s no way your brother would agree to something like that.Hah!That old fox.Does he think that I don''t know what he''s nning?"


    The king wanting to marry her off to the second prince was not exactly new news for Aurum.She''d known it since she was seven.All because she had the right ancestry and Gift level.If she married that Winter, it was sure that at least one of their children would have an SS level Gift.


    The King might have some reservations at first because of that incident that happened when she was four  her Gift going off control and killing all those servants.But that little bit of reservation probably vanished the moment it was made known that her brother was the one who established Silver Corporation.If he connected the Albion royal family to Silver Corporation through marriage, it would be nothing short of advantageous.It was a sure way to improve the kingdom''s economy.


    But just like her mother said, Argent would never agree to that proposal.Based on how her mother was currently reacting, she was also against it.Of course, Aurum also had no intention of marrying that popsicle.And she was quite sure that Winter wouldn''t want to marry her.In fact, between her and her brother, that guy would probably rather marry Argent.


    So, no matter the king''s machinations, the marriage he so wanted would simply wouldn''t happen.


    "Calm down, Mother," Aurum said to her mother, patting her back to calm her down."This is not like Xing.The King couldn''t just give a mandate and let two people marry against their will.As long as we don''t agree, the King doesn''t have the power to force us."


    Hearing that, Anthea''s anger finally calmed down.Her daughter was right.That bastard''s words just got to her head, making her brain filled with rage."You''re right.Mother just lost her mind for a second because of too much anger."


    Aurum reached to her mother and held her hand."Let''s just leave Albion, Mother, and go to Sarmatia as nned.Who knows when the King would invite us again for another meeting at the pce."


    "I agree.Let''s do that."


    =====


    And with that, they flew to the Northern continent using the flying shuttle.


    Aurum retracted her hand from outside the window.A gust of cold wind blew.But Aurum still didn''t close the window.She nced at the wall clock and saw that it would be past midnight in ten minutes.Seeing that, she excitedly picked up her sPhone.When she was about to dial her brother''s number, her phone rang.And she quickly saw that it was her brother calling.


    She smiled with a big grin.It seemed that the two of them had the same idea.She immediately epted the call.It was a video call, so Argent appeared on the screen.But it was not her face.It was that of the woman her brother was currently impersonating.She had been seeing this look for more than two weeks now, but Aurum couldn''t still get used to it.


    "Brother, could you at least turn off that holographic mask you''re wearing?" she asked.


    "I couldn''t.Just to be safe," Argent answered.Then as if noticing something, he added, "Aurum, do close the window.The weather in the Northern continent is so cold.What would you do if you get a cold or worse, a fever?"


    "Brother, my body is very sturdy.I won''t get sick that easily."Although she said that, Aurum still closed the window obediently."Have you arrived at the capital?"


    "No.But by tomorrow evening, we probably will.I probably wouldn''t be able to contact you after we arrived at the imperial pce.It would be safer that way.I have to be careful that no one would notice any abnormalities in me as I yed the role of Lady Isabe."


    Aurum understood that but it still made her very unwilling.At the end she didn''t say anything to protest against it and just said, "Brother, please do be careful."


    "I will."Then Argent looked to the side.After seeing whatever it was, she turned back her eyes to the screen and showed Aurum one of her rare smile."Happy birthday, Aurum."


    Aurum was a bit startled.She turned to the wall clock and saw that a few seconds had already passed after midnight.She looked back at her brother and smiled her most brilliant smile.


    "Happy birthday, Brother."


    And the ckbourne twins officially became 15 years old.

 Chapter 231: a blurry memory

    Chapter 231: a blurry memory


    ARGENT closed her light brain when the call finished.Aurum actually wanted to talk to her more, but she refused and told her to go to bed and sleep.Because she knew that if she agreed, they would surely talk until morning.She didn''t want her sister to not sleep.Especially since she knew that their mother, who was travelling with her, would definitely celebrate her birthday with her.At the end, Aurum had no choice but to listen to her.


    She looked outside the window of the room she was in.The Conde de Salvacion''s party was currently staying for the night at a hotel located at the town nearest to the capital.Just like what she said to her sister, they would probably arrive at the capital of Kievan Empire by tomorrow evening.Finally, things were about to begin.


    She raised his head and watched the falling snow.She didn''t like the cold.So, it was aplete hassle during their travel.She even hated it more when they had to camp outside at night when there was no nearby town or vige.Kievan had a huge and wide territory.There were ces with nothing but snow in them.Their party sometimes had to camp out in those ces.


    She was thankful that they didn''t have to do that every night.Or else, she would definitely lose her temper before they could even arrive at the capital.Maybe she wouldn''t even be able to y the role of the elegant and gentle Lady Isabe.The personal maid of thedy  Nina, would definitely notice the difference.Being discovered when their main mission hadn''t started yet would certainly be a bad start.


    Argent then turned her gaze to the moon.Fifteen years old, that''s how old this body was now.She had been living in this world for eight years.She hadn''t thought that the transmigration of her soul in this world would actually lead her to this kind of adventure.


    Looking for ancient treasures that could be the key to opening a close mythical continent.It started as something that was forced on her.But now, she knew that she needed to go to that continent if she wanted her and her sister to not experience an untimely death.They needed to get the fruit of the Tree of Life.Something that could be found at thend of the elves.


    But not only that, she also had to face an evil religious group in the process.A group being led by an extremely sly individual  Lucern Faust.That guy was charismatic enough to force powerful individuals to submit to him.Since meeting him, she had thought countless of times if it would be better to just assassinate him.Then all her problems regarding the Temple would simply vanish.But she immediately rejected the idea.Because she quickly understood that doing that wouldn''t be so easy as it sounded.


    They were talking about the current leader of a church that had centuries of history.It was the biggest religion in the world with millions of loyal devotees.Organization like that tended to have a lot of enemies.She was sure that a lot of people had already tried to assassinate their leader  the Pope.But so far, none had seeded.It could either mean that his security was top notch or that he could easily handle things like that by himself.Maybe it was even both.


    That''s why Argent wanted to have a meeting with the leader of Dreich Gallere.She was thinking that maybe she could use the famous assassin organization against the Pope and the Temple.But sadly, it seemed like Viper''s master didn''t want to meet her.She let it go for now.But she believed there woulde a time when she had to meet that person.Not only for the matter of the Temple of Gaia, but because he seemed to have information regarding the ancient artifacts.


    She shook her head.Who would have thought that her life that only ever revolved around her inventions would take such a weird turn?She almost felt like she''s the main character in some poorly written fantasy book.


    If birthday wishes were real, then she only wished for all of these to be over.For them to aplish the things they needed to do.So that she and her family could find peace and live a rxed life with no evil organizations bothering them nor fear of a death they couldn''t control.


    She truly hoped that this situation wouldn''tst until next year.That on their next birthday, everything would be over.How wonderful would that be?


    Her train of thought was cut off by the sudden knocking on the door.Argent frowned.Just who woulde to her room at midnight?Even her current personal maid wouldn''t do that.


    "Who is it?" she called.


    "It''s me," said the voice of the Conde.And since the real Conde wasn''t here, it could only be Lei Feng.


    Her brows furrowed a bit.Did something happen?Why would this guy suddenlye to her room at this ungodly hour?But still, she nned to open the door.She was about to do that, then suddenly stopped when she realized that she was only wearing her nightgown.


    It was because she remembered how Lei Feng reacted when he first saw her in a dress.His eyes almost glued to her chest.If she was some daintydy, she might have blushed in embarrassment.But she wasn''t.Even if the face was not hers, that guy probably still thought that it was weird seeing her in a dress.Maybe he even wondered if her chest was real or not.That''s why he stared so intently.


    Of course, it''s real.She didn''t use any padding and just removed her usual chest binding.Because of the fit of the dress, even if her chest was not really that bountiful, it still showed a bit of a curve.


    She didn''t want Zhang Lei Feng to stare at her like that again.She couldn''t exactly describe her feelings then.Even though she was all calm outside, she was actually burning inside.Maybe she did feel a bit embarrassed.So, as to not repeat that, she picked a thick shawl and wrapped it around her upper body before opening the door.


    As she thought, Lei Feng was indeed standing outside the door.


    "Is there something?" she asked.


    The other appeared nervous, because he was fidgeting.Which appeared really weird to Argent.Did something really happen?


    "Happy birthday, Argent!"


    She was startled.Because she really thought that something must have been really wrong.So, he was fidgeting like that because he was going to give her a birthday greeting?What''s there to be nervous about?


    "Ah, thank you?"


    She wasn''t really that surprised that he knew that it was her birthday.He must have heard it from Jaxon.She was more surprised that he would greet her at this time.Couldn''t he have done it early in the morning?


    But somehow, it brought a bit of warmth to her slightly cold heart.


    "I- I didn''t know that it''s your birthday.So, I haven''t prepared a gift."


    "It''s okay."It''s not like she''s expecting something anyway.


    "B-but I hope you would ept this until I get you a proper gift," he said, handing a piece of rectangr paper to her.


    She tilted her head in confusion before looking down at the piece of paper.It seemed that there was something written on it.She took the paper and read the words; ''anything goes request''.


    "What''s this?" she asked, still confused as to what might it be.


    "It''s a one-time used coupon.You can request anything and I will do everything in my power to fulfill it.It has no expiration date.And when I said ''anything'', I meant anything," Lei Feng said, his obsidian ck eyes full of determination.


    After hearing that, something suddenly shed in Argent''s brain.A blurry memory that she wasn''t sure if it even happened.It was that of a boy, with a face she couldn''t even properly see, handing her a piece of paper and saying almost the same thing to her.


    [Here, it''s an ''order me anything'' coupon.I don''t have enough money to buy you anything good right now.But I promise, your brother would definitely buy you the best things in the future.]


    She closed her eyes because of the sudden pain that assaulted her brain.It''s like it was stopping her frompletely remembering.So, she followed her brain and stopped remembering.Because, deep inside, she knew that something would happen if she did.


    She let that blurry memory disappear into the oblivion.


    When she opened her eyes, it''s as if nothing happened.But unbeknownst to her, Lei Feng still noticed the momentary gaff.He wanted to ask her about it.But before he could, Argent had already spoken.


    "Then, you better prepare.Because I will definitely not ask something simple."


    Seeing Argent''s confident gaze, it almost seemed like what he saw earlier was just Lei Feng''s imagination.He still wanted to ask her about it.But looking at her expression right now, he surely wouldn''t get an answer even if he did.


    So, he could only smile and said, "I''ll definitely be waiting."

 Chapter 232: gifts for aurum (i)

    Chapter 232: gifts for aurum (i)


    AURUM slept like a log.She thought that she wouldn''t be able to sleep after her call with her brother.But surprisingly, the moment sheid down on her bed, she quickly fell asleep.


    She wondered if it was because she was too tired yesterday.She, her mother, as well as ck and y did go around the buzzling area of the town yesterday.They hadn''t started their search yet.They hadn''t even gone to the former location of y''s childhood home.They just went around the business area to get a feel of the whole town.And she must say, from that short tour, she could tell that this small town was thriving.


    Despite the cold weather all year round, the people were very lively.There were a lot of shops and the trade was obviously very alive.Almost all the residence they met were hospitable, with a kind smile on their faces.One could see that the people who lived in this small town of Sylvan were content and happy.It was truly a huge contrast to the bleak weather.


    Aurum was truly thankful for that.At least with this, it wouldn''t be too hard to go around and talk to the locals about the legend of the Elven Queen and how she gave her favorite treasure to that simple farmer.


    She stood up and stretched her body.She looked at the wall clock and saw that it was still a bit early.She wondered if her mother and the others were already awake.Well, ck was definitely awake.She still remembered that her brother''s gift was in the hands of that kid.


    She walked to the bathroom.The bathtub was already filled with hot water.Last night, after dinner, she asked people working in the inn they were staying to bring her hot water.Of course, he asked first if the bathtubs in the inn were iid with magic stone that could maintain the temperature of the water.And, as it happened, it did.


    Now, she could take a bath without disturbing the others.


    After taking a bath and dressing up warmly  white shirt, ck trousers, knee-high boots, and white fur jacket  she walked out of her room and nned to go to the inn''s dining area.


    She just reached the ground floor when a female employee approached her.


    "Good morning, miss," the other greeted."Yourpanions are waiting for you in one of the restaurant''s private box."


    Aurum raised one of her brows.She was a bit surprised that her mother and y were already awake.She wondered why they had to have breakfast at a private box when they could just do that at the inn''smon dining area.Then she remembered that today was her and her brother''s birthday.With that, she already had an answer to her question.


    "Please, lead the way."


    The employee respectfully nodded and Aurum followed behind her.


    Soon, they arrived at the said private box.The employee knocked on the door and told people inside about her arrival.Then she bowed at Aurum before leaving.


    Aurum opened the door.The moment she walked inside, colorful confetti suddenly appeared in front of her sight.


    "Happy birthday, Aurum!" greeted by three different voices.


    She looked forward and saw her mother holding a cake while both y and ck were on the side of the door holding containers full of confetti.


    Her mother walked forward with the cake and presented it to her."Go on, blow the candle and make a wish."


    Aurum gazed down.The cake her mother was holding was a white frosted cake with pink icings that was decorated like roses.At the middle, a small candle was erected.She automatically closed his eyes and made her wish.


    [I wish before our next birthdayes, my brother and I would be able to find the rest of the ancient artifacts.That we would be able to safely entered the Mythos continent and get a fruit from the Tree of Life.Oh, and to meet our father if ever he''s still alive.]


    After saying those things in her mind, she blew on the candle, properly extinguishing its me.She then opened her eyes.


    She saw her mother putting the cake on the table which she now only noticed was filled with different dishes.


    Anthea then turned to her and took out a small rectangr velvet box from her space ring, a golden ribbon was tied around it.She gave it to Aurum."Happy 15th birthday, my dear."


    Aurum quickly took it."Thank you, Mother."She looked down at the box and guessed that it must be some kind of essory."Can I open it now?"


    "Of course," Anthea happily answered.


    Aurum untied the ribbon and then opened the box.Just like she thought, it was indeed an essory.But she still couldn''t help but marvel at the beauty of it.


    It was a ne that was rose-gold in color.The pendant was a golden lotus and at its very center was an amber jewel.She immediately felt something special from the amber jewel.It''s definitely not just an ordinary gem.


    "This is something that can amplify your Gift," Anthea exined, seeing her daughter staring at the amber jewel."Even if you''re not using the full power of your Gift, it would automatically be a level higher with this ne with you.Of course, you don''t have to worry that your Gift would be out of control because of it.You would still be able to control the output of Mana.The ne would just amplify it."


    She knew how Aurum still couldn''t use her Gift at full power.Right now, she could only do itfortably at A level at most.That''s why she thought of personalizing a ne like this.


    She found the jewel during one of her travels while searching for clues about the whereabouts of Dorian.Once she knew of its effect, she searched for a jewel the same color as Aurum''s eyes.Of course, she also had another gift prepared for Argent.

 Chapter 233: gifts for aurum (ii)

    Chapter 233: gifts for aurum (ii)


    HEARING her mother''s exnation, Aurum''s eyes lit up.This was something she really needed.With this, she could utilize her Gift more."Can you put it on me, Mother?"


    "Of course."


    Aurum pushed her hair over her shoulder, so that her mother could easily put the ne on her.She gave the velvet box to her mother and turned around, waiting for her to put it around her.


    Anthea took the ne out of the box and put it on her daughter.Then she carefully arranged her daughter''s hair behind her back.


    Aurum turned around."How is it?"


    Anthea looked at her daughter and smiled proudly."Of course, my Aurum is very pretty."


    ck said reluctantly, "You look okay."


    Then Aurum nced at y who quickly avoided her gaze.Aurum was about to feel annoyed by his reaction when she noticed the slight red tinge on his cheeks.Which showed that the other was simply being shy.So, she decided not to mind the way he acted.He was probably just embarrassed to say that she was indeed very pretty.


    Well, she was actually not quite far-off.y looked away because he was staring at the lotus pendant that was resting between Aurum''s delicate vicles.He only had one thought while looking at it.How exquisite the other''s vicles were.That''s why he avoided her gaze like some kind of thief because of guilty conscience.


    He truly felt like some kind of pervert.He shook his head and pushed those thoughts away.


    Next, it was ck''s turn to give a gift.He walked near the table and picked up the white box on one of the chairs.He gave it to Aurum."This is Master''s gift."


    Aurum then remembered about the gift that her brother entrusted to ck.She excitedly opened the lid of the box.When she saw what was inside, her amber eyes widened and blinked a few more times to make sure that she was not having any kind of hallucination.


    Inside was a small silver cat.Its length was probably just the size of her forearm.It was curled up inside, as if sleeping.


    "This cat is like ck and White.Master made it for Aurum.You just have to name it and its system will automatically activate," ck exined.


    Aurum stared at the cat.She remembered how she asked her brother to make her a pet cat.She thought that Argent had already forgotten about it.Heck, with all the things that was happening, she also kind of forgot about it.It turned out that her brother still remembered it.


    She picked up the little cat and gave the box to ck.She looked at the cat''s silver mane and a name quickly popped up inside her mind.


    "Starting from today, your name is Zilharr."


    It was the old word for ''silver''.Which she thought truly suited the cat.She was d that her brother left it to her to name the cat.Because if not, then the other would probably just give it a name on the same level as ''ck'' and ''White''.At least, she was more creative.


    The moment she named the cat, the cat slowly opened its eyes.The color was simr to that of an amethyst gem.Just like the eye color of her brother.Aurum felt like she was looking at the cat-version of Argent.Her brother truly knew her taste.


    "Master," the cat called in a slightly cold and indifferent voice.


    Aurum''s excitement level just burst at that moment.She no longer stopped herself and hugged Zilharr."You''re so cute!"


    "Master, please don''t squeeze me, nyaa."


    Aurum just felt like her heart was hit by an arrow when she heard that ''nyaa''.She raised Zilharr and rubbed her cheek on the cat''s cheek."How can you be so adorable?"


    Anthea looked at the small cat that just spoke.And she was once again amazed at her eldest daughter''s genius.She truly wondered just what was going on inside that head of Argent that she could make an artificial creature like this.Not to mention, ck and White who were both so human that no one would think that they were nothing but.


    But alongside the pride and admiration she was feeling, there was also worry.Because if people found out the real extent of Argent''s genius, she was afraid that many would covet her for it.And there would definitely be people who would persecute her for making beings that were close to humans.They might even think that she was ying god by doing so.


    She shook her head.This was hardly the time to worry about such things.It was her twins'' birthday.If she had to worry about something, then it should be because Argent was not with them now.She wasn''t even sure how her eldest would spend her birthday.


    y looked at the silver cat in Aurum''s arms.He was extremely shocked at first when the cat spoke.He thought he was having some kind of auditory hallucination.Especially since the other three were not reacting much.But when he heard it spoke again, he was finally sure that it was not an auditory hallucination.


    The cat truly did spoke!


    But how?Was it some kind of magical creature?But he had never heard of such thing.Then he remembered what ck had said, about the cat being the same as him and White.Did that mean that ck and White were also some kind of creature as the cat?


    Before he could think more, he saw Aurum turning to him.She was still holding the cat, but she reached out her free hand towards him and then looked at him expectantly.


    "My gift?" she asked.


    With Aurum''s question, y temporarily put away the mystery of the cat on one corner of his head.He then took out a small box from his space ring.It was simply wrapped and tied in a red ribbon.


    "It''s not much.Just something that I made."After seeing the ne and the mystery cat, he was actually a bit embarrassed to give this to Aurum.He felt that it was too simple and cheap, not suitable for someone like Aurum.But he still dared to give it, hoping that she would like it."Happy birthday, Aurum."


    Aurum carefully put Zilharr first in ck''s arms.Then she opened the box y gave.What she saw inside was a wood sculpture of a girl.She was sitting on a rock, wearing a long dress.Her long hair was freely flowing behind her back.Her hand was slightly raised and on his delicate finger perched a butterfly.She was so beautiful that anyone would be charmed by her.And to her absolute surprise and delight, the girl looked like her!


    Was this how she looked in y''s eyes?


    "You made this?"


    y scratched his cheek."Yeah.I''m sorry I couldn''t afford something more."


    "No."Aurum shook her head and hugged the small wood carving to her chest.She felt like her heart just became full."I love it."She looked at y and smiled."Thank you, y."


    y felt like his heart suddenly skipped a beat seeing such a smile.But he didn''t think too much about it.Because he was too happy hearing that Aurum loved his gift.So, a wide smile also unknowing spread on his face.


    Anthea stared at this scene.She could almost see pink bubbles floating around the two.If Argent was here, she probably had already kicked y away from her sister.

 Chapter 234: arriving at kievan

    Chapter 234: arriving at kievan


    ARGENT slightly opened the curtain of her carriage.Arge expanse of white quickly greeted her.The buildings and the surroundings were simply covered with snow.She could already see the looming gate of the imperial capital of Kievan  Stregov City.Although it was not as tall as the one surrounding the borders of the country, it was still daunting.


    "My Lady, we''re finally arriving at the capital," the maid, Nina, who was with her at the carriage excitedly said to her."Will we the pce be as beautiful as the pce in Iberia?"


    "I''m not sure.Maybe it would," Argent answered perfunctorily but she still had to smile because thisdy she was impersonating always had a gentle smile on her face.


    Her facial muscles had been hurting because she was forcing herself to smile.If she knew that it would be this hard to maintain such a faade, she would have made a permanently smiling holographic mask.The only good thing was most of the time she was left alone in the carriage.So, there''s no need for her to do this ''gentledy'' act.


    She truly envied Lei Feng.Because the person he was impersonating almost had the same personality as himself.So, even if he didn''t do anything, no one would suspect that he was not the real Conde de Salvacion.Unlike her.


    The only thing she had inmon with thisdy was their gender.Oh, yes, their height was also pretty simr.Which truly helped in her disguise.But aside from those, there''s nothing else.She even had to put padding to her chest just so it could match that of Lady Isabe.


    Her facial muscles were hurting and her chest was itching.Really, how annoying and troublesome.


    She couldn''t wait until they leave this ce.Of course, they should leave victorious.After all, she didn''te all the way here just to lose.


    The leading carriage was stopped by the guard.It was the carriage where Lei Feng and Janea were.The captain of the guard who was riding in horseback beside the carriage  which was, in this case, Jaxon in disguise  gave the pass that was confirming their identities to the guard guarding the gate.


    This pass was, of course, issued to the real captain of guard.It would be given to the people who passed the identity test which could be given to outsiders who wanted to enter Kievan.There''s a station in each Heavenly Gate that checked the identities of the people trying to enter the country.


    Argent was not worried that they might find something wrong in the pass.After all, it''s not a fake pass.The people they were impersonating were the ones who took that identity test.


    Then she saw a soldier riding a horse came up to Jaxon.She was not sure what they said to each other but after that, the procession of their entourage started moving again.


    "Nina, can you ask the guard outside where we''re headed?" Argent said to the maid.


    She could ask it herself, but apparently, gently-bred youngdies like her didn''t talk to soldiers.She almost rolled her eyes at Lady Isabe''s maids when she heard them say that.But since she''s ying ''Lady Isabe'', then she should act like her.


    "Yes, mydy," Nina said.She parted the window curtain and asked one of the guards outside riding beside their carriage, "Where are we headed?"


    "A Kievan soldier is leading us to the ce we''ll temporarily be living during our stay here."


    Nina closed the curtain window and turned to her.Then repeated what the soldier said.


    Argent nodded."I see.Thank you, Nina."


    Well, at least the pce officials were not careless enough to not even provide them a ce to stay.


    ----------


    Argent came down the carriage with the help of Nina.Then she raised her head and looked at the three-story mansion in front of her.It was big, yes.But looked very dreary.Not that it was dirty or anything of that sort.It justcked charm.Like a big b of stone perched in snow.


    Not that she cared.As long as it''s clean and livable, then she''s fine with it.


    She looked forward and saw that Lei Feng and Janea had alsoe down from their carriage.Lei Feng looked back at him and probably was about to walk towards his direction when a man who seemed to be waiting for their arrival walked towards him first.


    The man was wearing some kind of white robe.There were two men walking behind him that was also wearing the same kind of robe.The only difference was the former''s robe was more luxurious.


    Argent had a hunch that they were pce attendants.And that hunch was proven with the man''s next words.


    "My Lord, I humbly wee you and your party to the great Empire of Kievan," he said in roughly in themon tongue, showing the effects of the Kievannguage which had a lot of r''s and v''s."I was sent here by the pce to make sure that you have everything that you need during your stay here in our great empire."


    Lei Feng nodded."When can we meet His Majesty?" he asked, pertaining to the Emperor of Kievan.


    "His Majesty is still busy with a lot of the empire''s affairs," the man said."But Your Grace can go to the pce tomorrow and the crown prince will entertain you."


    Janea who was listening beside Lei Feng almost snorted.Busy with the empire''s affairs, my ass.Knowing that bastard, he just probably didn''t think that the Conde de Salvacion and his entourage were important enough for him to grace his presence.He would probably not meet them until it''s time for the diplomatic meeting.Heck, he might even just let one of his ministers to do that.


    But it didn''t matter.The important part was for them to enter the pce.


    Argent, on the other hand, raised one of her brows when she heard that.The Empire of Kievan had no Empress but ording to what she had heard, the Emperor had a couple of illegitimate children.But only one of them was officially recognized.Should that be the crown prince?


    No matter.It would be good if they could enter the pce tomorrow.Then they could start surveying the ce.


    Tomorrow, things would finally start moving.

 Chapter 235: the snake

    Chapter 235: the ''snake''


    ON the back garden of the mansion provided by the pce to the Conde de Salvacion and his entourage, a secret meeting was being held. Argent, Lei Feng, Jaxon, and Janea were walking on the garden that was almost covered by snow. They made it seem like the Conde and his fiance were taking a walking together with the Conde''s nephew while the captain of guards was guarding them.


    Even though it''s weird to take a walk on a frozen backyard when there''s hardly anything there but snow, especially when it''s already nearing sundown, but they really had no choice. Because if they talked inside the mansion, there''s a chance that there were surveince items that might spy on their conversation. They couldn''t gamble on that chance. After all, if even one person from Kievan found out that they were not the people they were supposed to be, then everything they had prepared and nned would be for naught.


    It''s better for the servants and guards to think they''re weird than for their secret to be discovered.


    "ording to that pce attendant, we''re supposed to have lunch at the pce tomorrow. And the crown prince was supposed to entertain us," Argent started. "So, Janea, can you tell us anything about this ''crown prince''?"


    "Well, actually, before I left here, there''s still wasn''t any crown prince. I guess Sergey was promoted," Janea said referring to the only son that the Emperor of Kievan had recognized.


    He was actually surprised when he heard the pce attendant mentioned a ''crown prince''. But he guessed it was already time that the shitty emperor appointed someone on that position.


    "And how would you describe this ''Sergey''?" Argent asked again.


    "He''s arrogant and a snob. He thinks he''s above everyone else. But he could act and pretend like the perfect prince."


    "Sounds like a peachy guy," Jaxonmented when he heard his son''s description.


    "Since he''s a pretentious prick, then I guess we don''t have to worry that he wouldn''t entertain us properly. Him being the crown prince and all," Argent said. "Any other things we should watch out for?"


    "You already have the map I draw of the pce. Just check the important points I marked to see if it changed in some way," Janea answered. "And if you meet a teenage boy with blue-ck hair and light blue eyes, try not to interact with him too much. No matter what kind of pitiful situation you might find him in."


    Argent raised one of her brows when she heard that. "And why might that be?"


    "Because he''s a snake in sheep''s clothing. Nothing good wille out of interacting with him."


    Jaxon unconsciously felt the underlying anger beneath Janea''s words. It could be seen that he must have had a history with this ''snake''. "Are you okay, Janea?"


    Janea nodded trying to calm himself. He didn''t want others to know about that person and his betrayal. It''s not just because it was humiliating or that it showed how nave he was, but also because it was something that was between him and that person. If there''s someone who should deal with that guy, then it should be him. Not anyone else.


    Argent didn''t care that much about the half-elf''s abnormal reaction. If it was something rted to their task here in this country, then she was sure that he would tell it to them himself. But since he didn''t, then it''s probably irrelevant.


    So, she just nced at Zhang Lei Feng who had been quiet until now. Or she should probably say ''as always''. During situations like this, this guy wouldn''t really say anything unless it''s important or if it''s something that''s needed to be said. Which she appreciated. It''s better than someone who kept on prattling nonsense.


    "Are you ready for tomorrow?" she asked.


    Lei Feng also turned to her. "Yes."


    ----------


    An hour before lunch, a luxurious carriage drove to the mansion allocated to the Conde de Salvacion and his entourage. A pce attendant was sent to send the Conde and his fiance to the Kievan''s Imperial Pce. It was the same pce attendant who told them yesterday that the crown prince would be meeting them today.


    The two were sitting inside the carriage together with the pce attendant. While some of the pce guards were riding outside to escort them. The Conde''s captain of the guards was, of course, riding with them.


    Both Argent and Lei Feng chose to stay silent. But, of course, they still had to be in character. No, it''s more urate to say that Argent had to be the only one in character. Considering how the real Conde usually looked stern and serious just like how Lei Feng was when he''s being quiet. Which how he usually was.


    So, Argent was the only who had to paste a gentle smile on her face. Seriously, after their mission here in Kievan, she would upgrade this holographic choker. So, it could include a variation of emotional expression. So, the next time she had to act like someone, she didn''t have to force herself to act.


    It didn''t take long for them to arrive at their destination.


    From inside the carriage, Argent could see through the window the huge castle gate. Its scale was almost the same as the gate that surrounded the whole country. It was a bit over the top in her opinion. It made it looked like the whole pce was just a big stone cage.


    Maybe in the mind of the elf who was currently trapped inside, it was indeed the case.


    Jaxon was thinking the same thing. Just looking at this gate and thinking of how nnea was inside there, the anger that he had continuously held back since they arrived in this empire came back again. He took a deep breath to force himself to calm down. This was not the time to let his anger take control of him.


    The carriage stopped and Argent and Lei Feng walked out.


    Argent stared at the pce in front of her. It was unlike the castle of Albion which gave off a fairy-tale like feeling. Or the Imperial Pce of Xing where you could see the country''s long history just by looking at it.


    This one, on the other hand, just gave her a creepy feeling. And that''s not here being judgmental. With the white snow backdrop and all those spires and towers, it just looked like some kind of horror castle where that famous vampire in her original world lived.


    "Please, Your Grace, this way," the pce attendant said, gesturing for them to follow.


    Argent and Lei Feng followed the pce attendant with Jaxon guarding them from behind. All three of them were equipped with recording cameras in the form of buttons for Lei Feng and Jaxon and a brooch for her. In this way, they could record everything as they walked inside the pce.


    The inside was as cold and dark as how it looked outside. Even the pce servants they encountered were wearing dull and drab uniforms.


    The pce attendant led them to a room that was like a small dining room. But a bit more luxuriouspared to normal ones.


    "Please, wait just a bit for His Highness to arrive, Your Grace."


    Just after the pce attendant said that, the door to the room opened and a teenage boy who looked like he was 15 or 16 walked in.


    "Your Highness," the pce attendant called, bowing respectfully to the teenager.


    Your Highness? Argent stared at the boy. He had blue-ck hair and a pair of light blue eyes.


    Wasn''t this the ''snake'' Janea was talking about?

 Chapter 236: kievans crown prince

    Chapter 236: kievan''s crown prince


    "CONDE, mydy, wee to Kievan''s imperial pce," the teenager said with a gentle smile on his face and walked towards the head of the table.


    The boy with his blue-ck hair and light blue eyes was surrounded by a very refreshing and kind atmosphere. Anyone who would encounter him or just nced at him once would think that he was really that, a kind youth whom anyone could easily get along with despite being part of royalty.


    But that''s not the feeling that Argent got. She just felt iffy. Like what she''s seeing right now was a sludge of illusion covering the real person beneath. And that''s not because of what Janea had warned them before. That''s simply what her instinct was telling her.


    "Oh, did I surprise the both of you?" the teenager asked when he didn''t receive any response from the two. "Or perhaps the Conde and hisdy are expecting someone else?"


    Argent and Zhang Lei Feng knew they had a momentary gaffe because of the unexpected turn of events. Jaxon fared a bit better since his role now was the guard of the Conde and his fiance. And people of high standing just didn''t care about someone of lower rank. But he was just as surprised as the other two.


    All of them had seen the picture of Sergey Orlov. He had the usual ''Orlov'' look  gray hair and pale blue eyes. Unlike the rest of the Emperor''s illegitimate progenies who didn''t inherit those looks. That was the reason why the Emperor recognized him as his son.


    That''s what they were expecting  someone with those features. But instead, the one who came to them was this teenager. So, of course, they would be momentarily surprised.


    But Argent and Leif Feng were both smart people and knew what they should do in this kind of situation. Argent performed a perfect curtsy, she showed an apologetic expression. Lei Feng also made a gentlemanly bow.


    "Our apologies, Your Highness," Lei Feng started. "You are indeed correct. The person we were expecting was Prince Sergey. We hadn''t been informed that His Majesty, the emperor, had chosen another one of his honorable sons to be the crown prince. It is aplete dereliction of my duty for not being well-informed. Again, I apologize. And I hope that Your Highness can forgive us for this transgression."


    Argent gave the guy a huge thumbs-up in her heart. She also did her part and started acting.


    "We truly apologize, Your Highness," she said with a trembling voice, acting as if she was afraid of the possible consequence for their action.


    After all, they were in a foreign country that was notpletely friendly towards other countries. She just had to act ordingly on how a delicate nobledy like the one she was pretending to be would respond under such a situation. So, she said that in a trembling voice to show her ''fear'' but still acted brave with her back straight and her chin up.


    Jaxon, who was standing at the side and pretending to be a statue, was amazed by the acting skills of the two. It wouldn''te off as a surprise if the one standing in front of him were Aurum or his nephew, Finn. But he wouldn''t expect this from the taciturn general who barely spoke unless he needed to. Or from a girl who mostly ever had one expression on her face  indifferent.


    He nced at the youth who now appeared to be the crown prince. He knew what Argent and Lei Feng thought when they first saw this crown prince. That the other matched the description of the person his son referred to as a ''snake''. He also thought so.


    He didn''t have enough information about this prince.  But there''s one thing he was certain about. His son absolutely hated this prince. Janea exuded the same negative emotions that he did when talking about the emperor of Kievan the moment he mentioned this prince.


    Looking at that face as if he wouldn''t even dare hit a fly, Jaxon could already see that the other was a schemer. Even without knowing all the details, he could tell that this boy most likely toyed with his son in some form or another.


    He clenched both fists. Just thinking of that possibility was already making his blood boil with anger. He looked down before the boy noticed his hostile gaze. He took a calming breath to prevent himself frompletely getting angry. Had had to tell himself that this was not yet the time.


    He had to wait. Wait and let all of them pay.


    "There''s no need to apologize, Ipletely understand," the crown prince said, his expression full of kind understanding. "It''s true that if not for the recent events, my older brother, Prince Sergey, would be the one meeting you right now. It truly was such an unfortunate thing. My poor brother."


    This time he looked like he just said something that saddened him greatly. And then he smiled. But it was the kind that one would see on someone who was trying to be brave despite the mncholy he was feeling.


    "You must have not heard of the news while on the road here," he continued. "You certainly would not know who I am. Let me introduce myself first. I''m Ilya Orlov. It''s a pleasure to meet the both of you."


    Argent gave another curtsy while Lei Feng bowed. "The pleasure is all ours, Your Highness."


    "Oh, forgive me, where are my manners? Conde, mydy, please do sit down." He gestured to the two to sit. He too also sat down at the head of the table.


    Two attendants pulled the chairs both sides of the prince. Argent and Lei Feng sat down on the left and right chairs respectively.


    "Forgive me, Your Highness. May I ask what could have happened to Prince Sergey?" Lei Feng said.


    Argent wanted to give Lei Feng another thumbs-up. Since she''s ying a noble woman right now, she couldn''t start a conversation on her own. Unless she wanted to look suspicious. That''s just how women of nobility were. In the presence of men, they could only be meek and listen quietly.


    It''s a good thing that Lei Feng was a smart person who knew what should be asked in this situation.


    Once again, the expression of sadness appeared on the prince  Ilya''s face. "It''s the most dreadful thing. He made a mistake that cost him everything. And so, this position fell on me. As much as it pained me to have this position despite what happened to my brother, I had no choice but to ept it. Or else, it would be me who will receive our father''s ire."


    When he said thatst part, it was full of self-mocking. But Argent really didn''t know if that was his true feelings or if he was only acting. If even she was unsure, it could be seen how good of an actor he was. Because there''s no way in hell this guy was sincere with the feelings he had shown so far.


    As evidence, he didn''t directly answer Lei Feng''s question and just spewed this emotional nonsense. Probably wanting them to sympathize with him.


    "It must have been awfully hard, Your Highness," she said, acting like a sympathetic female she should be.


    "Thank you, mydy," Ilya said, giving him a forceful smile. "Now, should we have our lunch?"


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