Me and Magnar came back leisurely after eating. I unlocked the gate of the courtyard and stepped inside. Magnar followed after me. We went to the forge to sit and discuss how to proceed on the rest of the construction and repairs that needed to be done.

  Seeing all the weeds around that I didn’t get to clearing out of laziness I scratched the back of my head. ‘Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself… I didn’t even mow around here properly.’ As I stepped on the terrace of the forge, I caught a glimpse of A person waiting inside the tower through the arch I built together with Magnar.

  I froze, even my heart seemed to stop for a second. Magnar did not have time to react to my sudden stop and knocked me over. I fell face first, my shock and initial scare shattered by the reality of the approaching floor. Stopping myself with my hands I instantly turned my head to see who it was.

  Cassia was there waiting, squatting and hugging her legs close to her chest. I saw how her expression changed from absent minded, bored staring into the void, with her face relaxed, to surprise as her eyes opened more, then to amusement as she saw me fall and catch myself. Then our eyes locked and her smile melted into pursed lips in a blink.

  “Why did you stop like that?” Magnar asked while bending over and pulling me up by the scruff of my neck.

  “We got company, come inside.” I said as I dusted myself and took a moment before stepping in the tower. “Hi!” I saluted Cassia and sat cross legged on the floor. I still had no furniture here.

  “Hello there! I did not expect to see you around here again…” Magnar spoke as he entered too. He took a similar position.

  “Mhm… I kind of have to come… It’s not like my family or father will change his mind…” Cassia finally said.

  “I don’t care about what your family or father think. That’s your problem.” I said, unfazed.

  “I know you don’t, but I’m stuck by your side until you do…”

  “Or until they all kick the bucket and you have no more pressure from behind.”

  Both Magnar and Cassia gave me a look.

  “What? It may be dark, but it’s the truth!” I said defensively.

  Cassia shook her head, her golden locks swaying in the air as she did.

  “That may be so for you, a commoner. For me it doesn’t end there… If they die and I don’t have the strength to protect myself and the house, I’ll be forced to marry into some other noble family one way or another. Not cause I’d want, or that they’d care about me, but in order to establish legitimacy of the takeover of our possessions.”

  “Oh…”

  “I’m grateful I wasn’t born in this country… Vok’Tar with all its looming danger is much less troublesome… The people are kinder too. I don’t know how you’ve reached this point.” Magnar said.

  “No one knows…” I said absentmindedly. “Still… Why would it be my problem if you were to be in any sort of difficulty? What’s this madness anyway? Having talent doesn’t mean I will reach the fifth stage… I could die, be traumatized or lose my pool. Showing talent now doesn’t mean I’ll still be talented in the future”

  “That’s why my father wants you in our house. Then he can fight to keep you out of harm’s way and would be justified to stop other nobles from bothering you… Every student of common origin finds a house they adhere to after entering the Academy. The system is set in such a way that if you don’t join a house, all the students will be ordered from their superiors to subtly harass you, until you do join one.”

  “I don’t care. If one comes, I’ll beat one. If two come, I’ll beat two. Besides, I still have this guy.” I pointed at Magnar with my thumb. “Can’t I just say I’m in his team? Or joined his house or whatever? He is a noble after all.”

  “He’s in the same situation as you. Or no he’s in a worse one since he is a hostage and a foreigner. He’s a noble in name only. And he has to find someone to marry.” Explained Cassia.

  “Then you two get together. His father is a domain powerhouse, isn’t he Magnar?” I asked hopeful that I’ve found a way out.

  “He is, but Cassia isn’t an option for me. I have to choose a stable and powerful house or else… They need to be powerful to have a say and be able to support our interests here. Like an alliance within an alliance. If you were like us, it wouldn’t be needed, but like this…”

  I scratched my head feeling more and more annoyed by this situation. If I really accepted that ring then we’d most probably develop feelings for each other eventually. I aimed for transcendence, that meant a limitless, or an ever growing lifespan, how was I supposed to willingly expose myself to the suffering her life would bring.

  Also, if people would even step forward to cause trouble out of greed, why am I supposed to take the beating and accept this?

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  “Look Cassia, you don’t need me. I’m sure you will find your noble. A person fully compatible with you, a prince in dashing armor, lowering himself from the heavens riding a dragon, to love you till the end of time. You don’t need me, you need to keep advancing in stages.”

  “Easy for you to say…”

  “And why do you have to keep trying? Can’t you just not do it and be done? How’d your father even know you weren’t trying to get to me? Isn’t it good enough if we are friends and that’s it?”

  “One, if I don’t try I’m only gonna be getting an outcome that’s worse than death, two my father does know. He knows everything that’s going on in the Academy. Be it servants, teachers or students he can use any of them to find out how and what I’m doing…”

  “… Shouldn’t the Academy do something about this sort of infiltration and control?”

  “He is the headmaster…”

  “Well… That is troublesome.”

  “This is another reason we are targeted. Our family kept this position of control over the Academy for a long time. And we no longer have the strength to protect our interests… We didn’t in a long time, but no one is willing to push a domain powerhouse and have losses.”

  “Didn’t need to know that. I don’t care about your household. What you told me now makes no difference. I’m not binding myself to your sinking ship like that no matter how you beg. And marriage isn’t something I will consider.”

  “Figured as much.” Answered Cassia.

  “I don’t get why you’re so against it…” Magnar intervened.

  “I… Well… This sort of bond forced through like this isn’t going to work. And it’s not like they have anything of value to me either. Not that I’d be convinced if they did. It’s just not going to work if we can’t accept each other.” I replied feeling annoyed.

  “You don’t even know if we can!” She said, her tone raising and her brows furrowing.

  “Neither do you! Yet you keep trying to make me accept that ring. Forget about it! I’m not taking it.”

  “Is there nothing that can be done?”

  I didn’t reply. ‘What a headache, she’s not going to leave me alone… Her father is the headmaster…’ My eyes widened.

  “If your father is the headmaster, does that mean that it’s because of him that I got thrown in this place?”

  Cassia bit her lip, as her neck shrunk and she looked down.

  “I’m not sure… There’s a lot of struggle in the Academy for that position currently… Keeping an eye on some students isn’t something that would be impeded, but anything else… I don’t know. But if you don’t like it here we could find some way to move you.”

  “I’ll fight you if you dare try to move me from here!” My tone was serious and threatening. “Anyway, as I said, you don’t need me to get what your family truly wants… At most… I could train you… So that you’ll have a better way to breakthrough. One that as far as I know will guarantee that you progress.”

  “You have such a way?” Both Magnar and Cassia looked at me with big eyes.

  “Not sure. It works for me at least, but if I am to do this you must not tell a soul about it. I don’t trust your families.” I said already regretting opening my mouth.

  “…” Both of them went silent too. It was to be expected. With such a thing, no one would want to keep it to themselves. Everyone would want to share it with their families and ensure they had them close for longer.

  I closed my eyes… ‘So annoying… I didn’t even need to say it, should’ve just shut up, I can’t trust this crazy girl…’ I had nothing else to say.

  “How certain are you?” Asked Cassia, her tone a bit higher.

  “Pretty sure it should work for anyone… But you’ll have a hard time learning… You’re already gathering stage after all…”

  “You’re saying it as if you practiced and learned the method before you reached the gathering stage…”

  “Because I did…”

  “But at three you were already in the gathering stage…” Cassia said, her eyes growing.

  “I’ve been practicing this method for a long time. Literally for as long as I lived. So again, I can’t be sure it will work for you… Well if my observations are correct then it should not be impossible…” I said, thinking of how aether seemed to nurture and purify jing. Luckily both of them were also warrior types, or my experiences might not apply.

  “So, do you pledge to not reveal anything I teach you, show you or the source of the knowledge to anyone else?” I asked. I was already gathering my shen. For better or worse, I had to figure how to leave an imprint of it on them. One that would shake their minds or even kill them if they somehow broke their promise…

  Magnar and Cassia looked at each other. As their eyes moved back to me Cassia spoke first.

  “If it means I won’t become someone’s plaything, then yes. I swear to never reveal anything. But, if your method does not work on me, I want you to promise to lend a hand. I don’t care if the household falls to ruin, it’s our fault for being incompetent, but I don’t want to have to fear the other nobles.”

  “That is already far more acceptable.” I said with a grin. I rose to my feet and walked towards her, continuing to focus and move my qi to my finger. I put my index finger between her brows and concentrated, building a capsule that would consume her overflowing qi to maintain the intent and shen I placed in it.

  “Aaargh! That burns, stop, stooop!” Cassia shouted, trying to push me away, yet her efforts were in vain.

  “Done. That was harder than I thought it would be…” I said panting. Sweat was trickling down my forehead. As I removed my finger there was no sign left on Cassia.

  I turned to look at Magnar who, in turn, was looking at Cassia in confusion.

  “I left a mark on her, if she goes back on her word, it will be triggered and… Well… she’ll be experiencing unimaginable pain, or, depending on how bad it is, she’ll go mad directly.” I explained to Magnar. Hearing me, Cassia, who finally relaxed as the pain dissipated, froze. Her eyes went big and her mouth fell.

  “Now then… Your turn Magnar. I trust you more than her, but I can’t risk some mad domain powerhouses coming after me.”

  “I’m not going to say anything either. Unless you allow me of course. Besides if learning this gets harder the further you go, then I don’t have anyone to teach anyway. It might be the opportunity to surpass my older brother too.”

  I nodded and did the same to Magnar. He didn’t shout and after there were no signs of him being in pain either. He looked questioningly at Cassia again.

  “Was it really that bad?”

  “It’s not her fault… She’s the first person I used this on… Let’s just say that I learned from the experience…”

  “Oh…”

  “So I was your test subject!?” She shouted her question.

  “Yes. You are the one who made me reveal this to begin with. Consider it payback.” I answered her.

  Cassia grumbled displeased at my answer. “I sure hope it’s worth it…” She rubbed her painful forehead and glared at me.

  I did not care. With the contingency in place, unless she fully succeeds in the practices I’ll teach her there will be no way she’ll be able to defy her end of the bargain. I clapped my hands to get their attention on me, instead of letting them mull over the implications of our new bond.

  “With this out of the way, let’s discuss how to continue the renovations on the tower.”

  Is it wrong to kill to survive in this accursed world?

  Follow Xavier's journey. Discover what it means to survive… or to live.

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