Artem and Galen reached Mr Duval’s classroom and purposely entered last after their classmates. Galen relaxed a bit as he sat next to his brother in one of the back corners of the room. Over the last few weeks, the chi and CSI lessons had become his favorites. Mr Duval was one of the only teachers whose behavior hadn’t changed after the field trip to the Lush Steps Lake. It might be because of the infamous man’s laziness more than his benevolence, but Galen didn’t care. He would take respite from any source at this point.

  Since the Lush Steps Lake debacle, the twins had been suffering silently, isolated from their classmates and excluded from most places because of their demerits. Lyra hadn’t understood the consequences of the twins’ punishment at the time. She wasn’t familiar with the merit system and its interaction with the credits gained from exams. Galen’s and Artem’s time in the library was now limited to two hours a week, and their access to any training hall had been revoked. They were also suspended from their elective class until the end of the term, keeping them from gaining extra credit through it.

  It was a vicious cycle. How could they reduce their demerits if they weren’t given the chance to gain merits and credits?

  Nevertheless, the twins had rallied after the ordeal. Artem meticulously chose new short-term goals, found new places where to train, and continued his tutoring jobs to get money. Galen abandoned his research and pharmaceutical studies, upped his physical training, and dodged any attempts from the Third Elder or Miles to meet him. The fairies were no less dedicated. These commitments were already bearing fruit.

  Sitting on his desk, Mr. Duval spoke about the requirements for a beast tamer to get to the next tier. Galen and Artem already knew most of the theoretical knowledge covered by the lesson, so they didn’t pay much attention to it. However, they were surprised when Mr. Duval called Silas to the front of the class.

  “While Mr. Kouris isn’t the first to reach the notable tier, he’s the first to volunteer to share his experience with us. Please, welcome him as you should.”

  Nasir was the first to scoff, his feet crossed on the back of his Fire Beetle. On average, a young beast tamer needed six months to get to the next tier. The students turned to their neighbors and gossiped in hushed tones. Most of them were asking who else had leveled up.

  Lyra overheard several students complaining about the unfairness of it. “What did they expect from students with an epic CSI and valuable resources?”

  Without answering, Artem glanced at Sarah, Larissa, and Amir. The girls were poised, ignoring their classmates, while Amir smirked. Shaking his head, the youth focused on Silas and Mr. Duval. Not that he was in any place to fault these heirs for their behavior.

  “Why do you think he volunteered when everyone is hiding their progress?” Lyra asked curiously.

  Galen pondered his answer as Silas took his place at the front with his notable Green-Haired Nymph. “He might want to regain some standing after his poor showing during the last exam.”

  The twins listened to their classmate, but Galen’s attention kept wandering. How had Silas leveled up so quickly when he only had a notable CSI? What was even more puzzling was that he had cut his leveling-up time by half without the resources of a Family. Even the Jamra Family was parsimonious enough in the distribution of these resources that Nasir, Shahin, and Basic hadn’t leveled up yet.

  Even though Silas was talking to his classmates about the feeling of manipulating the green chi, he didn’t mention how he got to the next tier. Galen could only speculate. Did his parents discover something to help? Weren’t they researching how to evolve the nymph? How could this influence the beast tamer? Galen paused to consider the nymph, his thoughts turning to the high spirituality of feys.

  The youth wasn’t the only one with questions.

  With a perplexed look, Paula asked why Silas had chosen to level up when he could have pushed for his pet to evolve. “When I asked Mr. Duval about it, he said I should focus on my pet. So what’s different about you?”

  “Miss Lamar, how could you doubt me?” Mr. Duval dramatically put his hand on his heart. “Does anyone want to answer for me? I need to nurse my hurt feelings, I just can’t focus on my job.” Without waiting for a response, the man lay down limply on the desk.

  The class snickered at the teacher’s antics. Nevertheless, Naila cut through the joyous atmosphere and earnestly responded to Paula. “Your situations are different. Your pet is only of the common tier. It’s better to evolve your pet first so that it can get more chi to you.” After a brief pause, Naila added, “Moreover, you have a common CSI.”

  “What the nerd is trying to tell you is that you’ll never level up,” Amir interjected and sneered at Paula.

  Following his lead, Nasir, Shahin, and Basic mocked the shy girl.

  “Are you as dull as your round plant?”

  “So, you’re as useless as your pet!”

  “Forgot that your talent is limited by your CSI?”

  Under the onslaught, Paula lowered her head. Shoshana calmly stood up and glared at the boys as she went to comfort her friend.

  “I see what you mean.” Mavis addressed Naila forcefully, cutting off the Jamra boys’ ruckus. Also owning a common pet and a common CSI, she wanted to help Paula. “But is it a good idea to rush her pet’s evolution? It won’t have much time to get used to its new body and power before the exam.”

  “Her scores were so low at the last one,” Julius picked up the discussion, determined to prevent the Jamra boys from tormenting the girl as they had tormented him. “What could she lose by trying?”

  The twins quietly listened as the debate heated up. Some students were very involved, arguing fiercely, while others sighed and looked at Mr. Duval. However, they didn’t call out to the teacher, who was still lying on his desk.

  Galen glanced at Mahlon. The youth was petting his newly evolved Poisonous Toad. The pet had grown and was almost too big to stand on its tamer’s desk. It had sickly purple skin, but its eyes were bright, and it held itself with pride. From the beginning, Mahlon had prioritized his pet. No one had ever seen him use his talent, and its name was unknown.

  However, Mahlon didn’t participate in the debate. Galen frowned and wondered about the Ruh Family’s choice for their minor branch members. He glanced at Anan, who hadn’t evolved his pet yet. Maybe it was only Mahlon’s choice since it was easy enough to evolve a common pet to the next tier when one had resources.

  Contrary to their classmates, the twins knew each time one of them leveled up thanks to Lyra. No one else had apart from the three heirs and Silas.

  “Mr. Duval, what do you think?” Orsella brazenly called out. “Surely, since you’re the chi teacher, you believe it’s better to get to the next tier as soon as possible!”

  Some of the students defending the idea that they should concentrate on their pets jeered at the girl, calling her a musclehead. Artem hid his smile behind his hand. Orsella was as careful and deliberate as him about her training and path. It went unnoticed by most because it clashed with her rash image. However, Artem didn’t miss how Nasir, who was ready to get physical, hurriedly sat back down.

  The teacher groaned and sat up, carelessly messing his hair with his hand. The class fell silent, waiting for his answer. Mr. Duval looked at them with bleary eyes. The silence stretched, interrupted by the soft sounds of a pen tapping on a desk or the rustling of clothes as the more nervous students shuffled in their seats.

  The teacher suddenly clapped his hands. “Story time!”

  The young beast tamers flinched at the loud noise. Mr. Duval immediately began in a deep voice. “Once upon a time, there was a poor orphan boy who was blessed enough to become a beast tamer. It was the smallest blessing, but it was enough to gladden the boy.”

  “How did he pay for the carved spirit stone if he was poor?” Crystal asked, her face scrunched in a scornful pout. Gaining confidence since someone else intervened first, others agreed with her and commented that the story didn’t make sense.

  “Details. Don’t fuss about the small things.” Mr. Duval casually brushed away the students’ muttering and focused on his story. “Sadly, the boy didn’t have the money to buy a pet. So, the brave boy left the City-State secretly and went to the nearby forest. He knew it was dangerous, but he didn’t have a choice. He stayed near the edge, cautious and afraid of every little sound.”

  “How did he leave? He didn’t have money to bribe the guards!” Crystal rolled her eyes and interrupted the teacher again.

  “This is just a tale!” Metin answered hotly. “That fool would have died as soon as he stepped out of the City-State!”

  “What’s your deal?” Yaron turned around to look at Metin. “The forest surrounding Olympia is safe.”

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Duval, but what does that story have to do with Orsella’s question?” Jax’s tone carried his impatience despite his polite words.

  “You’re the fool!” Metin stood up to answer Yaron. “That story happened a long time ago. At that time, Abyss monsters were everywhere!”

  “Mr. Duval never said that!” Yaron waved away Metin’s remark as the delusion of someone obsessed with Abyss monsters. “Anyway, it sounds like a fairy tale. Only idiots would search for truth in it!”

  Mr. Duval scowled and shushed the students. When they were sitting and facing him again, the teacher beamed. “The brave boy would rather die than not use his talent as a beast tamer should. So, when the boy didn’t meet any beasts, he walked further into the forest despite his fear and the dangers.

  “After some time, the boy heard the muffled sounds of a fight. He hid, scared of getting involved. In his dark hole, the boy could only guess which beasts or monsters were fighting each other. Soon, the loudest growling decreased and sounded further away. Once birds sang again, the boy thought it was safe enough.”

  “Seriously, Mr. Duval,” Jax said as the teacher paused and swept his gaze through the classroom, “we’re here for chi and CSI lessons. This isn’t even your –”

  Mr. Duval ignored Jax and spoke louder to cover the complaining student’s voice. “The boy went to investigate. There, he found a badly hurt Green Caterpillar. Listening to his bleeding heart, the boy picked up the beast and went back to the City-State. He went straight to the Beast Tamer Association. A nice Beast Nurturer praised the boy for bringing the dying beast in time. Once the Rebirth Ceremony was done, the Beast Nurturer rewarded the boy by giving him priority for contracting the egg. The boy didn’t hesitate.”

  When another student tried to speak again, Mr. Duval snapped his fingers and pointed at the youths. “Oh, I forgot to tell you. I love this story so much that I’m asking you to write an essay about it. Be good and listen!”

  The whole class groaned in dismay at the news. Mr. Duval rarely gave assignments, but when he did, he intransigently gave demerits to any students who were late or didn’t hand in their work. For most students, the teacher’s behavior was unfathomable, but in Galen’s opinion, listening to their excuses was just too much of a hassle for Mr. Duval.

  “Then began the happy life of the boy and his Green Caterpillar. With his common pet and common talent, the boy had to struggle to keep up with his peers. Even evolving his pet into the notable Air Butterfly was beyond his means. The months passed, and the boy still fought with the weak Green Caterpillar by his side. His life became harsh and dangerous, but the boy never despaired. He trained with his pet, doing every part-time job he could.”

  “What a loser!” Nasir sneered in a mutter.

  “One day, more than a year later, the pet finally glowed with the light of evolution. The joyful boy eagerly waited, fixedly looking at his changing pet. However, his pet evolved into a notable Gale Moth. The boy was surprised, but he didn’t dwell on it. With his stronger pet – stronger than a mere Air Butterfly – the brave boy finally found his path forward.”

  Mr. Duval stopped speaking and nodded, gazing at the sky through the window. The students fidgeted but kept silent.

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  The teacher sighed. “What’s the moral of the story? You think about it by yourself and hand in your work for Friday.”

  “But it’s a practical class on Friday!” Bruno complained loudly. The boy hated written assignments.

  “Yeah, so? I’m still the teacher there.” Mr. Duval shrugged and flopped down on the desk. “Don’t ask me any more questions until the end of the period.”

  The classroom stayed stunned until Benjiro voiced his question. “How do you evolve a Green Caterpillar into a Gale Moth?”

  “Who cares?” Nasir shut him down. “None of us has a Green Caterpillar.”

  “Let’s get back on topic,” Julius said bravely despite Nasir’s nasty glare. Moreover, the youth thought he had figured out Mr. Duval’s lesson. “The moral is we should first evolve our pet, right?”

  “What? Not at all! The story is about taking your time to evolve your pet,” Yanna interjected confidently. “Listen, the boy got a stronger evolution thanks to that.”

  “He doesn’t even know how he got a Gale Moth!” Mavis countered the girl. She didn’t back down when Yanna’s Short-Tailed Cat hissed at her Red Robin.

  “That story was pointless! Stop thinking about it! The boy never leveled up! There's nothing about chi in it.” Jax slammed his hand on his desk to underline his point. His hand curling into a fist, he added in an undertone, “It was just a waste of time!”

  “Like I said, isn’t that the whole point? We should concentrate on our pets!” Yanna threw her hands in the air in exasperation.

  The twins observed their classmates, never offering their input to the conversation. The classroom had become noisy, taking Mr. Duval’s order as leave to do as they pleased.

  The Jamra boys gathered around Amir and played cards while Crystal, Cecelia, and Deborah had their heads down together, whispering nearby. Melanie, Mahlon, and several other students quietly interacted with their pets, ignoring their classmates. Having missed how it happened, Artem and Galen chuckled softly when they saw Marcus and Orsella arm wrestling while Bruno, Chandler, and Tom hedged them on. Only a few, like Naila, Larissa, Zane, and Daniyal, were already writing their essays.

  Agreeing that this was the best use of the forty minutes left for this period, the twins took out their paper and pen. Their fairies were cultivating on their desk, so the youths were careful not to hinder them.

  Contrary to the grumbling students, Galen and Artem believed the story had an obvious purpose: to teach the value of money at least.

  “Ugh, so you’re screwed if you’re poor, except if you have a fairy godmother or a fateful encounter?” Lyra paraphrased their thoughts in an acerbic tone.

  “Can you see Jarek as a fairy godmother?” Artem asked, amused by the idea.

  “For the record, I still don’t support what you’ve decided to do.” In fact, Lyra was especially bitter about the twins dealing with Jarek.

  “Us neither, Lyra, but-” Galen said in a soothing tone.

  “I know.” Lyra cut him off. She didn’t want him to patronize her. “No need to go over it again.”

  Galen and Artem exchanged a glance. Sensible to their CSI’s mood, the twins changed the subject. “I think the next one to evolve his pet will be Nasir.”

  “Why him?” Lyra asked, disgusted as always when Nasir was mentioned.

  “Naila’s argument is sound,” Galen explained. “If he wants to level up faster, he needs his pet to funnel more chi to him. His Family should finance his pet’s evolution. Moreover, beetles are one of their favored pets.”

  “I thought they didn’t care about the minor branch?” Lyra still didn’t understand how the Families worked.

  “If they don’t help with a cheap, common pet’s evolution, their reputation’s going to take a dive.”

  Lyra pursed her lips. The more she learned, the less she liked the Families’ way.

  “Anan is taking his time with his pet’s evolution,” Galen added, “so among the Families’ members, Metin should be the next one to evolve his pet.”

  “Apart from them, I believe Caleb would be next.” Artem shared his own observations. “He won’t do it before the exam, but with the Army’s deep knowledge of the Forest Wolf’s evolution path and his military household’s support, it’ll be smooth going for him.”

  “Hmm, what about Bruno?” Galen asked. “He’s been confident lately.”

  “I’m not sure,” Artem answered. “He’s from a discreet household, and his Brown Ferret isn’t used often in the Army. It’s difficult to guess which path he’ll choose for his pet.”

  The twins understood their classmates’ dilemma between an easy and fast evolution or a stronger and more expensive one. The twins had made their choice for their fairies. Or more accurately, their parents had made the choice for them. Artem and Galen could see themselves in the boy’s tale. However, they weren’t self-centered enough to believe it was about them.

  ***

  Several hours later, the last class of the afternoon was dismissed. Mr. Carter was as insufferable as ever. The twins went their own way, making the best use of the free period.

  Lyra occupied herself by organizing her data from the last few days. She suddenly frowned and focused on Artem’s screen. Artem was cultivating with his Fire Fairy, hiding behind one of the copses surrounding the running track. A glance at the youth’s status confirmed Artem’s progress: he wasn’t expiring chi anymore.

  At the notable tier, Artem could now theoretically inhale spiritual power through breathing meditation and channel it to the twins’ inner world through the carved spirit stone nestled in his chest. From there, Lyra could convert the spiritual power to chi and send it to either Galen or Artem.

  And didn’t she regret sharing that bit of information with them every single day since Artem leveled up? Lyra sighed and glanced back at Galen’s screen. The boy was still meticulously taking care of Mrs. Bousrani’s garden. With the cold of December, the spirit plants needed special care. Galen was now going to Mrs. Bousrani’s garden two times per day.

  Having used far more chi during the field trip to the Lush Steps Lake to purify the olms and heal Emilio, Galen hadn’t yet leveled up to the next tier. However, the CSI was sure it would only take a couple more days. Artem’s grumbling that it could be sooner if she channeled more chi to Galen wouldn’t change her stance on it. Galen needed to earn his own rank.

  Nevertheless, Artem didn’t want to leave his twin behind. Human cultivation had two purposes. The first one was to lessen the pet’s burden. Once Artem procured his own spiritual energy, Ayden could condense the core for her evolution faster. However, spiritual power eluded humans’ senses, so Ayden’s was still Artem’s main supplier. Usually, the successful inhale of spiritual power was left to chance and instinct until beast tamers reached the epic tier and could attract spiritual power. As a result, very few beast tamers wasted their time cultivating at the notable tier. It was more efficient to depend on their pets procuring chi for them.

  However, Artem was from a Family for whom depending on the pet was shameful. Thankfully, Xander Eos had trained his son very well: Artem’s breathing technique and instinct were helping as the youth fumbled along. Lyra’s advice as his CSI also guided him.

  The second purpose of cultivating was even less practiced. Artem needed to guide the chi to the human energy core called the sacral chakra, commonly known as the Dan Tian. The carved spirit stone was nestled in the solar plexus chakra, the energy point just above the Dan Tian. That was the artificial source of the chi, the core of his power. To make the chi his own and produce it naturally, Artem needed to open his sacral chakra and link the carved spirit stone with it. Once the gaseous chi gathered there and circulated from the two chakras, it could be condensed until it became liquid energy. This transmutation would signal the next breakthrough for the youth.

  Most often, it took several years to attain this point. Since few beast tamers had a rare CSI, the number of cultivators had dwindled so much that the belief that humans couldn't cultivate prevailed nowadays outside of Families.

  Lyra rolled her chair toward Artem’s screen, turned on the earphones, and put them on. She easily identified the breathing pattern approaching her host. What was Yaron’s notable Musician Swan doing, circling above Artem? Well, at least it wasn’t Miles again. However, the CSI doubted Yaron was more welcome than the twins’ cousin, although he was less dangerous.

  Promptly coming to a decision, Lyra didn’t interrupt Artem’s cultivation. She didn’t like seeing anyone coming to bother her hosts. The minor branch of the Eos Family was proving to be spiteful harassers. The CSI listened as the swan flew away. It didn’t take a genius to guess it was fetching its tamer.

  Artem opened his eyes as Yaron stepped through the bushes, which hid the young combatant from the running track.

  “What a pain it was finding you!” Yaron complained loudly as he brushed twigs from his coat. The Musician Swan settled down next to its tamer. It flustered his wings and preened his feathers meticulously. The pet was as vain as its tamer.

  “Aren’t you cold? It’s December, man! What are you doing outside?”

  Was the boy really oblivious, or was he mocking Artem? As if the twins had a choice. Where could they train, cultivate, or study during their free time, when most buildings were off-limits to them?

  Lyra didn’t like Yaron’s smug air, but she didn’t comment aloud. She had made a lot of mistakes as a CSI during the field trip, which could be excused since she lacked experience. But she had also been oblivious. How much of an airhead could she be not to realize that the beast tamers would never lead students to a recent battlefield? At the time, she had never questioned the lack of destruction and foolishly admired the beautiful landscape. She had needed to overhear a student commenting on it for her to understand that the battle had happened further away, and the students were only dealing with meager collateral damage.

  She was ashamed and wanted to do better. She needed to stop assuming she knew everything when she was clearly ignorant and lacking common sense.

  Artem didn’t greet Yaron. Since they had come back from the Lush Steps Lake, the youth hadn’t spoken much. He responded to his teachers when interrogated in class, and he instructed the students he tutored, but he stayed quiet otherwise. Or so anyone thought. His non-verbal communication had flourished with his Fire Fairy, and he didn’t shun Lyra or his twin.

  Scoffing, Yaron looked around until he saw the Fire Fairy. “Ugh, you’re Artem! Talking to you is like talking to a wall!”

  Yaron turned away but didn’t leave. He muttered and shook his head before suddenly turning around. “I came to make a deal with you.”

  Yaron stopped, waiting for Artem to react, but the youth looked at him placidly. Yaron clicked his tongue. “You won’t be able to gain many credits in the next exam. I’m not looking down on you, but let’s face it. My sources are telling me they placed you in the weakest bracket. It’s humiliating for you, but it’s unfair to us. It’s also proof that the teachers don’t want you or your twin to get your head up.”

  Lyra frowned. With their perfect attendance and the upcoming exam, the twins hoped to gain enough merits and credits to end their ban from the training halls and the library. The CSI wasn’t sure how being put in the weakest bracket would impact the twins. And could they trust Yaron’s information?

  Artem raised an eyebrow at Yaron. Huffing, the boy went on. “Well, since they won’t let you gain enough credits, you'd better concentrate your efforts somewhere else. Like paying up your debts.”

  Artem frowned at Yaron and stood up.

  “Oh, please! Everyone knows about your situation. It was easy enough to learn how much you owe, and it’s not the pitiful wages they give you to tutor students that are going to help you gather enough money.”

  “So?” Artem stretched, already losing interest in his classmate’s yapping.

  “So, if you agree to lose during the exam and help as much as you can without getting caught, I’ll reward you handsomely. The higher my rank, the higher the reward.”

  “Are you bribing me?” Artem straightened up and stared down at Yaron.

  “What? Your honor won’t allow you to accept it? Get a reality check! With your reputation, it’s ridiculous. Honor won’t feed you. The Association will want their money by the end of December, and you’re still missing thousands of units! I’ll be surprised if you’ve gathered more than 1500 units by now!”

  “On the contrary, honor is the only thing we have left. Thank you for your concern, but I won’t take your money.”

  Lyra bit her lips for the umpteenth time that day. She doubted dealing with Jarek and the Underworld was honorable. It was so hard to keep her thoughts to herself!

  “That’s why I wanted to speak to Galen!” Yaron stomped her foot. His swan pecked him in the leg, and Yaron pushed it away. “How do you intend to pay back the 5000 units you owe?”

  “None of your business.” Artem glanced down with satisfaction at Ayden. The Fire Fairy hadn’t stopped cultivating.

  “You know what? I’ve said my part. You take your time making your decision. I won’t go back on my words. Depending on your help and my results, I’ll reward you with money.”

  Done with his grand declaration, Yaron left. The Musician Swan glanced at the bushes and flapped his wings to flow above them. Lyra and Artem waited until they couldn’t hear Yaron complaining to his pet anymore.

  “We’ll have to take precautions so that we aren’t given demerits for cheating next week.”

  Artem didn’t take Yaron seriously, but the boy was unable to keep anything to himself. If the twins wanted to avoid being framed, they needed to inform the teachers of Yaron’s proposition.

  “I’ve informed Galen. He’ll deal with it. Just concentrate on your cultivation.”

  One way to avoid any accusation was to pay off their debt sooner. Then, they wouldn’t have any reason to accept Yaron’s money.

  The twins had planned to repay their debt during the fourth week of December after the exam. They would be on holiday then, and with Jarek’s help, it would be easy to avoid the Third Elder or any other spies trying to keep an eye on them.

  Despite their misgivings, owing Jarek was better than owing the Association because too many clues led the twins to believe the Association was involved in their parents’ deaths. Moreover, the Underworld was illegal but not anarchic.

  After ample discussions with Jarek, it sounded more reliable than the Association. During one of their secret meetings with Jarek, the twins had asked why he hadn’t tried to become a beast tamer. Jarek had hit them with two significant revelations: he was the Head Boss of Underworld, and the Head Boss couldn’t be a beast tamer. It was essential to escape the Beast Enforcers’ scrutiny.

  Once their shock was over, the twins realized it was another insurance for them. The following discussion allowed them to understand more about the Underworld. They couldn’t trust it completely, but knowing it was working against the Triad was a point in its favor. The enemy of your enemy was your friend, after all.

  Moreover, Jarek had dealt with them professionally. He had a lawyer write a clear contract summarizing each party’s rights and duties: Jarek would pay the 5000 units the twins owed to the Association, and the twins would fulfill six requests for him. Artem and Galen appreciated that their limitations – both moral and physical – were taken into account, restricting the type of services they would provide for Jarek.

  In the addendum, Jarek agreed to assist the twins in leaving the school and the City-State unnoticed. Their missions would take priority, but the twins would be given time to deal with their personal business.

  Galen and Artem had reviewed the contract to the best of their abilities, drawing on their upbringing and studies. Nevertheless, they were only inexperienced amateurs, so they were still at risk of being scammed by Jarek.

  The twins weren’t naive enough not to realize by now that Jarek had intentionally missed Emilio’s heart. Knowing that changed their view of the blond-haired boy, proving how cunning he was. His target had been the twins from the start.

  Lyra was incensed and refused to trust the Underworld, but she was only their CSI. Her duties concerned their pets, nothing more.

  Finally, the twins admitted they needed to solve some of their problems to face the others squarely. They might be getting out of the frying pan to jump into the fire, but at least they were proactive.