Rein sighed. He felt an inexplicable softness towards Meynan. He was fully aware that he would live infinitely longer, but he also instinctively knew he would regret it if he did not go along with Meynan's wish this day.
As for Suey and Lyne… Suey had long spoken of her acceptance of potential additional partners. Rein was of the opinion that Suey accepted this reality primarily because she herself employed advancer abilities with seductive qualities in various ways.
Lyne, on the other hand, seemingly opted to enter the political succession game of Minhr Nation under her own terms, and was probably only desperate.
Plus, most mortals pass by the age of sixty to seventy. It was unlikely that during that timeframe, he would gain the necessary power to assist Suey or even Lyne. The sense of time in the advancer world was, after all, much slower given the significantly longer lives of advancers.
"Trouble is coming," Steward Xeer's words transmitted to the two's minds.
Rein recalled that stuttering gatekeeper. Likely bought or long controlled by another branch of the Jeihr merchant house.
Meynan lovingly gave Rein's softening shaft a final caress before tucking it back into Rein's black pants, before adjusting his clothing to be somewhat presentable.
"Though the sects claim they separate themselves from mortals, that is only in appearance," she explained. "After arriving in this city, I finally understood why my papa preferred not to vie for influence in the main house."
Rein frowned. Of course. After all, rules can only be enforced by those with the most power. If the ones at the top choose to not obey said rules, who could hold them to account? Especially when a single casual slap from a powerful telekinetic advancer or above could take the life of one such as himself.
"The sects have always claimed that their intent is to prevent advancer clans from manipulating mortals for gain, referencing much of history," Meynan informed Rein. "Clans, on the other hand, are entrenched in some ways with the mortal world. After all, many of them were once mortal Houses."
Rein sighed. He himself obviously had to obey those rules. Or circumvent them. Such as claiming that his marriage to Meynan was finalized before his breakthrough into the shell realm.
"We supply basic, less valuable resources necessary for the weaker members of sects and clans. The clans' and sects' main concerns, though, are the potential rare treasures that may occasionally be found. Due to the massive volume of basic resources we transport, every once in a while, something rare gets unearthed in our… well… 'garbage' resources," Meynan hurriedly spoke.
"There's four main powers in Final Solace City. The coalition of clans led by the Fenhx, who has, over time, gained near complete control of the Flowing River Sect. The Formless Fist Sect-- for unclear reasons, quite a few nobles from clans opt to join this sect if they do not wish to be under the Fenhx. Perhaps they are attempting to build influence within and take over the Sect as the Fenhx did. Then, there's the Hidden Shadow Sect, famed for their assassination capabilities. Last of all, the Thousand Facet Sect. These four stand behind my four uncles."
As Rein listened to these name drops, he assessed which one he should attempt to join. The name that stood out to him the most was Thousand Facet Sect. The reason for this was that Rein had come to understand that often, branch sects carry similar naming conventions to their main sects. Out of those four names, Rein assessed that the Thousand Facet Sect was most likely a branch of the Fusion Sect, which Elder Baejenh belongs to.
Since Rein carries the white swan token of Fusion Sect's Baejenh, it simply made sense to join a branch sect of the Fusion Sect. Thinking to this point, Rein suddenly thought of how not only the Halls, but also others such as Baejenh and Lyne probably believe him to be dead.
His use of Elder Baejenh's token would certainly at least inform Lyne that he had survived. However, using the token would also tie him to Baejenh. There is no free lunch. Baejenh would probably demand a return for her 'investment'.
Rein decided that if it came to it, he would pay that price. After all, Baejenh did promise to shield Lyne and take her on as a disciple despite the issue of Lyne's purity having been 'tainted', which will make it significantly more challenging to control and guide her 'mixed' aurae.
"Rein…love," Meynan wrapped herself around Rein's muscular left arm. She peeked up at him with a teasing concern. "You have a trick up your sleeve, don't you? My words are sometimes only partially effective. Strategy sometimes requires… muscle."
Rein couldn't resist rolling his eyes. After all, one could say that Meynan had already set the stage. He only needed to play along and put on a satisfactory performance.
"Look at the lot of you. Drawn here like bees to honey," Steward Xeer's voice boomed. "Do none of you recall the pain of your last visit?"
"Heh," a boyish voice replied. "Bullying us juniors. Have you no shame, senior?"
"Shame?" Xeer scoffed as a hint of anger entered his voice. "You come to step on the throat of a young mortal woman who recently lost her father. Yet you wish to speak of shame?"
"She only has herself to blame," a young girl's voice sounded. "If she had simply agreed to one of the many proposed marriages, she would be living a good life."
The aurae in the air suddenly began to swirl. Rein, as a shell advancer, could sense it due to the clashing of aurae against his own skin. There was a dangerous air.
"Calm yourself, senior," another man drawled, seemingly bored with the world. "We both know your interference is limited. Sightless one. You have chosen to abandon the path of advancers, and as such, you should leave the world be. The two younglings will behave this time."
Steward Xeer was but one man. A powerful man, but one incapable or resisting the power of sects and large clans. He could only harrumph and the air stilled.
Meynan pulled slightly at Rein's left arm, and the two stepped into the courtyard to await their visitors.
The doors to Meynan's abode opened. Four small but lavish carriages entered, each carried by four burly men on four sticks per carriage. These carriages were of ebony, carved with symbols of wealth and prosperity. Bright red silk curtains hung down from the top to shield the windows on the two sides of the carriages.
A procession of servants in rough cloth garb followed. They carried a total of eight lavish thick ebony chairs, seemingly thrones for kings. These were placed in front of Meynan's building in a line, at a distance from one another, four pairs in four spots.
The four carriages were gently lowered to the ground by the burly men, and four grey-haired men stepped out. These four men's appearances all carried certain similar features to Rein's memory of Meynan's father.
One of these grey-haired men frowned and shook his head in disapproval as he observed the minimalist nature of Meynan's courtyard garden. These must be Meynan's supposed uncles.
These four men bowed their heads beside their carriages, and four other figures stepped out.
One was a mid-teens girl in white robes with a sigil of a gem-like symbol spraying shoots of light in all directions.
Then a mid-teens boy in matte black robes stepped out. His robes carried no sigil. Rein found it difficult to keep his eyes focused on the boy-- likely an effect of the robe.
Then, a fit man stepped out. Though his youthful skin and lack of wrinkles suggested the man to be in early adulthood, his hair was long and silvery. Perhaps he was of a far greater age after all. His glittering brass robes lined with black seams carried the sigil of clenched fist radiating a halo.
Last of all, a slim woman, her movements full of grace, glided out of the fourth carriage. Her soft blue robes carried the sigil of streaming water.
Rein was initially befuddled by the boy and girl who were only in their mid-teens. He quickly realized that it did make sense after all. Many talented children are taken in by sects at the age of ten. They must have been sent here to 'see and experience the world', so it would seem.
A servant brought out a simple but glossy wooden chair for Meynan to sit upon. Rein simply stood next to her, his eyes scanning the eight figures before him.
Those eight pairs of eyes also examined Rein. Blacksmith Tiehr's many sets of knotted black jackets and pants no longer appeared baggy on Rein after his elementary body tempering.
"My beloved niece," one of the elderly began, eyes narrowed. "Who might this be?" It was precisely Rein's visit, a result of Master Xeer's intervention, that caused all four uncles to rush to Meynan's abode.
"First Uncle Deyr. This is, of course, my husband," Meynan smiled with a glint in her eye. Her voice was soft and teasing. "Surely, you have heard of Rein. Were you not informed of my late father's plans?"
"Naturally," Deyr replied. "Yet who's to say this is the real Rein? For all I know, you simply found a man to stand in. A piteous attempt. All your search parties ended in failure, after all."
"Hmmm?" Meynan raised an eyebrow. "One of my search parties returned with favorable news long ago."
"Ridiculous. You and I, we both know that to be…" Deyr suddenly sealed his lips.
"Worry not, dear First Uncle. I will be certain to clean my house," Meynan maintained her teasing smile.
Deyr simply glared at Meynan in return.
The young girl from Thousand Facet Sect opened her mouth to speak, but was silenced by a pointed glare from the brass-robed man from Formless Fist Sect.
She looked directly upwards, and found Steward Xeer to be hovering in the sky in close observation. Indeed, if she interfered in the mortal merchant house that is Jeihr, Steward Xeer would have an excuse to step in as well. He was certain that Xeer dared not injure her due to her standing within her sect. However, though her master may eventually come to settle matters, it would reflect poorly on her, when her results are pitted against those of her peers. That, she understood.
"Heh. Young man. Do you not need to prove your identity?" The second elder sneered.
"I assume you to be the second uncle of my wife, Meynan," Rein adopted a rather bored yet confident position. "I am certain that you have already questioned the guards who confirmed my identity when I entered the city. Your request is utterly pointless."
"You brat!" The third elder in line stood in anger, triggered by Rein's dismissive tone. "Even if you are that supposed fiance, who's to say that the marriage ever even occurred? The Golden Desert Town was destroyed! How dare you be this disrespectful of us Jeihr! We will-"
His outburst was broken by a powerful hand that grasped his shoulder, dragging back into his previous seated position. That hand belonged to the flowing white-haired man in brass robes, from the Formless Fist Sect.
"Open your eyes, child."
The third uncle suddenly realized Rein was abnormally tall for a human, and sealed his lips in fear. Cold sweat drenched his back.
His two older brothers glanced at the man. They had both gotten rather used to their third brother's outbursts. As Meynan understood it, her first and second uncle always had an advantage. The third uncle needed to fight tooth-and-nail for his opinion to even somewhat matter.
"Third Uncle Leyr," Meynan smiled. "As you said, the Golden Desert Town was flattened, their records destroyed, and most of its inhabitants wiped out. I can assure you that the knot was tied. You are free to search for proof that it was not."
"And search, I will!" Leyr spat. That was his only reply, having been put off balance by the realization that Rein was at least close or had already shaken off the first chain of mortality.
"It's a pity, honestly," Meynan maintained her enigmatic smile. "The marriage ceremony is my happiest memory to date. If only the four of you had taken more of an interest in the Golden Desert Town, and accepted your invitations."
Deyr, Keyr, and Leyr narrowed their eyes at Meynan. Indeed, if they had accepted their invitation, they would have received information on the concrete date of marriage. In the Minhr nation, invites for marriages are usually sent out at least a year early, such that the couple can plan appropriately for the number of attendees. This also gives time for attendees to plan their visit. Travelling through the Minhr Nation from the southern border to its northern border ranges from six months to a year for a mortal.
Meynan's father is the fifth brother, born from another mother. As such, when Meynan's father requested his domain in the Golden Desert Town upon adulthood, promising not to vie for influence in the main house, these four brothers all agreed hastily. After all, the Golden Desert Town was initially built for military purposes. Trade with the nomadic tribes simply wasn't significant enough.
"Heh," the fourth elder spoke curiously. He was the only one who was seemingly calm both outside and in. He spoke directly to Rein. "As far as we knew, our dear niece's fiance was no advancer. Yet… forgive me for my lacking mortal knowledge, to my eyes, you seem to have become one. I am certain that will be of interest to us all."
Immediately, Rein could tell-- Meynan's fourth uncle was most definitely, the more dangerous of these four brothers.
Rein internally sighed. He was essentially being forced to reveal a card-- Baejenh's token. Of course, he had considered other explanations. However, these other explanations contain unnecessary risk. Even if he survives the consequences of these other highly flawed explanations, it would spell trouble for Meynan.
If he explained his capabilities through a miraculous discovery, it was certain that he would attract unwanted attention from other advancers. If he explained his capabilities through his trial by fire at the Hall of Heroes in Green Trout City, then sooner or later, the Halls would realize he was very much alive, and arrest him in order to understand what might have happened to that ancient chest relic.
A more reliable explanation lay in a combination of two points.
"Indeed, I was born lacking," Rein nodded. "Despite having affinity to a few elements, they were below the threshold for sect recruitment." This might not be entirely true, but he doubted the one who had tested him and many other children would remember the exact lack of elemental affinity he had as a child.
"However, I earned a favor from a goddess." Rein held up the lapis lazuli token for all to see. The gem magically transformed to reveal a white swan etched on its now-golden surface. "Thanks to her assistance, I was able to raise a few of my elemental affinities high enough, allowing me to make progress and enter the world of advancers."
There are some treasures in the world capable of this. Costly, painful, and with a low chance of success, but not impossible. In using this explanation, Rein was essentially betting that Baejenh would cover for him if queried. She was certain to demand something in return from him in the future.
Fourth Uncle Zeyr nodded his head in understanding. Rein could not tell if the man believed his words or not.
Frankly, none present fully believed Rein's words, all squinting to closely examine the golden token of a white swan in Rein's hand.
Rein observed the four advancers, each seated beside one of the four Jeihr elders. He certainly expected confusion from the three advancers belonging to Formless Fist, Flowing River, and Hidden Shadow Sect. Surely, the girl from Thousand Facet Sect should recognize the token, and treat him as a distant cousin.
The girl's reaction, however, was the complete opposite to Rein's expectation.
A heartbeat later, the girl exclaimed with widened eyes. Her initial reaction was enough to convince the others that Rein's words must be, at the very least, mostly true.
Yet, the girl in robes of a radiating gem sigil did not welcome Rein into the fold. Instead, she grew hostile! The mid-teens girl withdrew a six feet tall rectangular box layered with inscriptions. She held this box and leaped backwards into the center of the courtyard.
"If you wish to enter the Thousand Facet Sect, duel against me here and now!" She hollered at Rein, wisps of her dark hair fluttering in the wind.
Rein was in disbelief. Why was a duel necessary? He assessed that he must be missing some important information. After his experience with the Hall of Heroes, Rein's instincts indicated that this girl wished to take his life!
He suddenly recalled words whispered in his ear from the one known as the watcher from the Hall of Heroes. The voice that spoke through the Halls' robes repeatedly informed him of the shortcomings of sects, and the magnificence of the Allfather.
Though he was inclined to stand with Master Yirn, who the Allfather hunted, could some of those watcher's words be true? Perhaps he was naive to think that it would be straightforward to enter the Thousand Facet Sect with Baejenh's token.
"Come!" the girl screeched. "Else I will flatten this square!" She looked up at the hovering Xeer. "I am but a shell advancer. You know not to interfere. My Master is not so tolerant!"
The three advancers from the three other sects all appeared bemused. Fourth Uncle Zeyr was deep in thought, and he suddenly laughed and muttered a few words to the graceful woman from Flowing River Sect. She covered her mouth and giggled.
Rein was inwardly somewhat irritated at the current state of affairs. Especially because he could tell that he was lacking critical information.
"Rein. Do not hold back. Doing so will only lead to a more… difficult future," the telekinetic Xeer spoke into Rein's mind.
Rein interpreted Xeer's words as not to restrain himself. Certainly, it was instinctual to hold back against a mid-teen girl. Rein reminded himself that this was no ordinary girl, but one who had become a shell advancer long before adulthood.
Obviously, it was still best to avoid openly displaying his hidden cards. The issue, however, was whether he could avoid doing so. He knew little of this girl's abilities after all. But, if he could finish the fight quickly… she might not even have a chance to employ her full capabilities.
Rein stored away Baejenh's token into his pouch, and stepped forth into the courtyard. Xeer, hovering above, waved his arm downwards, forming a barrier to protect only Meynan. The other three advancers reacted, glaring at Xeer's unwillingness to protect the four Jeihr elders. They positioned themselves in front of the four mortals as protection instead.
The girl did not bother introducing herself, or even perform the customary greeting of hooking the fingers of two hands. Her body was immediately layered with a cloud of lime green and crimson aurae that swirled together and flowed into a six feet tall rectangular box.
The front of the box slid open, revealing a dozen openings for projectiles. That was confirmation that the girl wasn't some crazy genius above the shell realm. Those in the outer realm are significantly less reliant on inscribed weapons, after all.
Rein sighed. Best to get this over with. The longer a fight is, the more time for others to observe, analyze and understand his current capabilities.
He activated both his lightning and spatial aurae at the same time. However, he intentionally poured substantially more aurae into the lightning aspect, causing hissing and crackling arcs of lightning to dance over his body. A disguise to confuse the opponent, just as the dwarven Dragonknight Zelli did in the vision provided by Gent's spirit.
Then, he zigzagged towards the unnamed girl, generating small rapid movements by concentrating power to only his toes, as he had learned from dueling Zyne from the Xuere Clan.
The girl snorted, and fully activated her armament. The surrounding air became breezy as wind aurae gathered into the box, and out of the dozen openings came concentrated fire-aspected aurae projectiles shaped as arrows. As the fire aurae arrow projections flew, they accelerated and enlarged, feeding on the surrounding wind aurae.
The girl expected Rein to change direction to avoid these arrows, but her inexperience was soon evident to the onlookers.
Rein had intentionally begun moving in a zigzag movement, precisely to fool the girl into believing that he intended to use this movement pattern to dodge incoming attacks.
The fire aurae arrow projections whistled through the air, but at this very moment, Rein gathered his strength into his legs as he activated an explosive 'Frog Leg Release'. His form created afterimages as his body hurtled directly through the incoming fire aurae arrows and towards the girl!
The reality was that this girl from the Thousand Facet Sect was sent here for training. And that training wasn't even combat training, but rather, political training. Though disciples in sects occasionally spar against one another, it is always under certain rules. Plus, none would risk their own bodies to land a blow during a spar.
As such, Rein's decisive action wholly confounded the inexperienced girl, causing her brain to freeze in shock for a heartbeat. She simply could not believe that Rein would risk his body. Of course-- this, too, was also but an act. For under that explosive and noisy lightning aurae shell, Rein had activated small dark mirrors with his spatial aurae for the fire arrows to pass through his body. These dark mirrors function as tunnels that transport projectiles from the frontal surface of his body, out through small portals on his back.
That single heartbeat was enough for the battle to be decided. Meynan's courtyard was not large to begin with, and as such, in that single heartbeat, Rein's fist was already only a finger from the girl's sternum.
The girl at least had been trained to reflexively protect herself. She instinctually poured aurae into her defenses. The wind aurae component of her shell was consumed, and a hazy form of some sort of fiery armored goddess encased her in protection.
Rein's fist connected with her sternum, and a bone-crunching force sent the girl spinning backwards. Her form destroyed one wall, then a second, then a third. By the time she slid to a stop, her body had punched holes through ten walls of the Jeihr's grand residence.
The three advancers from the other three sects looked on. To their eyes, Rein was simply too quick in movement in this small space. He must have somehow avoided some fire arrows and tolerated a few hits, so they thought. Perhaps some unique bloodline of an ancient fiend, so they assessed. Luckily for Rein, advancers with special eyes capable of seeing through carefully constructed trickery is quite rare. Even vision eggs can only capture what an advancer believes themselves to have seen.
Rein's heart skipped a beat as he peered through the row of ten holes. Perhaps he should have held back a measure of his strength. In truth, he himself had little idea of how inexperienced many of the young advancers from sects are.
The others also walked over, their eyes focusing onto the girl's collapsed form at the back of the row of ten holes.
Rein glanced at the weapon armament on the ground that the girl had dropped to the ground. Though he was rather interested in its internal workings, he recognized it was best not to take it-- after all, as one who held Baejenh's token, it made sense to enter Thousand Facet Sect, a branch of the Fusion Sect.
The doors into Meynan's abode suddenly burst open and an incredibly decrepit bald old man with a thick white beard rushed in.
His eyes identified Rein as the 'assailant', but before he could act, the three advancers of three other sects stepped forth.
"It was a fair duel. We bore witness," the man from Formless Fist Sect grunted. "Your time will soon end. As a caretaker on his last legs, it is best if you return to your sect with the lady as fast as possible for her medical treatment."
"She is alive," Xeer's voice sounded down from above.
This decrepit old man grabbed the dropped rectangular wooden box, and dashed off. He assisted the girl into returning to her feet. The girl, though conscious, was in a daze as she endlessly coughed up blood. The two naturally left the Jeihr grand residence to return to the Thousand Facet Sect.
Rein suddenly found Meynan tearing off his clothes.
"Are you injured?" Concern was evident in her voice.
Once his black-knotted jacket was removed, Meynan discovered a large coin-sized blackened area over his right abdomen.
"Worry not," he easily calmed Meynan down as he held her, completely immobilizing the mortal woman with his tempered strength. "It's already in the process of healing. That was but aurae concentrated into the form of an arrow. I do have… a significant degree of vitality."
Meynan relaxed at his words, and Rein thus released her.
"I… I see…" Meynan gingerly touched the blackened skin. As her eyes focused on the injury, she entered a state of wonder. Some pinkish flesh had begun to grow. She was certain that a few breaths ago, that glimpse of pink flesh was not there! If Rein was aware of what Meynan was seeing, he himself would also have felt baffled. His increased recovery abilities was something he would discover in a future juncture.
Regardless, this injury was also in and of itself, a charade that Rein created. Rein had intentionally allowed one of those fire arrow forms to strike his body, to prevent others from thinking that those arrow forms might have passed through his body. Meynan had unintentionally assisted in his trickery. This was to keep his origin ability hidden.
Rein was not all that concerned with the fiery power of the girl's arrow forms. After all, his body had been transformed by the draconic metamorphosis bead-- he already knew of his body's resistance to fire. He had tested his internal generation of fire by igniting wood with lightning. Granted, he wasn't immune, especially to what the advancer world classified as divine fire sources. Not a treasure that any shell advancer could get their hands on.
A cough sounded.
"Now, if you lovebirds have finished philandering, it is time that I bid my farewell," so the man from Formless Fist Sect said. He hooked his fingers towards Rein, and left. The boy from Hidden Shadow Sect also performed the greeting before leaving. The first and second uncles of Meynan glanced at each other, realizing that the game had changed. They, too, retreated.
The graceful woman from Flowing River Sect beamed at Rein, then glided out of Meynan's abode.
Rien was absolutely befuddled. The three advancers from those three other sects seemed almost… happy with the current situation!
Fourth uncle Zeyr walked up to Rein, and patted him on the shoulder, which further increased Rein's confusion.
Zeyr laughed when he noticed Rein's state of mind.
"Do you wish for an explanation?" he asked.
"I'm sure, in time, I will understand," Rein grunted in reply. He did not wish to owe this man anything. Not when Zeyr participated in the poor treatment of both Meynan and Cehnan.
"Oh, I'll tell you anyway, my dear nephew," Zeyr replied, amused. "Don't you realize? There are different factions within the Thousand Facet Sect, as well as the Fusion Sect that backs them. The girl you've injured… though I am not of the advancer world, I can tell that she clearly belongs to a different faction, based on her reaction to your token."
"And let me tell you," Zeyr's grin widened. "The girl and the faction she belongs to have been dominant in this region. I know so, because us Jeihr almost only interact with that girl. And, that girl was introduced by a man, who was present in the Jeihr House for at least ten years prior to her arrival."
"And why do you tell me this?" Rein harrumphed.
"I'm sure you understand, dear nephew," Zeyr chuckled. "You must enter Thousand Facet Sect, because the other three sects will not take you. Your display of the token belonging to an elder of the Fusion Sect has ensured that result. You will enter the Thousand Facet Sect as a representative of… whoever is behind that token of yours. Thousand Facet Sect will most certainly enter a state of internal strife between the existing faction and yours."
"You will have no choice but to remove the backing behind my eldest brother. I daresay that increases my chances. And those three other sects? They will be able to take advantage of the internal strife within Thousand Facet Sect. Perhaps carve out new grounds, consolidate existing positions."
Rein was speechless as he realized the implications behind Fourth Uncle Zeyr's words.
"You know what they say," Zeyr looked up at the sky as he strode off. "The best plans are the ones where you can tell the opposition of a plan's details. And despite knowing the details, said opposition has no choice but to play along."
"The way I see it, I can simply indicate that I only came to step further along my advancer path, and have no intention of supplanting their position," Rein replied.
Zeyr guffawed at Rein's words.
"Naive. Any achievement you gain will bolster the position of the elder who gave you that token. As such, you will not be ignored."
Zeyr whistled as he exited Meynan's abode.