With Auren's reveal about his connection to Hollow Blade, Vanessa turns towards Neffi, clearly annoyed about being kept in the dark.
"So you're part of it too?! You didn't tell me anything—how could you?" Vanessa complains, clearly annoyed.
"Apart from the Elders, there's also the leader," Auren explains, his tone shifting slightly. "And the leader is... quite terrifying. Think of someone like Pariston. She can be just as frightening, if not more."
"She wasn't like that before..." Neffi adds softly. "You... you changed her. I don't know if it's for the better or the worse. But I do know this—she's immensely grateful."
"So what's your role in all of this? Are you a student of your two Elders-instructors? Similar to Neffi?" Konrad finally asks.
"Yes and no," Auren replies calmly. "They taught me a few things, sure... but my role? I guess I'm the vice leader."
"What?!"
"Really?!"
"Wow..."
The reactions come all at once. Everyone stares at Auren, clearly not expecting his position to be so high.
"It's definitely a little biased," Neffi says, shrugging. "The leader—well, she's a bit... unique. Let's just say Auren's influence on her was major. Grunah, my master, once told me that the leader constantly talks about Auren. She believes he'll become unstoppable in the near future. Anything less than the vice-leader role, in her eyes, would be an insult."
She kind of roped me in... Now that Neffi's saying it, maybe she just wanted me to stay—at all costs. But that doesn't matter anymore.
"There's no reason for you to worry," Auren says calmly as he looks at the others. "As I said, I'm pretty much in charge. You'll all be perfectly safe. However, once you enter, there is a contract to sign. Nen is involved."
"Don't worry. It only states that you won't betray Hollow Blade or reveal important details to the outside world. Nothing forces you to join. Even if you don't want to, I'll still let you live there. You'll be welcome as my guests, so no need to be worried in the slightest."
"We're in," Jean says confidently. Her twin sister nods beside her. "Yes."
"I suppose our daughters are right," Jolt adds. "You saved us. The least we can do is join you fully. We trust you, so there is no need to hesitate. Whatever it is, we'll join."
Eren, watching his siblings, also nods. "We've already decided."
Killi and Ella smile warmly, clearly at ease, already aware of Auren's intentions for them to join.
Only Konrad, Goreinu, and Vanessa seem a little unsure.
"You can decide later," Auren tells them, easing their hesitation. "You'll be welcomed as guests either way."
"For now," he continues, turning to Jolt, "fly us to these coordinates. Ever landed inside a mountain town surrounded by rocks from all sides? You'd better try hard—or we'll crash."
"Is that a challenge?" Jolt replies with a smirk. "Let me show you what I can do."
With their destination locked in, the airship begins its ascent, lifting off into the skies and heading south—toward the borderlands of the United States of Saherta.
Auren stands on the open deck, the wind crashing against his face as they rise higher.
As the landscape below shifts and the mountains loom in the distance, a thought surfaces—unbidden but persistent.
A certain pair of Scarlet Eyes, staring at him.
I wonder what her plans are...
With the airship making steady progress, Auren spends most of his time training, occasionally talking to the others, during his training, during meals, and whenever he wants to take a break.
For no particular reason, he focuses on refining his En, recalling the way Rakshala had first taught him back when he arrived in Hollow Blade's mountain town.
With full control over the entire airship, it doesn't take long before his En is noticed by almost everyone aboard.
As he feels them getting slightly distracted by his Aura, he decides to change his approach.
Rather than continue with the basic version, he shifts to his personal variation—his Aura forming a mist-like cloud that stretches outward in a single direction, reaching far beyond the ship's outer hull, but avoiding most of the ship itself.
Eventually, with the airship approaching its destination, Auren steps onto the bridge, standing beside his pilot.
"Auren," Jolt says, eyes squinting at the distant terrain. "I'm not seeing anything out there. No signs of civilization... We're deep into the mountains, and this region's completely isolated. The nearest town is pretty far off. There are just mountains before us...."
"Don't worry," Auren says, calm as ever. "I can already see our goal."
"Where?" Jolt asks, confused.
Auren lifts a hand and points toward a massive mountain ahead—wide, towering, and shaped like a wide dome.
"It's... hollow," Jolt mutters after a pause as the airship gets closer.
"I did warn you," Auren replies with a casual shrug. "Landing here isn't exactly easy."
"I'll be just fine," Jolt says, his voice full of confidence. "This is nothing."
It seems like he enjoys the challenge.
True to his word, Jolt expertly maneuvers the airship toward the open entrance and begins guiding it into the hollowed-out mountain.
"Land next to the other airships," Auren instructs, gesturing toward the undeveloped sector of the hidden city—a flat area already used by around a dozen airships.
As the airship descends past a certain point, Auren's skin begins to tingle—immediately recognizing the feeling.
He feels a certain familiar presence next to him, making a complicated feeling surge inside of him.
Neffi, Goreinu, Vanessa, Eren, the twins, and even the kids all react similarly, visibly startled.
"That..." Eren says slowly, "feels just like your En, Auren. You practiced it on the way... but this—this is something else."
"You'd better get used to it," Auren replies with a shrug. "I might've left out a few downsides to this place. Privacy isn't really a thing. But don't worry—it's restricted to just a single person."
"I... actually feel comfortable," Joanne says softly.
Everyone turns to her, surprised.
"Why?" Jean asks, puzzled as she leans against her twin's back. "That doesn't make sense."
"Why, indeed," Auren echoes, curious now.
"I... feel like someone is hugging me," Joanne explains. "Protecting me. I feel... safe."
"I sure as hell don't!" Vanessa snaps. "This is violating my privacy! Even Auren had the decency to stop!"
"Even me..." Auren repeats, walking toward her as she instinctively steps back with her hands raised.
"I—I meant that you had the decency to stop because you are kind!" Vanessa stammers. "You're a good person, obviously!"
Embarrassed, she turns and smacks her brother hard.
"Ouch! Fuck off, you crazy witch! I didn't even say a thing!" Konrad yells, arms raised in defense.
"You thought it, I just know!" She yells.
This woman is simply unreasonable. I'm beginning to pity poor Konrad a little. Did he have to endure this kind of treatment his entire life?
Auren briefly flares his Aura in order to silence his company.
"Okay, drop the act already," he finally announces calmly. "As I said—everything you do here will be noticed. And this... is your first impression. So far, not the best, at least in my opinion."
"No!" Vanessa blurts out, realizing how she must look. "It's all just a joke, obviously! I'll be fine... right?"
"Not so sure about that," Neffi says with a smirk, turning Vanessa's face pale.
Finally, the airship touches the ground as Jolt makes a clean and smooth landing.
The group follows Auren as he slowly walks down the ramp—and to his surprise, a crowd is already gathered to greet them.
He immediately spots familiar faces. Grunah stands tall at the front, with Buno and Bunu beside her—the latter now wearing an eyepatch. His two maids stand nearby, and directly ahead of them all is Rakshala.
She wears an extremely bright, crimson red robe—and her signature metal visor still covers her face.
Still wearing that, huh?
Only Auren and Neffi step confidently out of the airship. The others hesitate, looking nervous and unsure as they slowly follow behind.
As Auren walks forward, he spots something unusual—Rakshala's expression shifts slightly, forming a small but unmistakable smile as her head turns towards him.
She steps toward him at a calm, deliberate pace until she stands right in front of him. Despite his growth, she's still almost two heads taller.
And then, without any warning, she leans down and pulls him into a tight hug.
"..."
... What is she doing?
Standing stiffly, slightly annoyed, Auren reluctantly endures the embrace. She doesn't let go for a solid ten seconds before finally releasing him.
"Welcome back, Auren," she says warmly, then turns to Neffi with open arms. "You as well, Neffi."
A little embarrassed, Neffi walks forward and embraces her briefly. Once they part, Neffi immediately heads over to Grunah, leaving Auren, Rakshala and the others behind.
"Thank you," Auren replies, looking at Rakshala, unsure how to act around her. "As I mentioned in my messages... I've brought along a few friends."
He turns to the group behind him and gestures for them to step forward.
He starts with Jolt and Marsha. "This is Jolt—my pilot—and his wife, Marsha. He helped me acquire my airship. Not only is he a skilled pilot, but he also knows enough about engineering to keep it running. As for Marsha—she's an excellent cook. Arguably the most important person on board."
"Next to them are their daughters, Jean and Joanne. Twin girls, as you probably can tell from their Auras. Both are learning Nen—and are far more talented than I expected," Auren says, subtly hinting at their exceptional potential without directly exposing their Nen category.
"Over there are my students: Vanessa, Konrad, and Eren. The man beside them is Goreinu, an acquaintance of mine from the Hunter Exam. I hired him recently. Finally, there's Eren's two younger siblings, Mio and Kai... and Killi and Ella, the two I mentioned in my messages."
Rakshala steps forward again, smiling. "It's a pleasure to meet the friends and comrades of my dear Auren. You are most welcome here—in our little town and community. Whatever you choose to do, know that you're treasured guests. Please feel at ease and enjoy your stay."
She turns back to Auren. "I asked Elder Rein to expand your house. It's now larger than your instructors' homes. Four new floors have been added, filled with smaller, fully furnished apartments, all of them connected to your place, yet also outfitted with their own entrance and stairs. Your friends can all stay with you comfortably."
She leans in and whispers, "I need to speak with you. You can leave your instructors and maids with them."
Auren sighs, then looks to Buno, Bunu, and the two maids.
"It's good to see you again. Can you take everyone to my house? I'll join you shortly."
"Huh, already barking orders, brat?" Buno asks, laughing.
"We'll talk later," Bunu simply replies, while Auren's maids smile at him.
He turns back to the group. "These two are my instructors and my... houskeepers. They'll guide you to my house. I'll catch up soon."
Politely bowing towards them, Rakshala turns around, and then, without another word, gently grabs Auren's hand as leads him toward the large administrative building at the heart of the city, which contains her private residence and office.
"I don't think I need to be hand-held," Auren says flatly. "Do you want to humiliate me?"
"I like your gloves," Rakshala says cheerfully. "They feel cold—very cold. And I can already tell how fearsome they are once you infuse them with Aura. Not just the gloves, though—your boots and bracers are masterpieces as well. Crafted by the same person, the Aura is exactly the same. You have acquired a few treasures, it seems, along with the hundreds of items, all containing Aura, sitting in your airship's cargo hold."
...Damn monster. Can't hide a thing from her.
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