Knock. Knock. Knock.
Jarek, who was in the middle of his cultivation, heard the knocking on the door, which pulled him out of his meditative state.
'Now, who might this be at this time?'
It was late into the night, a time when most would be sleeping or cultivating just like he was.
But someone actually came to his room looking for him.
Even the idea of someone coming to his room at any time of the day was strange, as he didn't interact with the rest of his classmates for them to be close enough to visit him.
When he opened the door to see who had come to see him, he wore a surprised expression at the sight of the unexpected guest.
'Princess Brynhild?'
The visitor was none other than Brynhild.
"Pardon me for coming this late into the night."
'That's not the issue here.' Jarek thought inwardly.
"But there is something important I would like to discuss with you in private."
"Then please come in, princess." Jarek politely gestured for her to enter.
Once she was seated, Jarek turned to her and asked, "So, what did you want to talk about?"
"The reason for my visit is that I want to make a deal with you."
"A deal?"
Brynhild nodded and continued, "Yes, a deal. And a good one at that."
She then smiled lightly and said, "I am aware that you won't accept being a subordinate of the royal family, and I also think that it is natural for someone like you to think that way."
Jarek also smiled as he asked, "Someone like me?"
"Yes, someone who can rival an Empyrean while still being a peak Master. Even the royal family has no one in its history who is capable of such a feat. In fact, I doubt there has ever been a single person in this World like you. With such a talent, joining a force is like caging yourself." Brynhild said as she looked at Jarek, waiting for a reaction.
However, contrary to her expectations, Jarek remained calm; her words did not shake him up one bit.
'Hmm? Is he not the least bit surprised?' She had wanted to startle Jarek a bit, but it didn't turn out as she had expected.
So, she asked, "Aren't you surprised how I was able to uncover that knowledge?"
Jarek's reaction was not that of one whose deepest secrets had been dug up.
"I already knew you had somehow caught a glimpse of my true abilities."
This time it was Brynhild's turn to be surprised.
"When?" She was sure she hadn't shown any indication that she knew about his secret.
"I noticed it during our match. When you stepped into the arena, you were exuding an aura of determination, which was quite strange.
At that time, I hadn't shown anything that should have made you feel like I was a threat to you, yet your behavior suggested that you were facing a powerful enemy. It meant that you had seen something that all the others hadn't, and if you think about it, only one thing comes to mind: hidden strength. You are quite sharp in that regard, princess."
Hearing this, Brynhild sighed and expressed her admiration, "You never fail to amaze me. You are truly extraordinary. It was no wonder I lost to you. That mind and talent of yours would have truly benefited Blazoria if you could have joined the Blazoria royal family. Such a shame."
"Anyway, since such a future is impossible, I would like to make a deal with you. A deal that will benefit both sides."
At those words, Jarek's curiosity was stirred.
"Continue." Jarek urged.
"You need to keep this secret of yours for as long as possible, right? But suspicion will keep growing if: your cultivation stagnates and you show no intention to loan spirit stones from the academy, or your cultivation progresses if you don't have any spirit stones. After all, to the academy, your foundation is ordinary, and you don't have a source of resources. How about this? I officially lend you the spirit stones. This can buy you the time you need to grow stronger. And..."
Before she could finish, she was interrupted by a knock on the door.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
'Another visitor? I wonder who it is this time.'
But as he opened the door to see who it was, a wry smile formed on his lips. 'Another princess?'
Yes, this time it was Astrid, and she was here for the same purpose.
Moments later, both princesses were sitting next to one another, facing Jarek.
"As I was saying, I am willing to support you not as the princess of Blazoria, but as Brynhild. I will provide you with spirit stones, enough to bring your cultivation to the peak of the Empyrean Stage. That will serve as a sufficient reason for your growing cultivation. Additionally, if you need to know anything about the cultivation world, as long as it doesn't involve the Blazoria Kingdom, I would be willing to share that information with you. Of course, it doesn't need to be said, but keep the inquiries to a minimum."
Jarek's expression turned contemplative, and after a moment, he asked, "What do you want in return?"
Brynhild smiled and then said, "You will owe me a favor and additional ones, depending on every piece of information you ask of me."
"As long as it doesn't harm those close to me, then it's fine. We have a deal." Jarek held his hand out for a handshake.
They shook hands as Brynhild remarked, It's a deal then."
"I got quite the bargain with this deal, considering someone equal in talent to the Supreme Dao Empress owes me a favor."
"The Supreme Dao Empress? Who is that?" It was a title he had never heard of.
Brynhild smiled playfully, "Oh? Are you that eager to owe me an extra favor already?"
Jarek's lips twitched at Brynhild's teasing remark.
Astrid just shook her head helplessly.
"Well, it's not a secret as to who she is, so there is no harm in telling you, as you'll soon come to know about her."
Jarek listened intently as Brynhild talked about the Dao Empress.
"The Dao Empress is known as the most talented cultivator in the entire World. That is because it took her a little bit over a hundred years to reach the highest level of cultivation. She..."
When Brynhild told Jarek all she knew about the Dao Empress, even Jarek felt great admiration towards her.
Her story was truly admirable.
The story of how a Supreme Grade talent, the second to appear in the World, rose from a lowly maid to the most respected figure in the World.
'Truly a monster...'