“That’s interesting,” Cardinal said, rubbing his chin as he turned to the man next to him.

  “What is?”

  “That girl… the Goblin heiress. I was only able to perceive her when she was pretty close to the scene.”

  “That’s impossible,” Q’Roh replied, looking at his friend incredulously. “Nothing can hide from the Divine Eye.”

  “There are more mysteries than answers in this world,” he replied carelessly, waving his hand to change the topic. “The only thing certain is our Chi.”

  Q’Roh obviously had something contradictory to say, but Cardinal cut him off.

  “More importantly, what does the Lion want with my son?”

  His hot-headed junior shrugged at the question.

  “I’ve long since left the manoeuvring and politics of the clan to those old fogies, how would I know? Besides, it’s likely some small matter… I could resolve it if you want.”

  “It’s unseemly for an osu to receive favours from the freeborn,” Cardinal said as he shook his head. “He will also need to face adversity on his own. I’ll observe, but this could be good for him.”

  “I agree, especially since the Master has taken an interest in him.”

  Quite unaware that his fate was being discussed, Elijah sat on his heels respectfully before the eccentric heiress, smiling awkwardly.

  “What did you do to get that lackey’s people to come after you?”

  “I have no idea, young mistress,” he said respectfully. “This lowly one has always been conscious of his boundaries and has never knowingly antagonised the freeborn. It’s likely just a misunderstanding.”

  “On another note,” she said, pointing her fan at him in accusation, “weren’t you meant to come here immediately you arrived?”

  “Young mistress,” he said with a smile, his hands facing the sky in imploration, “that was my intention, but I was held up.”

  “They intercepted you in the opposite direction, though.”

  “This lowly one has always had a bad sense of direction, mistress. Please, do not hold it against me. I’m just a brute.”

  “Hmph!”

  The osu released a sigh of relief in response to her reaction; she was unconvinced but it seemed she wouldn’t pursue the matter.

  He sighed in relief on the inside but also was full of uncertainty.

  How did he even get into this situation?

  He recalled the envelope in his pocket and smiled ruefully. That was how.

  He scoured his memories and went back to his time in the Learning Crocodile Province.

  He had been around six when he first arrived here. His parents had told him that the dark, scowling man in front of him would be his trainer and he’d be living with him for the foreseeable future.

  Elijah was naturally not pleased with this, but he took it with deference (as he did with every decision of his parents) and was committed to the hands of the man who looked almost as displeased himself.

  He spent a largely joyless existence under Atafa’s (that was his name) care. When he wasn’t going through torturous training or being beaten, he was generally isolated outdoors (although his instructor had allowed him to enrol as a favour to his father, he could not be allowed to live under the same roof as the freeborn).

  He had lived life like this for about a year until he was suddenly called back home at the age of seven. His parents had appeared themselves and taken him home in what could only be described as an uneventful trip.

  This was the event of his first awakening.

  The various races of Reigina generally had at least four growth phases. Born in a humanoid form, they would slowly gain the distinct attributes of their race until one decisive moment that they’d transform into fullfledged members of their race. The process was repeated over their lifetimes from the fledging stage, usually occurring between the ages of four and seven to adulthood.

  He remembered the event cloudily. Despite the fact that he was already seven years old (the general limit for the first awakening), there had been no rush on his parents’ side and they merely made preparations for the ceremony while letting him alone to his own devices.

  Much experienced with their parenting methods, Elijah had made the most of it and found himself at the abandoned playground he had frequented before being sent to Atafa.

  Contrary to his expectations, he had found someone else there.

  She was about his age, dressed after the manner of a doll in multiple soft shades of blue and standing apart from the rest of the world, her skin giving an otherworldly glow like a dark unhewn jade crystal.

  He was fairly certain that he was seeing things, but his instinct was to err on the side of caution and so he beat a silent retreat backwards.

  “Don’t–”

  Her voice rang out gently, stirring the air like a dragonfly skirting the surface on a tranquil pond.

  “Don’t leave.”

  “I won’t…” he said after a measure of hesitation. “I promise.”

  That was when he had met her.

  He had never spoken to someone freeborn before with the exception of his teacher. They had continued to meet for the duration of his stay. Discreetly, of course; he knew that it was wrong for him to interact with those above his station.

  This diversion lasted only a few weeks as he returned to resume his training.

  She had somehow tracked him down by post and, in a manner unaccountable even to himself, a forbidden correspondence had begun.

  Those days were…

  It was impossible to say exactly what they were like.

  His life felt like it was full of things he needed to do. Things he did almost mechanically, most times not understanding the logic behind his actions, but being pushed around by his own inertia. Until that perfumed letter had made its way to him, he had never known the experience of doing something for nothing else but the pleasure of it. It was a rich indulgence and it had given his life... colour.

  Had.

  He was no fool, and knew quite well that these things could not last. To try and go beyond his Chi was only to taunt the gods.

  That was why he had decided against meeting her today despite the fact that he had agreed to a rendezvous on his return (only a madman would reject a Highborn directly). Somehow, she had found him again, though. She seemed eternally used to getting her way.

  Still, he couldn’t complain too much; whatever her eccentricities, she was no worse company than the group who had tried to kill him multiple times after their first meeting.

  He sighed and tried to keep his smile straight; since he was already in her power, he stood ready to oblige her every decree.

  “Do you remember our bet?”

  “This lowly one–”

  “A simple yes will do.”

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  “I do,” he said simply, smiling wryly.

  “Let’s go downstairs then.”

  Elijah followed obediently at what he regarded as a respectful distance, looking at the elegant jade trimmings of this grand but not overly large mansion with a measure of awe.

  It was well-known that among the major races of the realm the Goblins were the richest. Not only did their lands have the richest store of Red Engine Crystal, but they were rumoured to have the ability to suss out items of great value and rarely to find themselves on the raw end of any deal if negotiation was possible.

  Elijah had no frame of reference for this as this was the first time he had stepped foot in the home of the freeborn but he was still rather convinced that this was the height of elegance.

  The place also seemed to share the young lady’s taste for Human aesthetics as paintings in their style formed an essential part of the décor.

  Looking closely, it seemed that the paintings were telling a story.

  He saw adventurers on a storm beaten ship approach a veil of dark clouds with unexpectedly excited expressions.

  He knew that this was an account of what the Humans called the Discovery of the Dark Continent.

  According to them and others who had made the trip across the sea, Reigina and its surrounding territories were isolated from the rest of the world by this dark veil. Elijah himself found it hard to credit, but no one asked his opinions on these things and it seemed that it had been verified by more verifiable sources than him so he did not protest.

  I can’t imagine why they’d still want to come here, though.

  Yes, it did seem beyond strange that Humans, despite the supposed dark boundary, always found themselves on this land. One day for trade, another for war, another for tourism. This foreign race seemed drawn to the land by some elemental attraction.

  He observed the hall full of their artefacts.

  Well, it isn’t like the attraction is one-sided.

  It wasn’t long before they arrived their destination. At the basement level of the manor was a large court made of red clay.

  It had many uses, but the array of weapons at the boundaries showed that its primary use was for battle or at least mock battle. Communicating her wishes through the gingerly wave of her surprisingly unadorned finger, she instructed him to take his place on the end opposite her.

  Yes, this was their bet.

  A sparring match.

  It wasn’t surprising seeing as battle was as natural as music in this blood-soaked and bloodthirsty land. This propensity was not diminished in the nobility, in fact it was amplified because they kept their place at the top of their hierarchies through their martial strength. It was easy to observe pleasantries when you held a large stick.

  “I’ve heard that Lycans have strange and various abilities,” she began, drawing an ornate spear and pointing it at him with the sadistic smile he had not recalled to have come so naturally to her. “This is my first time meeting one of your kind in a ring, though. I hope you won’t disappoint.”

  Elijah merely smiled as he got into a crouching position, gesturing to indicate that she could have the first move. Chaina smirked at his self-assurance and decided that she wouldn’t hold back.

  Suddenly, the low tone of chanting was heard and before he knew it, an extremely quick lash of water flew at him.

  Swift, he thought, praising her internally.

  He naturally managed a deft dodge, but the dangerous whip changed directions rapidly to intercept his movements.

  Another dodge.

  And another.

  You almost had me there, he said sarcastically in his head as he launched himself in the air to avoid the net of attacks she had tried to entangle him in.

  Before he could land though, he felt a series of strikes land on his back with the force of artillery, casting him to the ground forcefully and stirring up dust and debris as a result.

  How?

  Elijah asked this question through the sharp pain in his back as he stimulated his healing factor to deal with the injuries.

  I made sure to pay attention to her casting, so there’s no way she could have initiated another attack without my knowing.

  Unfortunately, she didn’t plan on giving him any time to recover and the extremely flexible yet sharp streams of water rushed at him, forcing him to roll out of the way to avoid a collision.

  Just as he got ready to gather his feet under him, he felt a vice-like grip on his calf.

  Turning his head, he saw that the earth beneath him had grown instantly and grabbed hold of his leg. As he strained to break out, another barrage of blows struck him from behind, driving his body into the ground in their ferocity.

  Chaina did not wait for him to recover at all, and instead sent another salvo at him. The darting silhouette that emerged from the hole in the ground was evidence that she had failed to connect, though. Despite this short respite, she wasn’t disheartened, and instead let her smirk grow by half a size before beginning a conversation.

  “Sorry,” she said, although her expression made it clear that she was anything but, “your kind is infamous for their durability, so I had to go all out with the attack.”

  Elijah smiled coldly in return but said nothing. He was scarcely ever in a talking mood when he fought. Especially when, contrary to his expectations, he was being entirely dominated in the matchup.

  Worse still, he was not entirely sure how it was she was achieving the rapid contiguous attacks. Having some knowledge of sorcery, he knew what spells she had chanted and was therefore more than prepared to dodge but the surprise attacks from his blind spots were rather befuddling.

  I wish that was all, he moaned internally, observing his wounds which, well beyond anything he would have expected, were delayed in their healing.

  On giving some extra attention to it, he came to the realisation that the mana from the attacks not only had not dissipated, but was still being manipulated by its user to make it more difficult for him to heal.

  What a thorny opponent.

  The interlude only lasted a few breaths before the heiress stretched out her hand firmly before her and a beam of light appeared in her hand. Suddenly, a blinding flash erupted, forcing her opponent to close his eyes, although all his other senses were strained to their peak and his defensive stance was nigh impregnable to a rushed attack.

  The flash disappeared almost as it came and when he looked again, she was holding a large silver bow.

  “I call her Feathercloud,” she said with a smile. “I’d dodge if I were you.”

  He definitely didn’t believe that the heiress was one for idle threats so he made sure to start moving in rapid unpredictable patterns to give her some difficulty with landing her mark.

  She seemed amused by this and nocked three arrows in quick succession, managing to cut off his route and box him in for another salvo. Despite her precision, he was able to manage several successful dodges despite the continued action of both her spells and the arrows.

  Indeed, even when a pillar suddenly emerged under his foot, lifting him unexpectedly into the path of her attacks, he managed to evade.

  The cost was not inconsequential, though; the fact that the pace of the battle remained relentless meant that the lupine youth had no opportunity to focus on his wounds and force them to heal.

  Indeed, the trap-defying speed he had been moving out served to worsen them.

  From their clash, he had ascertained that her natural attribute was water and that she did not slack at all in control of the element. The mana in his wounds had taken on its user’s innate element and was elusive as water. His commands to his body to limit its movement were mostly useless and her mana had free rein not only to prevent his healing, but to also undo his attempts and exacerbate his wounds.

  What a loathsome fighting method.

  The only bit of relief he had was that he thought that he had now deciphered part of her method.