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”Tethrine. I did not expect to hear from you. This better be good.” Kurnous didn’t even bother looking up from his work.

“Father. I have news. Before that, I need to ask you a question. Are you aware of the mission I was given, and did you have anything to do with it?” The prince was respectfully taking a knee on the illusory communicator.

"I am aware, but it was not my doing. Why?" He had expected this to have something to do with his son's newest mission. This really better be good, because he didn't need to be holding his son's hand through such basic assignments.

"I found Princess Ynnead," Tethrine said simply.

“Ok, you have my attention.” He put down the quill he had been using to sign reports. He had people for such work, but sometimes you needed to check over that work to make sure your subordinates were not skimming too much off the top or making egregious mistakes.

"The good news is that I know exactly where we can find her, and I don't think she will be running away this time. The bad news is that she's being protected by the leader of the Crossroads, known as Ysendra." Tethrine reported.

"That is…interesting. She is obviously a reincarnator like us in that case." Kurnous was much more familiar with the Crossroads than his son and knew that picking a fight with the master of that place was a sketchy idea at best. "You said she is protected. To what extent?"

“They seem to be on very friendly terms. Ysendra ignored me and the goddess the Host sent with me in favor of personally greeting Ynnead, and the two talked privately after shooing the rest of us away. I’d say they are quite friendly.”

“The Host sent a Goddess with you?” Kurnous confirmed. This was new information to him.

“Yes, though I’m not sure which one. They are affiliated with House Titannica, that’s for sure. They were sent on a separate mission that’s connected to Ynnead, but they tagged along with my delegation to make contact with Ysendra. It seems obvious they were seeking protection for the Princess and got it.”

“Interesting. So they don’t plan on bringing the princess to the Divine Planes yet. I wonder why? If the princess really is familiar with Ysendra, then their plan is a good one.” Kurnous nodded. They had been outplayed.

“There’s something else. I discovered the Princess’ True Name. Karma.” Tethrine added.

That was an old Name, and one Kurnous hadn’t heard in a long time. Even back then he’d only heard it in whispers. He leaned back in his chair. “That changes things. We assumed before now that the princess would not be a serious contender even if she did come to the Divine Planes, but if we are dealing with someone like Karma…we have to take her seriously.”

"What should we do? I don't think attacking this place would be a good idea. The place is filled with powerful immortals. They're a bigger threat than one of the scourges. And that's just what I could sense." Tethrine knew he was in over his head.

“If you get the perfect opportunity, grab her and use the artifact I gave you to return home immediately. No hesitation. However, do not go out of your way to try and create such an opportunity, and do not try if the window for the opportunity is too small. There’s a decent chance that someone with a Name like that can resist the artifact’s effect to an extent. The risk would be too high. in either case, return back home. Your term as the Emissary has lasted long enough, and we need to plan. We need the entire family for what is coming.” He decided before cutting the connection.

Kurnous was already making plans on how to get around Ysendra. He was quite confident the Nakshatra wouldn't bother chasing Ynnead into the Divine Planes, as that would be tantamount to a declaration of war. She'd keep a sharp eye on the princess though, so grabbing her would be hard, and the crazy little dragon would happily slaughter any immortals he'd send. Maybe he could fool others into setting off the trap instead? There was more than one way to skin a Fairy Dragon, and direct confrontation was usually the worst way. He'd exercise utmost caution in his actions, but he'd take advantage one way or another.

“Karma, huh?” He muttered. According to what he knew, the one known as Karma had been old before he’d even had his first life. Old and powerful. He’d known there would be older and more powerful reincarnators appearing at some point, and it seemed that the multiverse had decided to give the younger reincarnators a chance by keeping the old monsters in reserve until now. Karma wasn’t the only one he’d heard about recently. He’d heard reports of at least three Sins appearing, and at least Pride was already in the Divine Planes, while Lust and Gluttony were still gathering their power. Who else? What kind of monsters were making their way towards him, and how many of them would he have to kill? At least they hadn’t heard anything about Wrath lately, though the presence of the Reaper was just as bad.

On a whim, Kurnous got up from his chair and with a single step exited his realm and appeared on the golden bridge that connected all the divine realms together. His steps took him towards a very particular direction, and soon the bridge turned into a set of stairs. Intent mattered when traveling the bridge, but the problem was that it wasn’t just the intent of the traveler that mattered. The fact that he had to spend almost twenty minutes climbing the golden stairs was a rather poignant sign that he was currently not in favor with the emperor. Not surprising. The emperor had always favored his brothers. At least outwardly.

Eventually, he reached his destination, a realm surrounded by bright white borders and guarded by a group of immortals entirely covered in white armor. The style of armor varied from full plate to simple cloth, but one thing was consistent. None of the armor showed even the slightest of the people wearing the armor. Not a millimeter of skin showed, and Kurnous couldn't even be certain there was skin beneath. All he could tell was that the armored figures were all large in size, even the smallest being over 2,5 meters, and they all were powerful. These were after all the imperial guards.

No one knew where they were recruited from, or how many there were. No one knew where or how they were trained, or by whom. Only two things were known for certain. They were all fanatically loyal to the emperor, the position, not the person, and they were all extremely powerful. There was a reason that the role of the emperor only changed hands by succession or challenge, and these guards were the reason. Any attempt at a coup by military force, or any attempt to attack the emperor outside a challenge was crushed with such ruthless efficiency that no one tried anymore. Even Kurnous couldn't say how much power the white-clad beings held, but he was pretty sure that if the entirety of the Divine Planes combined forces to attack the emperor, they would still lose against these guards.

As he stepped past the guards that paid him no attention, he pondered the fact that so few people even knew of their existence. The guards never interfered unless absolutely necessary, staying strictly neutral in all the divine politics, and few divines ever got the chance to visit the emperor if they were not summoned, so very few people saw the guard or knew what they represented. Even the color of their armor was something that depended on the ruling House and even the whim of the emperor. Kurnous was well aware that while House Titannicus was the Royal House, the guard wore blue, and even the current emperor had changed the color between red and white several times for reasons he was not aware of. He suspected it wasn’t just a fashion statement though.

As he stepped over the border that glowed white with power, he was transported to a remote corner of the emperor’s realm. He had not been summoned, so he would not be able to reach the imperial palace even if he tried. Even if the guard or the emperor didn't know why he was here, the realm itself did. The stone-paved path he was standing on led to a relatively luxurious but remote building that had tall and simple sandstone walls surrounding a siheyuan-styled building with an open central courtyard.

The building had two of the white-clad guards standing at attention in the front, though their presence was largely unnecessary. This house was a prison of sorts, though it was more akin to a house arrest. The only inmate didn’t need guarding because she wasn’t trying to escape, and even if she did, she wouldn’t get far inside this realm. As long as the emperor willed it, no one would be able to leave. At least in theory. The woman inside might be one of the few True Gods powerful enough to force their way out.

As he stepped into the central courtyard, he found the woman he was looking for already waiting with a tea-set to one side, sitting near a small pond on simple stones. Despite the simple surroundings and just as simple clothing, the woman managed to look both gorgeous and regal. It still disturbed him that the woman looked so much like his wife, though the fact that they were twins had a lot to do with it. “Why are you here Kurnous?” The woman asked simply, not even turning to look at him. Nor did she offer him a seat or tea, a purposeful snub.

“We have found her. Your daughter.” He stated simply, not seeing any point in engaging in verbal sparring. A fight that he knew he would lose.

“Have you?” She sounded thoroughly unconvinced. She didn’t bother even confirming that she had a daughter.

“Yes. Your little attempt at a play has failed.” He stated with more confidence than he had.

“Truly? Somehow I doubt it. If you had recovered my child, then you’d be here, cutting their throat in front of me just to spite me. I know you Kurnous. You are petty enough to do just that. Besides, I doubt recovering my child will be quite as simple as you assume.” The level of confidence the woman had at that last statement was worrying to the extreme.

“Maybe I plan on using her for my nefarious purposes.” He decided to take a small gamble to see if he could gain some new information. “You have a lot of faith in Karma. A very old and powerful Name that. Not the only one I would know is it? I wonder…who did you manage to give birth to that gives you such confidence. Mercy perhaps?”

The laughter from her was disconcerting to the extreme. "Oh, Kurnous. You're thinking way too small. You always have. That's why you'll never be able to defeat Hoeth or Vaul. And Eldrazor will eat you for lunch.”

Kurnous managed to cover his flinch at the mention of his brothers. She had a point. Even if the woman in front of him was the biggest danger to him when it came to succession, that was mostly because of the bad blood between them. His brothers however…well, there was a reason he didn’t want to turn this into a verbal sparring match and this was one of the main reasons. There was too much that she could use against him, just like she just had. “My brothers have their strengths. I have mine.” He feigned confidence.

The woman finally turned towards him, her eyes practically glowing with hatred. "Do you now?" She asked sarcastically, but this time he didn't rise to the bait. There was a reason she hated him so much, though somewhat unearned. He had been a large part of her troubles and current imprisonment, but only the most visible part. His brothers had played their part as well. They had all agreed that removing her from the equation was necessary, even if she wasn't actively vying for the throne.

“We shall see how you react when your daughter is in our hands. And your precious titans will not be able to help.” This taunt lacked some impact, as he’d expected. That wasn’t the point though. He hadn’t come here just to taunt her, even though that would’ve been fun too. No, he’d hoped for a reaction that would provide him with some information. And he did get something.

"You might find that getting your hands on her might be more difficult than you think. As I said, you're always thinking too small." The woman seemed oddly confident again. That in itself was an answer. Perhaps not the one he was looking for, but good enough to make the trip worth it.

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“Are you sure? I thought you were familiar with them?” Ysendra asked with a tiny smirk.

“I have met them. I wouldn’t say I’m familiar or even friendly with them. Oh, don’t get me wrong. I certainly won’t mind if you set them free. I just don’t care enough to request their freedom. I know such requests don’t come free. My interest in them only goes as far as it does with any random people I’ve met in my life, which is to say not very. At this point, I think you know them better than I do.” Karna was looking at a video feed of Hou Yi and his group of friends.

"Really? I was under the impression you were at least acquainted?" Ysendra had met other people with who her old friend had gotten involved with, and it always left its mark. Now sure, someone might show similar signs even without any involvement, but it would be so much more fun if there was something going on.

“I’m quite sure. Do with them as you will.” Karna had to stop herself from snickering. She knew the little dragon and the games she liked to play. Ysendra would let them go regardless. Eventually. And well…she hadn’t entirely forgiven Hou Yi for trying to assassinate her before. Him suffering a bit of punishment as penance was just what she’d prefer. Ysendra wasn’t going to get her way this time.

The little dragon kept looking at her for several minutes, looking for any sign of misdirection, but didn't find any. Not that Karna was easy to read at the best of times. "Che! How boring.” She finally decided to let it go. “On another note, that little prince that you came here with already sold you out. He reported your presence to his family…which would mean they’re also your family, no? Anyway, he has standing orders to grab you and try to portal back to the Divine Planes if the opportunity presents itself.”

“How droll. I expected this, but it is still a little disappointing. Also, judging by the fact that he likely didn’t share this information willingly, I’m guessing you have all of us under surveillance? You still have those nasty habits. I don’t like to kink shame, but I resent the fact that you’re exploring your voyeuristic habits on me.” Karna joked as the two made their way towards the place where the negotiations would take place. She wasn’t worried about the prince for two simple reasons. Firstly, the Crossroads had plenty of defenses for this sort of kidnapping. Secondly, she herself was an expert spatial mage. Now that she had been forewarned, there was no chance of someone just teleporting her away against her will if she chose to fight it.

“I’ll have you know that my kinks are much tamer than yours.” Ysendra declared with faux indignation. “Besides, that was one time. It's unfair to keep holding it against me.”

“You still have the recording, don’t you?” Karna pointed out. She didn’t object to the first statement, as it was true.

“Of course I do. I wouldn’t get rid of such good material. Also, consider how your spirit acts, you can’t really judge me. Anyway, it’s only prudent to keep an eye on potential enemies.” The little dragon had no problem admitting to her past and current sins.

“Yeah, I have no idea why I keep attracting voyeurs wherever I go. No, that’s untrue. I have a pretty good idea actually, but it’s still a little odd. Well, at least I don’t have to pour coins on you.” She gave a small shudder.

“Hah! Like you’re one to talk with your pillows.” Ysendra turned the tables on Karna.

“Hey, I have an extremely healthy relationship with pillows. They’re nice and fluffy, and comfortable to lie on. There’s nothing kinky going on there.” Karna defended herself.

"Oh? So there's no part of you that fantasizes about what you do on top of…" The little dragon clamped her mouth shut as they opened the door to the negotiation chamber and found out that everybody was already there waiting for them. "Aaand, we'll shelve that topic for the time being."

The negotiations turned out to be extremely boring as such things tended to be. Lines were drawn, promises were made, and veiled threats were included. The only real spice came from Ysendra announcing that Karna and the world they had recently acquired were under her protection, and that if any immortals decided to get uppity…well, she had just been given free rein in her sphere of influence, and the agents of the Host were not exempt from that.

"I see you managed to get her on your side," Narmada whispered. "This buys you some time, but only so much of it. I may know she's a Nakshatra and what that means, but not everybody does. And any warnings will ring a lot more hollow as time passes. I'm honestly surprised the prince hasn't tried anything."

"He hasn't gotten an opportunity to, and I don't plan on providing him with one. Besides, I think he might have an inkling that the attempt would fail. Humiliating himself isn't high on his list of priorities. Not to mention potentially getting hurt. He might not be aware of exactly how bad of an idea it would be to try, but he knows it is a bad idea." Karna had noticed the way Tethrine had looked at her. The prince had an evaluating look that hinted at prudence instead of showing disdain or confidence.

“So, what will you do now?” The goddess asked. “You clearly have a plan.”

“Now? I’ll fulfill a small part of my bargain with Ysendra by making her a spell that allows her to look for other parts of the Crossroads, and then I’ll make my push for the next rank. It’s a bit early, but I’ve been holding back long enough.” It wasn’t that she was unable to rise in ranks faster.

She had lived so many lives and reached the peak so many times that she had the best and most effective methods in the entire multiverse. Most of them she’d created herself by combining the knowledge of countless universes. She was considered the greatest mage for a reason. She also had the best Aura training method in existence, and her current vessel had potential the likes of which hadn’t been seen before. She also had Gem to help her. The spirit could turn into several artifacts that could increase the speed of her cultivation several times.

So yes, if she wanted to, she could rise in rank quickly. She could grow in strength faster than anyone had ever seen or even considered possible. She hadn't so far because she wanted to do things perfectly. Because she wanted to take things easy and enjoy the life she had been given. She might not be a mortal in this life, but some of that relaxed pace from her previous lives had rubbed off on her. There was also some truth in claiming she was a little obsessed with her foundation. But her foundation had already been laid. It was time to capitalize. It was time to remind everyone why she had earned all those Names.

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