Coming downstairs, Quan saw Ubel asleep like Gaobun, bathed in sunlight of the dawn under a blanket. He patted the boy twice and as soon as he woke up, made his way towards the kitchen. He took some cheese and spirit eggs from the cupboard and started to prepare the breakfast.

At the same time came Gaobun, donned in his trainee robe colored blue and white. Striking words of Claudius caught the eye immediately. ‘’I’ll leave right away, Senior Master.’’

‘’Anything urgent?’’ Quan asked whilst putting down the already boiled eggs on a plate. Some salad and cleansed fruit juice accompanied the food. ‘’If not so, sit down and eat.’’

‘’It could be,’’ Gaobun said and approached the table then took one of the eggs and stuffed into his mouth. ‘’Mentor Russell ordered other trainees to gather at seven, he said something about a field trip for several classes.’’

‘’Oh?’’ Ubel sticked his head from the bathroom. ‘’Field trip? Like a sightseeing or exploration?’’

‘’I don’t think so,’’ Quan shook his head and beckoned the two to sit down. This time, without intending, Gaobun excused himself and sat on the chair. With a look of realization soon after, he smiled and continued.

‘’It will consist of hunting and gathering. Though gathering also needs one to hunt beasts so...you know the deal.’’ He said and put a plate of cheese in front of Ubel.

‘’Gathering?’’ Quan stroked his beard, ‘’I’ve never heard of anything valuable around these forests.’’

‘’I also don’t know about that. It’s either going to be a far place or we will put treasures around for students.’’ These eggs are tasty! Stuffing another one in his mouth Gaobun continued. ‘’Well, it will be apparent after the meeting.’’

‘’Alright, then can you give this letter to the principal while you’re on your way?’’ Quan took out a small envelope from his ring and gave it to Gaobun, who accepted it. He snatched two more eggs under the pitiful gaze of hungry Ubel and stood up.

‘’I’ll be on my way, take care senior master. Take care Ubel.’’

‘’You too,’’ They said and sent off the man. They had nothing much to discuss in the morning, since it was the energetic Ubel who always struck a conversation. After finishing their meal and taking some belongings, they left towards the college.

Ubel found it hard to adjust his new vision to the morning light. It took a whole half an hour to see the sky clear. Mentioning the sky, he also missed the smell and sight of the sea. The silent, crashing waves of the enigmatic, boundless body of water definitely made one longing for it. Luckily, it didn’t turn into an addiction like his thoughts and speculations, else he would’ve had another source of headache. Passing through the gates while greeting the guards, they’ve entered the college and left towards the infirmary.

It was another day of work today.

*********

Or...it wasn't.

‘’Attending the lessons?’’

‘’Of course. Sitting here all day won’t help you improve, especially when you don’t even meditate.’’ Hint of anger evident on Quan’s face, his scalp tingling, Ubel nodded. ‘’Will it be okay, senior master? Won’t the students feel awkward?’’

‘’Why should they?’’

‘’Well...’’

‘’Being from Cindersnow doesn’t mean you are a stranger, Ubel. I understand your worries, but they are not well found. Go like a normal student, take your notes and listen.’’

‘’Alright then.’’ Ubel surrendered, ‘’Thank you, senior master.’’ He bowed from the waist, then inquired. ‘’When should I start then? Or which courses am I going to take?’’

‘’I’ve applied you to medical, of course.’’

Ubel let out a sigh. Well, that is also fine. ‘’You should be in class around ten...it’s already nine thirty...’’

Ubel gasped and looked around. ‘’What do I do? Do I go now? Where is the class?’’

‘’Class 2-3, beside the training grounds.’’ Quan said and watched the young boy sprint at full speed. His worry, this time, was well found. The whole school compartments were so huge that it could take two hours to walk around it. Ubel secured himself on the lucky side though, his class stood only fifteen minutes away.

Owing the principal a favor won’t change anything much for now. Quan took a deep breath and closed the window. What should I read then? He adjusted the books on his desk and picked up one of them, opened its cover and started to go through the pages.

At the same time, Ubel rushed through the hallways to spot his class. After a few minutes he saw someone waving their hand and stopped. ‘’Infirmary boy! Come here.’’ Infırmary boy? Ubel stopped and looked at the girl. Their ages matched even, or there stood a little difference but it did not matter.

‘’Um, is this 2-3?’’

‘’Of course, get in. You see that empty desk over there? That is yours. I’m class pres by the way, nice to meet you.’’

‘’Oh, thanks. Nice to meet you too.’’ He said and creeped over his desk. He sat down and sighed in relief, then looked around the class. Only a handful of people looked at him, then turned back to whatever they were busy with. This also lifted a huge burden from his shoulders. Senior master is right it seems. After inspecting some more, with the other few students arrival, the classroom teacher arrived. Everyone sat on their desk and looked at the man, aged somewhere between seventy to eighty with strands of white hair.

‘’Oh, welcome.’’ Ubel heard the man say.

‘’Thank you,’’ He replied with a slight smile. Then the man, without any further ado, laid down his materials on front, picked out a few of them and started his lesson. With a rather big pen teacher wrote down some of his words on a board behind him, continuing with examples and other strange names.

Some he heard were familiar, some completely strange. His interest piqued, Ubel wanted to write down but forgot he had no paper or pen. At the same moment someone tucked his sleeve from behind. He looked up and saw a frail boy lifting a piece of paper.

‘’Write on this for now, exams are close so don’t slack off.’’

Ubel nodded with bright eyes but forgot he also had no pen. Though as he created one with his Qi and started to copy the things on the board, he heard a dull crashing sound behind.

‘’Is there any problem, Kowalski?’’ Teacher asked.

‘’No sir, not at all. I dropped my notebook.’’

‘’I don’t want another one.’’

‘’Definitely sir.’’ After the instructor got back to his work, Ubel felt the boy, Kowalski, tug his sleeve again.

‘’Bruh, how did you do that?’’ He whispered this time. ‘’How do you write down with Qi?’’

‘’Isn’t it easy? Imagine the shape of pen and let the Qi imbue itself on the paper.’’ Ubel found it easy to focus on both lesson and talking, and although surprised, felt quite good as well.

‘’It is also easier to use than normal pen. This one doesn’t hurt or sweat the palms.’’

‘’That’s amazing!’’

‘’Kowalski!’’

‘’Sorry sir!’’ Kowalski bowed and sat down again. ‘’Can we talk later about that? I want to know about it.’’

‘’...Of course.’’ Ubel found himself unable to constrain a smile. ‘’But let’s focus on the lesson for now, alright?’’

‘’Sure!’’

*********

‘’So my dear father doesn’t wish me to relent?’’

Sid sat on the greenish throne, an inch above the ground, as the lights of the autumn pierced through the stained glasses. Between his armored fingers he held a dagger and a paper in the other. Wide hall of city lord’s castle stood free of people except the two, including his advisor, and seemed hungry to a proper cleaning. Although the moss and dirt gathered above the chandelier wasn’t that easy to clean.

‘’Rather than him, Cindersnow wishes so M’lord.’’ A great man of his time, a protector of common people, and a spectacular warrior in his youth; This old man finally ended up in a castle as an advisor to the son of a emperor, as to what regrets only he knew. Yet, his voice never had been livelier than this. Sid had no idea what appealed this man to serve under him, but it had to be a good thing, he assumed.

‘’Emperor faces with two choices, either he has to abdicate the Cindersnow representatives in the court, or end the mutual workforce exchange with the sect.’’

‘’Then what does my father wishes to rely on?’’ Independence? He did not ask that aloud, the thought itself was frivolous enough.

‘’I suppose, nothing for now. Your younger sister has gathered an immense amount of support as well. Her delegation and emissary missions must have affected her, else m’lord we both know how uninterested she was in matters of administration and the rule of empire.’’

‘’We don’t even rule, Cole.’’ Sid rebuked, then tapped on his throne ‘’We only stand on these stones and gems’ compilation of chairs and pedestals, then shout We are your masters! To the masses. Even lineage or succession is irrelevant now, sect has all right to decide on who precedes whom.’’

‘’You are right, m’lord but you’re not fair in your judgment.’’ Cole bowed for his impudence, ‘’ I apologize, yet even the sect has some bottom lines they have to abide. Turmoil and grievances are two tumours for the vassal-kingdom-sect system.’’

‘’Puppets or dead don’t hold hatred, Cole.’’ Sid sighed, ‘’Stand up, I don’t want to talk about this anymore.’’

‘’What should we do about the matter then?’’ Cole inquired as he straightened his rag like robe.

‘’State College’s and south mines’ workforce only arrived, the diplomatic strain of removing them would be too strong to defend against. As for the court...you can send that bald fool back to his researches. I’m sure he also yearns for that.’’

‘’Acknowledged, M’lord. Then I will be taking my leave.’’

‘’Go on,’’ Sid waved his hand and dismissed. After Cole left the hall, Sid looked at the dagger in his hand. It could suck the Qi of a Pathfinder dry, and even a Path establisher would have a hard time controlling it. It was not a fabled weapon, however. Many of its kind existed all around the globe. Yet, for people at the continent border it stood above the legendary.

‘’A gift, huh?’’ Of course my sister is going to gift a dagger. What else would she? She, of course, wasn’t pleased with his previous gift of her twenty-ninth birthday. Looking back into it, Sid couldn’t hold back his laughter. A pot and- and- kettle hahaha!

I'd got them to make it with blue jade though, such a pity. They had cost a fortune to him, at least two hundred spirit stones alone for materials. This is why she can’t get married. Sid stood up from the throne and snapped his fingers, but stopped right before cracks spread to the dagger’s surface. Laila loves her aunt though...our relationship shouldn’t affect her private life with her aunt.

I’ll give it as a gift from her aunt then.

Then he heard a loud booming sound blowing through the air. Like a cry for help, shrill and horrifying. What happened at the city gate? With a stomp, he rose to the air and flew through the open windows at the side of the hall. In a matter of seconds, he passed through hundreds of meters and reached about twenty meters away from the walls. Three more figures appeared at his side.

He knew one of them, the top-notch warrior and instructor at the State College, Khaltakkıran. Other two, however, he only remembered from pictures of incoming sect workforce. Two path opener, this is bad.

‘’My lord,’’ the man on the older side of spectrum called, ‘’What is that storm?’’

‘’I thought you knew about it, mister Quan?’’ Sid said and gazed at the far end of the forests beyond. Natural Qi of the world gathered around a needle sized point and surged like a whirlwind around it. Shockwaves, although they couldn’t see and could only estimate, alone had the power of several path establishers, enough to contend with a path opener. Soon, at most several days later, it would reach here.

‘’Wait, my lord don’t tell me it is the declaration?’’

‘’It is, and it is several times stronger than past years.’’ Sid muttered, then turned to look at the two. ‘’Gaobun, am I right?’’

‘’Yes, My lord.’’

‘’Can you use the Flashlight to scatter that?’’

‘’I can try, of course.’’ Gaobun stepped forward, although he was in air so it looked like he floated, and put his hands together. His qi revolved in his meridians like a surge of river and the aura of a path opener spread. His palms started to burn with a molten red fire and his eyes flashed.

He released his grip and a lava seed, size of an olive appeared. Air shattered around the seed of lava from the heat. Gaobun took one more step, raised his hand and tensed his muscles.

‘’HAH!’’

He released all flesh power inside his mortal body and threw it at the eye of storm. Blinding lights flashed in the air and a red trail of fire followed behind the seed. It flew at an astonishing speed and reached inside the storm, then exploded into a cloud of fire. But then, all four paled.

A giant face, with an aura stronger than the storm itself, appeared from the cloud of fire and swallowed all the remnant energy! Horrendous sight of the yellowish tongue and the disgusting odor that spread several kilometers gave away the creature’s identity.

A Munchur.

‘’This year’s defense...will be disastrous.’’

‘’Agreed,’’ All three said after Sid. ‘’I thought Munchurs were kings of caves and monsters of mountains, when did one started to descend on the declaration?’’

‘’This year.’’ Sid cut his words short. ‘’Khalthakkıran, I hope this years senior students have some brave among them.’’

‘’M’lord,’’ Khaltakkıran complied, ‘’They all have great hearts but not strength. We should request for a bulk of medicine to push their growths.’’

‘’Sect won’t approve of it,’’ Quan chimed in, ‘’I’m sure of it.’’

‘’Because of others, right?’’

They all stood silent. ‘’I will give my consent, but decision still lays in sect’s hand.’’

‘’I'm grateful.’’ Sid thanked Quan, then vanished. Russell also gave a slight bow, then returned back to the institute. Gaobun followed him and Quan stood alone on the sky, looking at the scattered storm through Qi vision.

Do you see, dear? Here I am, against one of those again. He took out a small notebook, gazed at it for a time like eternity then put it back in his ring.

This time, no one will be like you.