"Teach me what?" Red asked, although he had an inkling as to what the old man was referring to.

And by the looks of Hector's face, the boy's act wasn't fooling him.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about." The elder pointed at his wounded shoulder. "Busted up acupoint, swelling vein - all signs of forcefully injecting energy into your body."

The youth didn't expect the old man to so accurately guess the root of the problem, and it made him hesitate on how to answer. Fortunately for him, it seemed other people were eager to step in.

"What do you mean by that, old man?" Narcha asked from the side, staring suspiciously at Red.

Although she was the only one who spoke up, Eiwin seemed to also be interested, while Domeron had a look of realization on his face.

"It's an outdated and wasteful method to acquire a quick boost in strength for people who have yet to open their Spiritual Sea." Hector started to explain. "You need a Spirit Stone and an open wound, more preferably one that can let you touch one of your Spiritual Veins. Then, you have to force the stone into your flesh until it touches one of your acupoints, that way, the energy will flow into your body and give you a momentary increase in strength."

"That's insane." Narcha commented, her gaze becoming even more suspicious. "There's no way it can be that simple!"

"It's not." The elder continued. "You risk having the energy run out of control inside your body and making you explode internally. Not to mention, this kind of method causes extreme injuries to the chosen acupoint of insertion and permanent crippling of the vein is a likely consequence."

The boy wasn't surprised to learn this. It was, in fact, just about what he was expecting would happen from all he had learned from Viran. However, this didn't tell him regarding his own condition, but someone else was ahead of him in asking that question.

"What about him? Is he okay?" Unlike her warrior companion, Eiwin looked more worried about Red as she asked the old man.

"Oh, definitely not okay." Hector replied. "He'll live, but his shoulder acupoint is completely ruined, and that is already him getting off lightly from using this dangerous method."

Finishing his sentence, the elder turned to look at the boy again.

"Do you even know the consequences of what you did?"

"...It's better than dying." Red shrugged.

"Hah!" Hector laughed for the first time since the boy met him. "I suppose you're not wrong... But you still have not answered my first question."

He stared at the youth with a curious gaze.

"This sort of method you used was already seen as outdated when I was a kid! Now that we have digestible pills that can do the exact same thing much more efficiently and without having to cut yourself up, I haven't seen anyone talk about or use this kind of technique for decades!" The old man shook his head. "So, tell me, who taught you this?"

Red hesitated again. Eiwin was about to interject, but an ugly look from Hector was all it took to silence her before she even said anything. Seeing as he couldn't get himself out of this situation, the youth decided to answer.

"No one taught me, I just saw someone doing it and tried it myself."

He wasn't lying. Viran never specifically taught him this.

"You know what I want, kid." The elder berated him. "I have to deal with people who think they're smarter than me on a daily basis, so stop trying to act clever with me. I don't care if you saw it or someone else taught it to you, I just want to know who that person was."

Just as he thought, there was no getting himself out of this. However, the old man's display of authority didn't scare him after all he had gone through.

"I can't tell you." Red decided to be honest, just in a different way.

"...Why not?" Hector frowned, and the atmosphere around him became more threatening.

"Master Hector, is this really necess-"

Eiwin's protests were cut short by a wave of the elder's hand. A formless force pushed her back into her seat with great strength and left her looking shocked.

"You brought him to me, so this is none of your concern anymore, Eiwin!" He scolded her, anger tangible in his voice. "Don't forget your place in this Sect!"

The display of authority completely silenced the younger woman this time, and she looked at Red with a concerned look on her face.

"So, why can't you tell me again, brat?" The old man asked him once more.

'What now?'

He didn’t want to tell them about Viran. Not only would it invite more questions, but it might also expose his background as a slave in the moonstone mines. According to Viran’s words, the guards made sure nothing ever got out of the underground, so if word of it possibly got back to them, Red was truly afraid of what could happen.

The youth felt Hector's body exuding a sense of danger that made it difficult for him to move. Yet, what was this old man compared to a nest full of spiders and a dozen insectoids? Could he still kill him? Probably, but Red was truly sick of feeling intimidated. He hadn't lived through all those challenges and powerful monsters in the underground just so he could cower before powerful people on the surface

For some reason, he thought back to when they had just arrived at the courtyard, to something he had heard Narcha say. He felt like he had an appropriate response now.

"Because I don't want to tell it to you, old fart."

The elder's eyebrows twitched as his eyes widened in fury. Eiwin seemed at a loss for words and even Narcha stared at him in shock, as if seeing the boy for the first time. A silence settled over the room, while Hector looked as if he was just about to erupt like a volcano.

However, a laugh suddenly disrupted the atmosphere. The sound made the old man even angrier, and he turned in the direction of the culprit.

"You think this is funny, Domeron?" The elder asked, foaming at the mouth. "I oughta slap you two unconscious and throw you out on the street."

"We both know you would never do that, old man." The man smiled. "I'm too useful to you, and he's one of the few people in this town that dares to insult you to your face. That's reason enough for him to join our Sect!"

"Absolutely not!" Hector roared. "I am the Grand Elder, and I have the final say!"

"I never said I wanted t-" Red tried to interject.

"Quiet, you brat!" The old man interrupted him. "You think you're clever? Insulting me just because you know I won't hurt you? Well, then here's what you get for your cleverness - while I'm alive you'll never be a member of this sect!"

"That's the same thing you said about Narcha." Domeron commented with a smile on his face.

Narcha looked away in embarrassment.

"Shut up!" Hector screamed at the man. "If you like this kid so much then you may as well leave this place with him!"

"Alright." The man got up from his seat and began to walk towards the exit.

"No, wait!"

Domeron turned back with a smug grin, which only made the elder angrier.

"He's a talentless brat!" Hector complained. "We can probably pick up an orphan off the street with better prospects than him!"

"We both know that's not true, Hector." The middle-aged man shook his head. "Look at him, the boy's a survivor! He did something a lot of practitioners would probably hesitate to do in his place, all just so he could live another day. Besides, we haven't even tested any of his skills, so how can you know how useful he will be?"

"We don't need anyone else in the sect! Much less a brat like him!"

"Hector, we only have eight members."

"Not just eight members, but eight masters of their craft!"

Domeron sighed.

"Do you really want me to do this?"

"Do what?" Hector asked as his expression changed.

The man fished around his pouch and picked out a necklace with a fish's symbol, throwing it onto the table.

"I want to call for an Elder's Council meeting."

"Domeron!" Narcha and Hector screamed at the same time, their faces twisting in shock.

Eiwin looked surprised too, but her lips soon spread into a bright smile.

"First Eiwin and now you?!" The old man protested. "How are the rules of the sect something you can just play around with?! Are you planning on starting a rebellion?!"

"Stop being delusional, old fart!" The man responded. "It's been eight years since we last took in a member because no one is ever good enough for you! And now that we have a promising prospect you just want to throw him away?"

"But he could be dangerous, Mister Domeron!" Narcha interjected. "We know nothing about him or how he appeared in that forest. There is definitely something strange about him."

"So what? Did we turn away Rimold because of everything he did in the past?" Domeron asked.

"Rimold is... Different."

"Not all, Narcha. He was a risk we were all aware of when we took him in, but in the end, that risk paid off and benefitted all of us." He pointed at Red. "In comparison, this boy is much less of a gamble."

Despite all of that, Narcha still didn't look any more convinced, and the man simply shook his head in disappointment.

"It's okay if you don't agree. This is what the council is for."

"You only have Eiwin with you. There's no way you can win with just her vote." The warrior pointed at her companion.

"I also have Allen." Domeron smirked.

"You- Why do we even give a vote to that brat?!" Narcha complained in anger. "That's still only three votes. Hector's vote counts for two and with mine on top we have three already. There's no way the others will support you!"

"Really?" He continued to smile. "I can't vouch for Rimold, but what about Rog and Goulth?"

"Why would they want that brat to join us?" The woman didn't seem convinced.

"Wasn't Rog the one complaining about wanting someone to help him with hunting? Wasn't Goulth the one begging Hector for an actual disciple for years?"

Narcha froze, realizing her situation.

"I never agr-" Red tried to speak up again, but the man talked over him.

"That's five votes against three, dear Narcha, and I'm sure I could convince Rimold too."

Domeron seemed to have finished the argument before it even started, and the woman was at a loss for words. She looked at Hector, searching for support in him, but the elder's face was sober with recognition. The old man had already figured out the situation before Domeron even started to explain it to Narcha.

"...Why are you doing this?" Hector asked.

"Because you're too stubborn for your own good, Hector." The man responded. "Do you want to regale us with the story about how you ended up here in the first place?"

"Enough!" The old man waved his hand in defeat. "I get your point."

"Master Hector-" Narcha was about to complain, but she was interrupted with a stern look from the man.

She could only sit down in frustration, while Eiwin looked at her with a bright smile on her face. Red, during all of this, was still standing up behind the elder, having no idea about what to think or do. Hector, however, turned around to him.

"It seems you have quite a few supporters, little bastard." He said through gritted teeth. "If it was up to me, I'd have already kicked you to the streets."

The youth just stared back in silence.

"Don't get it confused, though. Once you join the sect, you'll also have to pay your due respects to me or you will be punished!" The old man continued. "You will have duties, obligations towards the Sect and its members that you will need to see through! You have to defend the Sect with your life! Do you understand?!"

Red hesitated, and Hector began to get angry again.

"What is it now?!" He bellowed. "Out with it, but be aware that if you insult me again I won't let you get away with just a warning!"

"What's this Sect thing?" The boy asked.

"What do you mean?" The elder frowned.

"I thought this was supposed to be a Guild."

A lightning-quick slap hit him on the side of the head.

"IT'S NOT A GUILD YOU BRAT!"