The next several years passed relatively peacefully. That was not to say there were no troubles, but what problems did arise were easily solvable. Conflicts with major groups were avoided, and nobody tried to assassinate anyone or annihilate a clan. At least, not in regards to anyone from the alliance the Tenebach clan was a part of. It was pretty much impossible for all of the countries in the surroundings to have every clan and sect remain peaceful for years at a time. That just wasn’t how things worked- though some cultivator conflicts took long periods of time to come to blows. It took time and resources to raise capable combatants, and nobody could afford to lose too many.

In the span of a decade and a half, Marble County had gone from having no Consolidated Soul Phase cultivators to more than a handful, all concentrated in the Order of the Amber Heart and the Tenebach clan. That included Aydan, who had managed to recover the damage thanks to the spiritual healing pill, though it took some time to recover the portion of his cultivation that was lost and make the breakthrough despite him having previously been on the very cusp of advancement.

They weren’t the only ones to significantly gain in Consolidated Soul Phase cultivators. It was rare to have one group or larger alliance be the only one experiencing growth during a period, and current times were no exception. Other factions were growing in strength as well, while others declined. It was part of the normal process, though there were some expectations of a maximum cultivation in a given area. The entire region was limited in how much spiritual energy it had and that affected the other cultivation resources as well, limiting growth. Since the availability of such things was what generated wealth, it was also impossible to simply buy more resources from somewhere else, at least on a large scale.

The region wasn’t poor in spiritual energy- though Astrein was considered to be that way, given the way the elements mixed there- but the levels weren’t high enough to have them be considered as higher tier countries. Just a few countries away Ascending Soul Phase cultivators could be found in moderate amounts, though they were by no means common. Some places every prominent clan or sect had to have at least one. Beyond that… information was unclear. It could be exaggerated or incorrect, but the one thing that was certain was Exalted Soul Phase cultivators were rare throughout the world.

Which ultimately meant John likely wouldn’t complete his full cycle of elements. If he were to look at his chances from a vaguely objective basis, even given his unique circumstances expecting to reach the peak of cultivation was unreasonable. Given his progress so far, however, he might reasonably reach the next phase, at which point he would have completed the cycle of the four ‘common’ elements as well as the minor cycle aligned with darkness. Even his current level was beyond the expectations of his family, and he was lucky his grandfather Luctus had approved his risky cultivation plan.

At the current moment, John could feel the difficulty in advancing his cultivation further. At rank 30, he was on the threshold between early and mid Consolidated Soul Phase. Each rank could take several years now, and he knew that the next step would require significantly more effort and time. Perhaps he might advance within five to seven years, but at that point he would have to factor in something else. The empowerment ceremony for the Tenebach clan. That would come with some theoretical drop to his cultivation and others in his generation to empower those who came after. Regaining shards of Ciaritzal might help with the drawbacks, but it was unknown how much. And John couldn’t justify not involving himself in the ceremony, since he was the most attuned to Ciaritzal and would lead to the greatest success.

But that was what other plans were for. Pieces moved here and there… and an inevitable conflict with the Society of Midnight to come. They had built up allies in various places who would help in the fight, but they also needed to keep others in the Darklands out of the fight. They also had to make sure they retained enough forces to protect their own locations during such an endeavor. So it took time and thought, since they’d long missed the window for immediate counterattacks.

-----

As was generally the case, the triplets had been smaller at birth but had quickly grown to catch up with others of their age. By now they had long surpassed any effects from their birth size, since they had access to proper nutrition… and more than that spiritual energy that promoted a healthy body. John looked at his three children, who were quite unequal in current height.

Melanthina was right in the middle at a hundred and thirty centimeters. That was about average for the triplets at eight, but she would likely enter a growth spurt soon enough as puberty came about. That should be a couple years sooner for the girls, but Tirto had already pulled ahead in height somehow. He was a bit over a hundred and forty centimeters, but still very much retained his childlike features. Then there was Ursel who was a hundred and fifteen at best- though she didn’t let her size stop her from doing anything.

In fact, none of the triplets would let something like their physical proportions dictate what they could do. And for good reason. They were already at the sixth rank of the Spiritual Collection Phase at half the age that those with the privilege usually began to cultivate. Their innate attunement to specific elements allowed them to grow quickly even though they were intentionally taking their cultivation at a slower pace. The triplets didn’t necessarily like it, but they understood the dangers of pushing themselves too fast.

Unfortunately, it was difficult for them to find playmates of their own age. Their mental development had been faster than most children, and when cultivation came to be involved they just didn’t fit well with most. And as two of them were the young master or young mistress of a clan, socializing was going to be difficult regardless. All of them constantly had to have guards with them, though John and Matayal tried their best to avoid being too oppressive. They doubtless made mistakes, but regardless of advice from others this was their first time being parents. And probably the only time, since having more children would just complicate things. Ursel was already a point of difficulty, though they loved her just as much as the others.

-----

“Teach me the bouncy sword thing!” Ursel declared to Brage.

“Of course, young miss,” he inclined his head. Though some might have been taken aback at the demand, the triplets did have the authority to command the servants of the clans to some extent. And Ursel’s demand was more enthusiastic than bossy. “Follow me to the training grounds.”

Brage was feeling a bit of his age. Having trained the young master Fortkran a decade and a half earlier after his sudden turn for the better, Brage had only advanced a small handful of ranks in his cultivation. He simply didn’t have a great aptitude for growth, and without the resources the clan provided he would have not even made it as far as he was now. His skill with the sword, however, was something he could be proud of.

Teaching it to an eight year old child seemed like a risky proposition, but the clan heads had determined it was riskier not to teach the triplets. Putting a sword into the hands of a child seemed to be dangerous, but as they had been born with cultivation in a way they came equipped with a more dangerous weapon. It was riskier for them to attempt to improperly use their abilities than to learn in a controlled environment.

“Now then, young miss Ursel. What did I tell you about handling a sword?”

“Um…” she thought for a few moments. “Only swing it at people you mean to hurt!” That was a vague summary of some of the safety lessons he had taught her, but it was just like her to remember things that way.

“That’s right. Never draw steel unless you mean to fight… or if you are training with an opponent who understands proper limits. Always receive verbal acknowledgement that someone is ready in a spar before you make a move.”

“Right, that!” Ursel nodded enthusiastically. “And be aware of what is within your reach!” She stretched her sword out, beginning to turn before suddenly stopping and making sure it was sheathed properly. Then she completed a full circle. “Nothing in the way.”

In truth it wouldn’t have been dangerous for her to spin around with the blade unsheathed as long as she didn’t apply any of her spiritual energy to it, but that was a poor habit. There was always a slim chance that a servant without cultivation would be around her outside of the training area.

“Good,” Brage said. “Now, watch my movements.” He stood off to the side, checking his surroundings visually even though his senses told him everything was clear- and he’d just walked into the middle of the training area so someone would have had to sneak up. He unsheathed his sword. “Follow the flow of energy. Here is what it looks like with the sword still.” The blade wobbled up and down. “And now with the blade in motion. Watch how it impacts the ground.” His sword swung down, striking into the ground… before rebounding upwards. “Remember that if you can hit your opponent with the initial swing, it’s also a success. Now, make sure to face the proper direction before trying it yourself.”

Ursel’s first few attempts sprayed sand and dirt everywhere, with most of the energy she controlled going down instead of forcing her weapon back up. But even without further guidance she began to get the hang of it, until finally her sword bounced up so quickly she lost her grip on it. It flew through the air towards one of the guards standing nearby, who plucked it out of the air casually.

“Ahem,” Brage cleared his throat. “Perhaps we should go over proper grip once more. I understand that things aren’t perfectly sized for you at the moment, but you mustn’t neglect the fortifying spiritual energy around your hands in battle, or you will end up with a perfectly intact blade separated from your hilt. Or nothing,” he looked over towards the guard delivering the weapon.

-----

It was unfortunate that the two months a year John and Matayal got together required so much business to be done, but some things were more easily said in person.

“It’s time we begin planning for our children’s future,” Matayal said.

“I do believe we have already done much of that,” John said. “Tirto will take over the Brandle clan, Melanthina will take over the Tenebach clan… and Ursel will be apprenticed to Renato.”

“Of course,” she nodded. “But that is merely one aspect. What about their partners?”

John frowned. That was a tough subject. He knew he had been effectively betrothed to Matayal before either of them were even born, but he still wasn’t used to arranged marriages. “I am uncertain that things will work out so well for others as it did for us,” John said.

“Perhaps,” Matayal admitted, “But even if we do not arrange for their betrothals at the moment, we should at least introduce them to some prospects. We can see how they might get along. Perhaps Tirto and Emilia? He could use someone strong to support him.”

“Emilia, huh…” That was Steve and Yustina’s first daughter. In the last few years they had been quite busy, and they had a second daughter Verusha as well. “That might be appropriate,” John said. “Any alliance there would be rather long distance though.” They’d been working on faster communication, but there’s really not much way except to set up a system like the Sunfields which was not private. And the distance from the Green Sands to the Shimmering Islands wouldn’t suddenly shrink.

“Sometimes it’s more about what might be brought to bear than just what people think can quickly arrive. And it’s better than setting him up with one of the Mulyani clan where he would be giving of himself. I don’t think he would mind such an arrangement, but it’s not exactly good for the stability of the Brandle clan.”

“Right. Well, I suppose we should at least consider those options. Melanthina… would likely have to have a husband from either the Stone Conglomerate or the Shimmering Islands. I doubt we could find a worthy darkness cultivator.”

“Maybe after the situation with the Darklands changes,” Matayal nodded. “But I’m not really sure what would be good for her. Then there’s Ursel.”

The two of them simply looked at each other for a good minute. “A difficult subject, to be sure,” John finally said. “Being fully independent might be best for her, but that might not go over so well with her siblings. We don’t want to be unfair to any of them, but it simply doesn’t seem possible to treat them all the same.”

“I have the feeling she wouldn’t easily settle down with a partner we picked out regardless,” Matayal said. “But completely allowing her to go off on her own would be a loss to our clans. Yet she likely doesn’t have the same prospects of taking over the Order of the Amber Heart.”

“For one thing, Johannes seems like he’s planning to remain in his position until the end. We don’t want her to wait around until she’s a hundred years old…” John sighed. “I suppose we can’t do much about that at the moment. We’ll just have to keep this in mind.”

“Of course. Everything might change. Though giving people the chance to get used to the idea of someone in particular is also important.”

John nodded. Letting them pick on their own sounded like the nicest option, but if things went wrong their positions could weaken. Perhaps it could even lead to a split in a clan, maybe a collapse or civil war. It happened to other clans, and just because they had done well so far didn’t guarantee their future stability. Responsibility was difficult.