Everest returned to the room with the tall, meaty, giant of a man. His head and brows had been fully shaven, leaving a long majestic brown beard. His hands were covered in metal gauntlets.

“Everest said that you don’t know your own strength. I can help you figure that out. Is there somewhere outside we can do this?” The giant looked down at the boy.

“Yes, we have a field not too far off. Why do we need to leave?”

“I’d rather not accidentally tear this nice place down.” The man said.

“I see. Names Kyrion.” Kyrion introduced himself.

“You may call me Stone.” Stone said.

Kyrion led them to the place away outside the hotel to the arena that they used in the fight against Gamodren.

“This works.” Stone entered a low crouch and held out his hands for the shorter boy.

Kyrion approached and stood in front of him. “What now?”

“Punch my hands as hard as you can.”

“Are you sure?” Kyrion asked.

“Yes. Do the best you can.” Stone replied.

Kyrion punched the man in the hand, and he hardly moved.

“Pretty strong, but you aren’t using your full strength.” Stone approached the boy and showed him how to stand, that he should breathe out when he punched, and finally, he taught the boy how to put his full strength behind him.”

Kyrion tried a second time putting his body into the attack and breathing out. The idea was simple enough, but he didn’t see how much of a difference that could make.

The contact was loud, and a clashing sound echoed around the quiet area.

“Which hand are you dominant with?”

“I’m ambidex..something or other, equally bad at writing with both hands and I use them both to do stuff.”

“Punch me with your left then.” Stone waved his hand in the come-on gesture.

Kyrion repeated the process with his opposite hand. Adjusting his stance accordingly. The attack pushed Stone back slightly, though his feet still solidly lay on the ground.

“How was that?” Kyrion asked.

“You’re a little stronger with your left, though your accuracy was a bit off. Now I want you to infuse your punch with mana. Either wind or earth should work. Water is a bad fit for this test and healing me would be counterproductive in this test as well.” Stones gauntlets glowed in power as he stayed in his stance.

Knowing that it was unlikely he could injure the man, Kyrion infused his left fist with a large amount of wind mana and punched. Rocks and debris flew behind, and Stone himself had been pushed back a full foot by the blast though his body looked uninjured.

Stone grinned. “I can see why your master doesn’t want you to use that on people. A punch like that could easily kill someone without my endurance. Hell if you caught a practitioner rank unprepared and they had no physical defenses then I doubt they’d get out with anything less than a broken rib. The thing is, while you have a lot of mana to waste, attacks like that aren’t suitable for your abilities. Your strength isn’t your ace, it’s another card in your deck. Now as for strength going from the second display you could lift around five hundred pound in each hand and a little under a ton together. Quite monstrous for a teenager.”

“I’m not a teenager.”

“Don’t kid… you’re at least thirteen right?”

“No,” Kyrion said plainly. Closer inspection would say he had a look on his face that seemed a bit tired of explaining his height.

“Twelve?” Stone said, a little surprised.

“Somewhere between eight and eleven depending on if you count the amount of time I’ve spent comatose.” Kyrion tossed out

“Huh, you are quite a little monster then, strength could be an ace then if you put in the effort. Do you know how tall you’re going to be?”

“My grandfather was eight feet tall, though my mom was only around five and my dad six. My older brother was a bit taller.”

“That hair and size. You aren’t a descendant of the red bear, are you?”

“Who’s that?” Kyrion asked.

“A pirate captain that plagued the seas before settling down in Limguard. He was known for his red hair, absurd height and monstrous strength. A true bear among men.” Stone explained.

Kyrion recalled his grandfather, who seemed so gentle and kind. He then thought carefully about his interactions with the man. From the gladiator fights to the weapon shops, to the training, then the fist-sized holes in the walls he noticed from time to time.

“You know. I may have met the man. Though I’m not sure. My grandfather’s hair was mostly silver.” Kyrion dodged around the subject.

“A shame. If you’re that young and I doubt you’ve hit your growth spurt then training your body will only make you stronger in the long term. Is this enough madam?” Stone asked aloud.

“Yes you may rest now Stone. If what the boy says is true then I can see why someone would want to steal his body. Though from the looks of it his training seems to be going in another direction.” The girl descended.

Ceres eyed the girl. “She sounds like the one who was talking from the plant.”

“Talking to a plant. Just what did you do last night?”

“I made some calls… I should probably get you one or two. Must have forgotten about it.”

“So more rude people are coming?” Tiffany asked.

“Maybe just Kiara, don’t let her catch you in any trees.” Kyrion said bluntly.

“Another girl? How many girlfriends do you have?” Tiffany eyed the boy.

“Two…you forgot to separate it.” Kyrion started.

“Three. Kyrion isn’t as perceptive as he should be sometimes.” Everest interrupted.

“Ah that’s why he seemed disappointed when I turned out to be a girl. He is outnumbered.” Ceres nodded

“It was actually a fair split before he met you two.” Everest prodded.

Kyrion held his head and started counting with his fingers.

“Wait. That would mean Nico… Nah… Damian? That would be hilarious, but no. Noah is a dude. Everest, are you?

“One hundred percent pure undiluted man? Yes, yes I am.” Everest motioned to his abnormally lithe physique.

“Then it would have to be Nico. Huh Nico never told me he was a she. Well Nico never cared too much about that stuff anyways.”

“Disguises. Nothing gets past my eyes.” Everest shook his head as though that explained it all.

The girl took a moment to approach Tiffany. “I’ll be assisting you with your training. Before I taught Everest the few tricks he knew, he probably would have lost to you in a fair fight.”

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“Fair?” Tiffany asked.

“Don’t think too much about it.” The girl said, grinning.

“Kyrion, show me around, I have been quite busy you know.”

“Ok. I’ll lead the way then.” Kyrion started with the bartender he had gotten along with.

“Young Kyrion, what brings you in?” The bartender asked.

“Leading a friend of mine around.”

“This is hardly a place to take a kid.” The bartender stated.

“There is a bookstore, smithy, tailor and blacksmith. Most are locals, there isn’t anywhere to play.”

“You could play with the local kids.”

Everest looked at his friend and then the bartender. “I doubt that’s a good idea.”

“Yeah… That’s an accident waiting to happen.” Kyrion imagined playing tag with someone his age and then stopped before things got brutal.

“Kyrion, why did you bring me here?”

“His wife makes the best sandwiches I’ve ever had.” Kyrion said blankly.

“So you’re hungry.” Everest shook his head.

The bartender looked at Everest, “You don’t eat as much as he does, do you?”

“No. Though he was a lot shorter the last time I saw him eat.”

Kyrion happily sat at the bar waiting for the Kyr special, a footlong of bread cut in half. The contents changed daily. Right now, he had sausage, bacon, poached eggs, ham, hash browns, cheese, pickles, and oatmeal to thicken it.

“Is your wife really a good cook?” Everest asked.

“She does alright, if not eccentric Kyrion is a good test subject for her Avant garde ideas. Sometimes he eats the accidents. Today is a good day as you can take off the pickles, the oatmeal is to fill him up.”

“Of course. I’m surprised he hasn’t eaten this village into a famine.”

“He and his master hunt for meat to help keep him fed and he helps with the crops on the local farms. So he more than makes up for it.”

Everest watched his friend put the sandwich out of its misery. “Good to know he’s still him. The height is disturbing. He was a little tall for his age and now he’s giant.”

“We have warned the local girls, they won’t be messing with him.”

“What did you tell them?”

“The truth, that he’s nine, innocent, and doesn’t know how to hold back.”

“He can pull his punches.”

“Oh, I know. I meant Kyrion’s a troublemaker at heart. When he goes in on a plot, he goes all in. So I assume you and the other Tailors are here because there is a problem.”

“More or less, so you know what tailors do?” Everest asked.

“I’ve learned a thing or two.” The bartender cleaned a glass and watched as Kyrion finished the sandwich.

“When will the bathhouse open for customers, Kyrion?” The bartender asked.

“I was going to open it in five days but truth be told I should probably do it now and let you all enjoy it. That way you can spread the word to the guests that will be here soon.”

“Hey, if you want we could move your bar into my hotel. That way you could help run things.”

“I’d rather keep this place the way it is. It runs in my family, you know. I do thank you for your confederation. You could probably convince a few of the younger people in the village, those who won’t be inheriting their parents’ trades. You would need a lot of people to run a place like that.”

“Yes I will. Not sure what my master was planning when he gave me the blueprints.” Kyrion sighed.

“The monsters are polite enough but it will take some integration. What are you paying them by the way?”

“I pay them with nuts.” Kyrion said plainly.

“You can’t pay people with nuts. They need money to buy things. It helps the economy quite a bit.”

Kyrion rubbed his chin. “I see, are you sure you don’t want to run it while I’m away?”

“I know someone who can help you with numbers for a while. Though I’m sure his parents would rather have him go to a school for scholars when he’s old enough. School is expensive but someone with your connections could probably figure it out.” The bartender said.

“I see Everest, do you want to meet this person, go big game hunting or continue looking around.”

“You need a price for customers, so I recommend meeting with this person. His name is Jared.”

“Alright.” Kyrion paid for his meal, and the two left the tavern.

Kyrion found himself back in the bookstore. Suzen was there reading a book with a bored expression on his face.

“Oh I know her.” Everest stated absentmindedly.

“Why? Have you been here before?”

“Ah a tailor’s secret, don’t worry about it.” Everest put a finger over his lips.

“Uh-huh. You don’t have to tell me what those numbers mean. I’ll figure it out somehow.” Kyrion eyed his friend before he got bored and started looking for this Jared person. Reports say he is tall, mysterious, and awkward. So he looked through the bookstore and found only one other person here.

A lanky boy who seemed more bone than person. He was standing in front of a selection of books Kyrion decided were too complicated for himself. Gray disheveled hair tied back in a ponytail fell to his shoulders. His eyes held black bags that made him resemble a raccoon.

“Do you think this is Jared?” Everest asked his friend.

“Looks kinda plain. Very weak mana as well, why do they think he’s mysterious?”

“I don’t know. Maybe the rumors were exaggerated. Could be the hair, he should be fifteen right? That’s quite early for hair to turn gray.” Everest grinned.

“We could just have the wrong person. I heard that Jared was five-two.”

Jared seemed to cover his face with a book to hide his expression.

Kyrion looked at Everest, who nodded as they flanked him.

“So do you know this Jared person?” Kyrion asked as he raised the book that the older boy was holding.

“T-thats me.” He said shyly.

“Listen. I have a job opportunity for you. You know that hotel that was just built?”

“Y-yes.”

“Do you know that I built it?”

The boy seemed shocked. “N-no I didn’t.”

“Well I did, and I need someone good with numbers to help me set prices and pay my workers. We may also need to recruit some more people as well. I have it on good authority that you’d be a great manager. If you do a good enough job then I’m sure Mr.Belfour would be happy to sponsor your schooling and if not then you’d be able to save a good amount of money if you so wish.” Kyrion said to the older boy.

“It would also make you really popular, I’m sure the girls will come running to work at the hotel with you.”

“Everest? What are you planning?” Kyrion looked at his friend, who had gone off the books.

“I do like ladies….” The young teenage boy said.

Kyrion’s jaw dropped as he saw the boy blush. “Are you ok?”

“He’s fine Kyrion.” Everest grinned.

“I’m in.” Jared said.

“What?” Kyrion raised an eyebrow.

“I said I’m in.” Jared said.

“Huh. I do not understand what just happened, but great, happy to have you onboard.”

“Makeover time.” Everest said.

This time both Kyrion and Jared were lost as they found themselves back in the hotel with Kyrion locked out of the room. While Everest laughed maniacally on the inside. After around thirty minutes of waiting, Everest presented his work.

Jared was dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, his gray hair cut short and combed, and a pair of white gloves decorated his hands. His tired eyes and complexion still made him look half dead, however.

“That should work before he tries out the beautifying water that you claim to have.” Everest said smugly.

“Mind making me some clothes like that?” Kyrion asked.

“I’ll make you some training clothes but that’s it. You grow too quickly for me to guess how big you’re going to be.” Everest said plainly.

“Let me guess they stretch quite a bit and are durable?”

“More or less. Isn’t that what you want?” Everest eyed his friend.

Kyrion thought about it, hand on his chin. “Yes, I would actually.”

“Good to know.” Everest grinned.

The rest of the day was spent teaching Jared about his new position and current gremlin coworkers.

The tailors and new workers were allowed to use the communal bath that night. Mana contracts had to be signed to prevent guests from doing anything unscrupulous in the bath. Kyrion didn’t understand why, but his master recommended that course of action.

Jared, having been cleansed, looked inhuman. His gray hair now shined with the luster of silver, and his skin was cleansed of all blemishes. The local girls wanted him, and the local boys wanted to be with him. After a single bath in the magical springs, that much change to your appearance was enough to make it an overnight sensation. It was a good thing that Jared had the potential to pull off such a metamorphosis. He had a feeling that the bartender was well aware of this.

Kyrion did not bathe with the others. He wanted to go last so that he could monitor the purification properties of the water before having his workers begin cleaning.

He met the tailor lady he saw earlier upon leaving the bath and eyed her with suspicion.

“That bath was amazing. Who should I thank for such an experience?” She asked.

“Probably Everest, and his teacher.” Kyrion did not like the feeling in his head. As though something was trying to plant ideas into his head.

“I see.” The woman’s eyes seemed to close.

“Would you mind not doing that thing with your magic?” Kyrion stated.

“Oh, sorry if I made things awkward. I just...” She started to say.

“Aria, he’s nine and more innocent than a newborn. What are you trying to do with him?” Everest appeared from behind the women.

Aria seemed to pause for a moment before responding. “Like hell he’s nine, do you see him?”

“He’s a friend of mine from the Academy where the oldest graduates could be eleven. When he hit rank four I assume it started a mana fueled growth spurt.”

“So you’re saying I almost flirted with a baby.” Aria began to turn redder than a strawberry.

“A baby half your age. Now you can’t use ignorance as a defense. Keep your distance.” Everest told her.

Aria flushed and quickly went to her room in the hotel. Everest walked back to his friend.

“You didn’t have to help me. But thanks anyway.” Kyrion told his friend.

“She was unaware of your age, which is our fault. Looks like my master is purposely leaving out information. She thought you were her age.”

“I miss being short. How old was she?” Kyrion muttered.

“Sixteen.” Everest stated.

“That’s old.” Kyrion replied.

“Dude. That is the opposite of old, what is with your perception of time?” Everest looked at his friend in confusion.

“It’s two whole digits,” Kyrion said wide-eyed.

“Kyrion when you hit ten are you going to be considered an old man in your book?” Everest was watching Kyrion for any signs of deceit.

Kyrion tapped his chin. “Yes.”

Everest burst out laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Kyrion was actually confused for once.

“If ten is old then what’s twenty?”

“Very old.” Kyrion responded.

“And forty?” Everest asked.

“Super old.” Kyrion was dead serious.

“Eighty?” Everest raised an eyebrow.

“People can live that long?” Kyrion’s eyes widened.

“Yes.” He said plainly.

“Maybe I need to push the old scale up a bit. How long do spirit masters live?”

“They say experts can count their age in centuries.” Everest stated.

“That is confusing.” Kyrion responded.

“So twenty isn’t old at all, if people live that long. It just feels like it’s long.”