Commander Robert Balo ran through the clan grounds without sparing a single glance to anything else. There was only one goal in his mind. Relay the news to the head.

Robert was a stout man and a member of the clan’s private army which was formed by the clan head some hundred years ago when the clan had too much money to spend. In fact, he held the highest position there, and so wherever he went in the clan, admiration and gasps followed. So for him, a man who was looked up to as much as that, to be running like this, merely to relay news to the clan head, was a bit degrading in his opinion.

On the other hand, if the news that he had received weren’t told to the clan head before the clan head himself received them, then that would implicate more trouble than commander Robert Balo wanted to have.

“Let me in,” he said to the guards as he arrived outside the palace. “I need to speak with the clan head. It’s very urgent!”

“Y-yes, sir commander!!” the guards opened up as quickly as they could. The orders of a commander were absolute.

As Robert came in, he immediately bowed down on one knee and paid his respect. “Clan head!”

A silence overhung the inside of the palace and Robert instantly felt something was wrong.

“M-my lord?” he asked slowly and looked up, only to find the clan head in his chair, surrounded by several other people. These people were all very well-dressed and the clan head didn’t treat them any less than he would treat big shots from the capital. And needless to say, for him to treat them like this meant that they were no less important than himself.

John Balo’s eyebrow twitched. He was over 300 years old and one of the most powerful cultivators in the kingdom, being a very valuable asset to every faction striving for the throne. It was very rare to see him angry or upset, not to mention today, when all the powerful clan heads in the kingdom had come to celebrate his second son’s advancement to Energy Solidification.

“M-my lord, I d-didn’t know y–”

John forced smile. “Gentlemen, this is the commander of the Balo Private Army. Robert Balo.” the middle aged looking man told the people in the room. “And it seems I must excuse myself for a moment. I hope you don’t mind.”

One of the people stepped forward with a smile on her face.

The woman was strikingly beautiful, and yet, probably older than even john himself. She had silver hair – like the moon – full lips, and two pair of brilliant, blue eyes that were unfathomable to guess even though eyes themselves are said to be the gate to the soul.

“Madam Alsana,” John said lightly.

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She had come from the kingdom of Dalania and it had taken but 50 years for her to become one of the strongest forces here in the kingdom of Kalamora. Out of everyone here, she was the one John feared the most. Not only was her cultivation above his, making it impossible for him to see though what stage and realm she had reached, but she was also incredibly good with business. While his clan focused on alchemy, her clan, the Geovia clan, was the top producer of enchantments, taking on all from cheap to expensive tasks.

“No problem -- we can wait.” she said again. “One’s clan always goes first. I’m sure the others can agree with that.”

The other clan heads nodded.

"Thank you then, madam Alsana.” John replied and turned to the others. “I will be back in a moment, friends.”

John cleared his throat and walked out of the palace hall with Robert in his company. As they came outside, the middle-aged man spun his eyes in robert’s. He clearly wasn’t happy to be interrupted.

“Sorry, my lord. It’s just that I received urgent news.” Robert explained. His large body but ashamed posture made him look rather comical.

“And what can be so important that you barge into my room when I have very, very important guests?”

“Well, my lord, It’s your son”

“Which one?”

“Your 53rd, my lord.”

“Hm, what about him? Has anything happened?

“Well, news about him is all over the capital, my lord.” said the commander. “It turns out he concocted a foundation pill of the master quality with absolutely zero impurities. Master Jack Bane from the Alchemy association valued it to be worth hundred times the price of a normal one. I just received the news myself but it’s already spread like wildfire.”

“What did you say?!” John’s breath became ragged and his eyes almost escaped from their sockets. The old clan head had traveled across the world in his younger days and had now settled down as a powerful force to be reckoned with in the world, and yet, had never heard of a foundation pill, the most basic of pills, having zero impurities. “Are you serious?” he asked. “Did that kid really concoct a pill that unprecedented?”

“Yes, and with all due respect my lord, he’s over eighty years old.” Robert laughed. “He’s not a kid anymore.”

“I know, but still,” John shook his head and sighed. “I never expected him to be this talented in the area of alchemy. I sent him down to one of our refineries all those years ago so that he wouldn’t have to compete with his brothers and feel dejected after losing because of his meagre talent. Instead I wanted him to live a good life. But now it seems I truly did misjudge him.

“It’s not your fault, my lord.” Robert said. “All flowers don't bloom at the same time. Some buds take longer than others and some don’t bloom at all. Actually, it could very well be a fluke. Maybe he was just lucy with the concoction.”

John was silent for a moment. And then he said. “Lucky or not, we must send him or congratulations. He’s my son after all. How about it, send down an invitation for the clan gathering scheduled next month. Tell him that we will supply all materials needed if he can mass produce the pill. Well, as long as he agrees to split the profit fifty-fifty later on.”

“Very well, my lord.” Robert said. “I will go there and speak with him myself.”

John nodded and said. “Yes but make sure to treat him as an equal. He might harbor a bad impression of the clan and me for sending him down to the refinery all those years ago, so it could prove hard to talk him over at first.”

“I will not disappoint you, my lord.”

“I know. You never do.”

“By the way,” John began as Robert was on the verge leaving the palace. “haven’t I told you to call me by my name when we speak in private? You know how I hate all these extravagant titles.”

“No can do, my lord.” said robert, smiling as his figure left the hallway.

“Bastard,” cursed the clan head smilingly as he saw his subordinate tell him off and then leave without waiting for a reply.