I stared down at the still bowing twins, unsure what to make of them. I was still rattled from the woman’s attack on me earlier. Though, she did have a point. I was careless. If she meant to kill me, I would have been dead already. Still, that didn’t mean I enjoyed being toyed with. Just remembering her actions after immobilizing me sent shivers down my spine.

“Must it be you two?” I asked. “Your sister crossed the line earlier. I don’t know if I can trust her; or you for that matter.”

Elliot’s jaw clenched when he heard this.

“I understand, Young Master.” he said. “If you wish, I can speak with Young Mistress Sidra and have someone else take our place as your personal servants.”

“Is that really necessary, young master?” Ellen asked, glancing up at me from her current position. “I was just trying to help educate you. After all, experience is the best teacher. I attacked you, yes, but I did so with the best of intentions.”

I narrowed my eyes at her and rubbed my chest.

“And after?” I demanded. “I doubt you had the best of intentions then.”

Ellen took a moment before responding.

“Well, no,” she admitted. “That was for my own gratification.” She shrugged. “I am a young spirit beast in the prime of her life and you’re quite the handsome fellow. Any woman in my position would have done the same thing.”

“Ellen.” Elliot said, a warning in his tone.

“What? It’s true.”

I slashed through the air, interrupting their conversation before it could devolve into bickering.

“You two are spirit beasts?” I asked. “I thought you were beastkin.”

It was clear from their appearances that they were pure human.

“Before we answer that, young master,” Ellen said. “May we stand up straight? I find it difficult to converse with you from this position.”

“Ellen! Enough with your insolence.”

“No, no.” I said. “She’s right. I’ve been inconsiderate of you two. You may rise.”

The snake twins stood up straight. Now that I took a good look at them, they were both inhuman beauties, including Elliot. I suppose this was because of their natures as spirit beasts.

“Follow me to the dining room.” I said. “I’ll prepare some spirit tea for us.”

The twins looked panicked at this.

“Oh no,” Ellen said. “We couldn’t let you do that. Let me prepare the tea. It is part of my duties as one of your personal servants, however long that might last.”

I eyed her with suspicion. What if she did something to the tea?

“I swear, I won’t do anything strange or untoward with the tea.” Ellen said, as if reading my mind.

I took a moment, before responding.

“Fine,” I said. “I’ll trust you this time.”

Elliot and I headed towards the dining room while Ellen made her way towards the kitchen.

“While we wait, shall I activate the defensive arrays around your estate?” Elliot asked. “They’ll also ensure that no one can spy on our conversation.”

Oh. I hadn’t considered that. Unless we took the right precautions, those with strong enough spirit sense could eavesdrop on our conversation from miles away. Hmm, maybe Ellen had a point. I was too lax when it came to my security and safety.

“Good ahead and do that.” I said. “I’m not familiar with arrays at all, so I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”

Once again, I made a mental note to rectify my ignorance. The less I had to rely on others for everything, the better. If nothing else, if I ever found myself in a situation where I needed knowledge of arrays or alchemy, I didn’t want to fail just because I didn’t take the time necessary to learn.

Elliot nodded and headed off. I sat at the table while I waited for the snake twins to return. Ellen arrived first, carrying a tray with a pot of tea and some snacks on it. My stomach rumbled. It seemed that whatever kept my hunger at bay had ended. I felt a change in the air as a series of arrays sprang to life around my estate. Moments later, Elliot returned to the dining room.

I reached for the tea and snacks, but then I noticed that the twins remained standing.

“What are you doing?” I asked. “Sit down. Join me.”

They shook their heads.

“As your servants, it would be inappropriate for us to sit at the same table as you, Young Master.” Elliot said.

I let out an exasperated sigh.

“I came here so we could continue our conversation.” I said. “There’s no need to be so formal.”

The twins shook their heads once again.

“We can wait until you finish, Young Master.” Ellen said.

“I’m not used to being treated like a young master, I’m fine if you act informal with me.” I said. “Consider that a standing order.”

Elliot’s expression grew strained.

“Young Master-…” he started to say, but Ellen touched his arm and interrupted him.

“My brother is worried about how it would look if a pair of servants treated their master as an equal.” she said. “There are certain lines we cannot, and should not, cross. So when we’re in public, we must treat you formally. However, we can be informal with you when we’re in private, if that is what you wish.”

After she finished speaking, Ellen gave her brother a meaningful look. Elliot held her gaze for a moment, before he sighed.

“Fine,” he said. “Very well.”

“Good.” I said. “Now sit down and eat.”

The twins sat down and joined me. I reached towards the tea and snacks again, but paused. Right. I almost forgot about my habit of moaning when I ate delicious food. Well, if these two were going to be my personal servants, I might as well get used to eating around them. Even if they weren’t, which was still a possibility, I needed to get over my embarrassment. There wasn’t anything I could do about my habit, so I might as well embrace it.

When I ate one of the snacks, I closed my eyes and let out a loud moan. It was one of the best things I had ever eaten in my entire life. Even the food I ate during the feast a few weeks ago couldn’t compare. How could anything taste this good, let alone a mere snack? Was Ellen a spirit chef? That was the only explanation I could think of.

I opened my eyes to find the snake twins staring at me. Elliot wore an incredulous expression, while Ellen’s eyes gleamed with joy.

“I’m glad to see that you enjoy my cooking, Young Master.” she said with mirth in her voice. “Though, I don’t think anyone has ever enjoyed it to this degree before.”

I coughed to cover up my embarrassment.

“Eating delicious food provokes certain…reactions from me.” I said. “It’s involuntary. I can’t help myself.”

Ellen grinned at me.

“Well then.” she said in a suggestive tone. “I’ll need to continue my studies in spirit cooking so I can provoke even more reactions from you, young master.”

Elliot let out a resigned sigh.

“Sister,” he said. “Please watch your words. We don’t want the young master to misunderstand your intentions.”

“Oh, there are no misunderstandings here. I meant what I said.”

Elliot shot her a glare.

“What?” Ellen said. “We belong to Young Master Darian. We are his, however he wants us.” She nodded to her brother. “You should prepare yourself, just in case his tastes run towards men.”

Elliot paused and looked thoughtful.

“Hmm, you make a compelling point.”

I stared at the two of them, baffled.

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“What do you mean, you belong to me?” I asked.

Ellen raised an eyebrow at me.

“I mean exactly that, Young Master.” she said. “We are yours, in all meanings of the word.”

“Though, perhaps I should provide you with some context, Young Master.” Elliot said. “So that you have a better understanding of the situation.”

“Please do.” I said.

The idea of owning someone didn’t sit right with me. That wasn’t servitude, that was slavery.

“My sister and I come from a family of Divine Vitality Serpents.” Elliot began.

I sucked in a breath at that. Divine Vitality Serpents were a rare kind of spirit beast. While they were just Rank One, they were highly sought after for one reason: their body parts were key components in certain life-extending pills.

The pursuit of immortality was a difficult and arduous journey. Most cultivators died of old age without ever coming close to succeeding. Those nearing the end of their time often sought any and all means to extend their lifespans. Pills were one such solution to this problem. Sometimes, a few more years were the difference between dying of old age and reaching the next large realm.

As a result, Divine Vitality Serpents had been hunted to near extinction by cultivators who were desperate to live just a bit longer. This made their body parts, and the pills made from said body parts, rare and expensive. I didn’t know how expensive, but they were worth at least several hundred, if not several thousand, spirits stones.

“Unlike most other spirit beasts,” Elliot continued. “Everyone in our family has the ability to take on human form from birth. This allowed us to hide our true nature from those hunting us, at least to a certain degree. Most mistook us for beastkin.”

I nodded. That made sense. It was common for spirit beasts to achieve or be born with human level intelligence. However, it was less common for spirits beasts to be able to take on human form. There were several ways they could achieve this, such as reaching a certain level of cultivation, eating certain pills and natural treasures, or using certain techniques. Being able to take on a human form from birth was rare.

“However, a group of cultivators found out about us and tried to capture us.” Ellen said, picking up the story thread. “We fled, but they pursued us. No matter how far we ran, they were always on our tail. They picked us off one by one, until only a few of us remained.” She paused. “When we had lost all hope, she came to our rescue.”

“Your mother, Nova.” Elliot said. “She saved us and took us in under her protection. In exchange, we swore ourselves to Nova and her descendants. Ever since then, our family has served yours.”

My eyes widened when I heard this. Everything I had learned about my mother up to this point painted a rather interesting picture of her. She seemed to be a terrifying demon, full of rage and destruction. Finding out that she saved a family of spirit beasts who were being hunted down placed her in a new light in my eyes. Even if she did so for selfish reasons or for her own gain, she still helped them out. That counted for something.

“I see,” I said. “Still, regardless of what my mother did for your family, you do not belong to me. You belong to yourselves. I don’t own you. Not now, not ever.”

The twins stared at me in disbelief, before Ellen covered her mouth and chuckled.

“I see what Young Mistress Sidra meant when she called you kind.” she said. “You are correct, young master. You don’t own us. We are people, not objects. However, we still belong to you. We are your people, now and forever more.” She gestured to me. “While some may see this in a negative light, that couldn’t be further from the truth.”

“Our family owes your mother a debt that we could never repay,” Elliot said. “To serve one of her children is an honor.”

I snorted at that.

“Some honor.” I said. “You two are late Foundation Establishment cultivators. I’m much weaker than you are. If I weren’t my mother’s son, there is no way I would have cultivators of your caliber as my personal servants.”

“But you are your mother’s son.” Ellen pointed out. “Call it luck or fate, it doesn’t matter. You are Nova’s son, and we are sworn to serve you however you see fit.”

I sighed.

“Even so, I still feel uncomfortable with this whole situation.” I said. “I’m not used to…” I gestured to the estate. “…All this.”

Elliot nodded.

“We are aware of your situation.” he said. “Young Mistress Sidra informed us. In fact, that was part of the reason why she picked us to be your servants. We are the closest in age to you and we are the weakest among our family. Everyone else is much more powerful. Young Mistress Sidra thought you would be more comfortable with us, since we’re closer to your level.”

I hadn’t realized that Sidra had put that much thought into the matter. I had assumed she picked these two at random. It turned out that my eldest sister was much more thoughtful than I gave her credit for.

“If you are still having difficulty accepting us as your personal servants, Young Master,” Ellen said. “Consider it from this perspective. If you reject us, we will have to go back to our family as dishonorable failures. Everyone will assume that you didn’t want us because we were lacking in some way. We would have to live with that stigma for years, maybe even decades. You wouldn’t want to do that to us, would you?”

I narrowed my eyes at her.

“You’re trying to manipulate me by tugging on my heartstrings.” I said. It wasn’t a question.

“Yes.” Ellen stated. “However, that doesn’t mean I’m wrong. If you send us away, our family will place the blame on us.”

“While I don’t agree with her methods,” Elliot said, giving his sister a sideways glance. “Ellen speaks the truth.”

I sighed.

“Be that as it may,” I said. “I still feel uncomfortable about it. It feels as if I am taking advantage of you.”

Elliot tilted his head.

“You really aren’t like your sisters.” he said. “They accepted our family’s service without hesitation. In fact, that is how most cultivators would react.”

Ellen placed an elbow on the table and rested her chin on her hand.

“I find it endearing.” she said. “You really are adorable, Young Master.” She smiled at me. “However, let me clarify a few things. You aren’t taking advantage of us. We want this. As my brother said earlier, serving one of Nova’s children is an honor.” She nodded at me. “The nature of that service depends on you. If you want, we can be nothing more than your bodyguards and housekeepers.” She paused. “Though given your family’s tendency towards violence, perhaps I should add sparring partners to that list.”

Huh. I hadn’t thought of it like that. When she put it that way, having these two as my personal servants didn’t sound bad at all. Now I felt silly for making such a big fuss over nothing. Why did I do that again?

“Of course,” Ellen continued. “If you wish for one or both of us to warm your bed at night, we won’t object. In fact, I’m hoping you do.”

Oh right. That was why.

“Ellen.” Elliot said, sounding resigned.

“What? I’m letting Young Master know that the option is there. If he doesn’t take it, that’s his choice. However, he should at least know about it.”

“Thank you, but no,” I said. “That will never happen.”

Ellen gave me a knowing smile.

“We shall see.” she said.

“Does this mean that you accept us as your personal servants, Young Master?” Elliot asked.

I sighed, before nodding.

“Yes.” I said. I gestured to Ellen. “She succeeded in evoking my sympathy.” I shook my head. “Besides, the world of cultivation is dangerous. I would be a fool not to use every advantage available to me.”

Elliot smiled and Ellen let out a cheer.

“Oh, thank you, Young Master,” she said. “You won’t regret this.”

“Make sure that I don’t.” I said, giving her a hard look. “Try anything licentious with me again, and I’ll send you away and keep your brother. Understood?”

Elliot looked smug, while Ellen pouted.

“You’re no fun, Young Master.” she said.

I scoffed.

“I’m plenty of fun.” I said. “You’re the abnormal one.”

Though, I wasn’t sure how true that statement was. For most of my life, I spent much of my time training and practicing martial arts. After Astra rescued me from Mt. Wind Dance, I focused on cultivating. The only hobby I had was drinking, unless sparring counted. Actually, knowing my family, it did. So, my hobbies included drinking and fighting. I guess I was my mother’s son.

I looked out the window to gauge the time, not that it did me much good. The black clouds that blotted out the sun continued raging in the skies above, silent in their fury.

“Do you know what time it is?” I asked. “Without the sun, I have no way of knowing.”

“It is late afternoon, Young Master,” Elliot said, pulling out a disc. “This magic treasure allows one to tell the time, even when the sun isn’t visible.”

I studied the magic treasure. One half depicted a glowing yellow dot of light against a light blue background, which I assumed represented the sun. From its current position, it was late afternoon, as Elliot said.

“It’s too late to go anywhere.” I muttered to myself, before looking at the twins. “Since that’s the case, do you want to spar?”

The twins glanced at each other, amused expressions on both of their faces, before looking back at me.

“Of course, Young Master.” Elliot said.

“Your wish is our command.” Ellen said, her tone suggestive.

“Great! Let’s go.” I said, ignoring Ellen.

----------------------------------------

Sparring with the snake twins turned out to be an interesting experience. Both of them practiced fighting styles that were part of a school of fighting styles called the Elemental Serpent fighting styles. Each style drew inspiration from one of the five elements.

Ellen practiced the Flowing Serpent fighting style, which focused on using deflecting and redirecting an opponent's blows rather than blocking or parrying them directly, while slowly whittling away at their strength. Elliot practiced the Grasping Serpent fighting style, which focused on grappling and immobilizing one’s opponents, before crushing them.

What I found interesting was how both of these fighting styles seemed to counter the Frenzied Fiend fighting style, which focused on overwhelming and brutal aggression. When I sparred with the twins, I found it difficult to land a blow on Ellen, no matter how hard I tried. Even using mystic arts didn’t work because she just conjured Water to put out my Fire. The match took some time to finish, but Ellen won in the end.

As for Elliot, I found it easier to deal with him. He kept putting me in holds that made it difficult to utilize my strength. I managed to singe him a bit with my fire, but he conjured Earth to smother my Fire.

Even if the snake twins weren’t an entire large realm above me, I would have found it difficult to deal with them.

“Our family has had difficulties with the disciples of Flame Fiend Hall, since we’re servants rather than true disciples of the Dawn and Dusk Sect,” Elliot explained when I asked him about it. “Mistress Nova helped us develop these two fighting styles to deal with them. However, my sister and I are the only practitioners of these styles.”

“And my eldest sister sent you to me as my personal servants.” I said.

Elliot gave me a wide smile, so much so that his eyes looked like crescent moons.

“Indeed, Young Master.”

The message behind that was simple, my eldest sister anticipated that I might face trouble from the other disciples of Flame Fiend Hall. Why? Actually, I think I knew the answer to that. Flame Fiend Hall was full of martial idiots, myself included. It wasn’t like they needed an excuse to pick a fight with me. Not only that, but I imagined there were those who would target me because of my family.

My mother and my sisters occupied high positions within Flame Fiend Hall. That was bound to stir up envy and jealousy. However, my mother and my sisters weren’t easy targets. On the other hand, I was. While my sisters could protect me, they had their own lives to live. I couldn’t rely on them forever. By assigning powerful personal servants to protect me, my eldest sister minimized the chances of something going wrong.

“Right then.” I said. “Let’s go again.”

Rather than grow upset that my personal servants practiced fighting styles that countered mine, I decided to use this as a learning opportunity. In the future, I would face opponents who would put me at a disadvantage. Sparring with the snake twins would give my experience dealing with such troublesome opponents.

“Very well.” Elliot said, taking a stance. “As you wish, Young Master.”