There was no way in which the Cloudborn Family was inferior to the Seaborn, no way apart from the prodigy that was Paladin Lu. Yet that was enough to open an unbridgeable gap between them.

The millennium talent whose bloodline had regressed back to the Undying Lord himself had fallen into the lap of the Seaborn Family.

How could Yoren feel resigned under such circumstances?

How could he feel comfortable when a different family had been selected to rise?

The Cloudborns had struggled for generations, fighting tooth and nail for small benefits. Meanwhile the Seaborns simply stumbled into a fortune, unrelated to their efforts. Why did the heavens fail to reward the diligent?

Of course, Yoren would never betray his feelings. Who had ever seen him complain about the nature of the world?

Such a senseless act was utterly repugnant to him. To sulk was childlike and unbecoming.

“This meeting will not be like the others,” Yoren said, his voice silky and quiet. “You can observe for now, and ask questions afterward. As you know, there are matters I cannot bring up among secular people. Do not be afraid to speak your mind and, above all, remember why you are here.”

‘Whatever that reason is.’

Yoren kept the last few words to himself.

By appearances Paladin Lu wanted Muro to apprentice himself to Yoren, but he could not take the orders seriously. The soul sense of the Totem was monitoring his every action.

Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

Who would dare to order around the ward of a Totem?

Yoren’s confusion was boundless.

From the internal movements of the Seaborn, it was clear that Muro was being groomed for family head, so why was he being sent out of the family? Wouldn’t he learn best by staying under the wing of the current head?

Surely it had been Paladin Lu’s request, but what was the meaning behind it?

Muro nodded.

“You can put the tea down,” Yoren said. “He is a servant.”

“The servants in the manor are truly innumerable,” Muro said mildly.

“Every one of them is accounted for. They have purposes, roles, and they accomplish particular tasks. That is what I found most relaxing about this trip outside. It is easy to gain a vast network of subordinates to act as your eyes and ears. Spread out across the kingdom, it is not an insignificant thing.”

“You seem more relaxed among them than with guests.”

“It is best not to treat them as people, but as an extension of your own capabilities. Directness is appropriate, which is why I dispense with formalities.”

Among the rules that Yoren had impressed upon Muro was that etiquette was reserved for peers and guests. This fostered a sense of closeness within the house, while showing proper respect to those outside of it.

Yoren had also impressed upon him the importance of appearances, the insubstantial elements that could mislead. Every small detail contributed to a deceiving picture.

Muro let the tea tray rest on the blackwood centerpiece table.

Although he was accustomed to luxuries, the tea had been the one detail that had truly surprised him.

It was Six Desires Tea, a delicacy even by sect standards. Who would have thought that it would be used to entertain mortals?

If he had not seen the circumstances in the Cloudborn Manor for himself, he would not quite have believed it.

Was it really necessary to treat others with such expensive tea, or was it all part of some grander effect, promoting an invisible benefit that he could not perceive?

The incompatible details in the manor were jarring. It reminded him of the last words his brother had spoken to him.

‘The Cloudborn are not like other Totem families.’