Chapter 4: Eine Entscheidung treffen

Elder Faador's POV - Two months later, overlooking the herb gardens

Rasa and her guards were on their way to her daily meetings with me. Her body had recovered, but it was still rather pale due to all the time she spent indoors. However, she had gained a healthy amount of weight and looked even better than the original Rasa.

Poor girl, she had often been sick and weak in body. I found myself wondering if maybe she was in a better place now. Living a life like hers was not really living at all.

In the new Rasa, I found a highly intelligent and knowledgeable woman who displayed all the signs of a truly old lone cultivator. She was prideful and had an aura of "I'm better than you and I know it." She had probably gained her knowledge on her own and not through a clan or other connections. Her strength and wisdom had been earned and not given.

At the same time, she was very well aware of her own circumstances. She knew that she was at our mercy and could not escape or fight with her weak body. Her Chakra core had not shown any signs of healing, and her hair had not regained any color.

Only our honor and fear of her mate were keeping her safe. However, some of our people had forgotten that a few years were nothing for cultivators like us. Their fear had weakened over the weeks, and now they behaved like frightened animals, attacking blindly and without a plan.

Their arguments were sound yet hollow. If her mate came and found her mistreated, harmed, or killed, he would go on a rampage. It might take a hundred years, maybe only a few.

I knew that Rasa's mate would come. She had such extreme trust in him that it made one jealous. So he would come, and our clan's survival might depend on how we treated a little girl with the mind of an old monster. I knew someone who was older than me when I saw one. Her eyes held an age that made me feel like a babe.

Sadly, her worldview was not much better than that of a bandit, which was also a usual trait of lone cultivators. Opportunities did not come cheap and often not without enemies.

Still, she gave when needed, and didn't hold back either, or maybe we were just like little children playing with fire for her. Her teachings had swayed many of the Elders to her side. Having a ticking time bomb wasn't so bad as long as it gave you strength before exploding.

Of course, we couldn't be sure of her true personality. Maybe she was hiding a cruel interior while being weak and without options. Maybe she would stay true to her attitude and not repay kindness with blood.

So now, three other Elders and I have been ordered to watch her closely over the last two months. We observe what she reads or does, where she goes, and in my case, how she thinks.

At first, we were not sure what to make of her teachings. They were theories we could easily confirm. For example, some herbs with special attributes can increase one's cultivation speed. It is often difficult to find the corresponding herbs for each patient.

She explained that it was the elemental Chakra components in these herbs that were beneficial for those who are naturally aligned to this kind of Chakra. If now placed correctly around a cultivator, they can increase their cultivation speed heavily. She called it a faked natural formation. Apparently, nature itself can form these formations, often multiple times stronger than what people could achieve.

A theory we could easily test with our vast gardens of different herbs. They also needed different environments, often reflecting their element. Now that we knew about elemental Chakra, my colleague and I could see so much more.

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It was as if we had been blind before and now could see silhouettes and shadows.

Other benefits were finding out our elemental alignments or training with better-suited skills. There were more benefits, just from this piece of knowledge alone. With only that, she would normally have earned her worth to become an Outer Elder within the clan.

The fear that her friend, mate, or whoever comes and goes on a rampage became also all the more real again. If she knew this, then he would also know as much, if not more. Depending on where he is right now, coming here can be easy or hard. It might take years.

So we, the clan elders, came together and talked over what to do. Killing her was out of the question. So too was putting her inside a dungeon. With this possible threat looming over us, we had to be at least hospitable.

Which made us question ourselves how much we would show or give her. Would we show her how our world works, or would we also teach her our ways and possibly gain a good impression with someone powerful?

It was decided us four would watch her and come to a conclusion on a majority vote, which we were doing right now.

“Are you sure she isn't evil? She is dangerous!” asked Elder Tatamo for the third time since we started watching Rasa on her way to our meeting.

“Dangerous? Yes, she might be beyond dangerous to our clan or even the whole empire. She has the outlook of a powerful cultivator with no roots. Some would say a Heaven's Chosen hahaha,” I couldn't stop myself from laughing at my own joke, “she will be dangerous the moment she gets out into the world, angering people who stumble into her path.”

Elder Tatamo crossed his arms and nodded in agreement. “So I'm right, and we should kill her before she can make such enemies who will target us instead of her.”

“He didn't mean it like that, you oaf!” snapped Liae, always short with her cousin. “He meant that she is a faulty war seal, ready to explode or give out any other possible painful death. Everyone who is stupid enough to go near won't have enough left to take revenge on us.”

“Still extremely dangerous,” somewhat agreed Elder Berl. He has been the neutral party all this time, giving pros and cons sometimes just to infuriate Liae and Tatamo. They stood on opposite ends, as usual.

“Yes, but already she has proven helpful. Her teachings have already benefited some of our branches and even our herb gardens,” Liae argued against. Valid points, for both of them, if not really important.

“She knows how valuable her information must be. What she told us has implications even for our beginner books. I think we should act like good hosts. She gave us information of equal value to one of our foundations. I think she can have one of them. And I'm inclined to give her the choice,” I finally said once it was clear that these were their concluding words.

“Hmm, yes, one foundation for another. It may not be of equal worth as we would like, but it still shows our sincerity in being good hosts. I, too, fear the outside danger that will follow her, yet I don't know how to prevent it other than keeping her hidden and having her disappear completely once she's found,” Elder Berl rubbed his goatee while nodding in agreement. It seemed like I convinced him, which meant...

Elder Tatamo huffed in annoyance and gave Rasa a long, paranoid look. “Okay, okay, I see where this is going. She will get her choice and keep on living in seclusion. She will not be allowed to leave the gardens. Thankfully, her abode is already connected to it.” He turned around. “I'm no longer needed here, I think?” before leaving without waiting for an answer.

“I hope she won't bring calamity over our clan, yet I trust in your judgement, friend.” Elder Berl nodded once to Elder Liae and gave me the bow of a brother. I mimicked his bow and watched him leave as well.

“Is there something else, Elder Liae?” I asked once it was apparent that she wasn't going to leave.

“Yes, I'd like to meet her directly, speak to her over Janus, and thank her personally.” Ah yes, I remembered. Her son can only cultivate during special days or during thunderstorms. According to what Rasa said, it might have something to do with elemental Chakra.

I smiled genially and waved my sleeve. “I see, then follow along. It won't do to make her wait; her body is still recovering.”

Elder Liae looked a bit shocked, and rightfully so. “Still? Hasn't it been two months? I thought she was eating refined food, supplemented by some of our better herbs.”

With a sad sigh, I hinted at the truth. “Indeed, but her circumstances are special. Our herbs are only aiding, not healing. The damage to her Chakra Core is extensive. I don't think she would survive an awakening. She will always stay at her current cultivation stage.”

Which is barely above that of a peasant.

I took a moment to remember the fragile happy child, Rasa, before moving on.

By now, the new Rasa will have arrived at our classroom. I'm interested in what choice she will make.

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