Arrival (2)

"... So, Sir, I was wondering if you were going to take... uhm, measures?" After a long evening, the last small fish organization leader sat before Heian Ciemnosc and Empress Shuna as if he were a parent whose kid was troublesome on the first day of their first time at school. They were sitting on lavish chairs, and those who sat before them had to sit on their own chairs, brought from their Covert Space bags or made from energy. Nobody dared stand before both the Academy's assigned supervisor and the leader whose territory they were in.

Although one of them wasn’t enough to scare them if they joined each other, Heian Ciemnosc had just arrived, and Empress Shuna had never made an aggressive move on her part when put together. No small fish dared bait anything from them. Even if their safety was guaranteed by who knew who. Heian Ciemnosc looked at the last person they were ‘interviewing’ casually, even in a lackadaisical demeanor, as his eyes darted around until they set on the cultivator’s face.

“I’m already taking them, can’t you see? You’re free to go,” Heian Ciemnosc calmly said. The cultivator sitting before them inadvertently changed his face, and he felt like he had just stepped on shit. Frowning for a few seconds, he then stood up, bowed, smiled, and turned around before walking out of the concealment array formation. “Well then, I won’t ke- keep you company any longer, ha- have a nice night, aha…”

Step, step, step, step, step…

“...” - “Hmf~.” Watching the last organization leader’s back disappear, exiting the Central Building, Empress Shuna’s calm, slightly indifferent eyes looked at Heian Ciemnosc’s face, and he looked back at her with a satisfactory grin. After an exchange of stares, Empress Shuna slowly blinked and broke the silence. “I must admit, Sir. Your intentions were clear, and you didn’t even hide it, but… How did you do that? How were you capable of reading through them? Was it nature reading?”

“Oh, haha, nah. Just from their smell,” Heian Ciemnosc superficially chuckled and said. He placed his arms above the chair’s armrest and relaxed his back before adding, “If I had to use nature reading for each individual we went through, I would be bored and annoyed to death. I just had to differentiate them and put them together… Like a detective game, I suppose.”

“Then… who was the… smelliest?” Empress Shuna asked after a bit of awkwardness. Heian Ciemnosc looked at her, twisting his neck. She nearly lowered her head in embarrassment. But she kept her head up, confronting him face to face. Heian Ciemnosc grinned widely, showing his pearly white canines before answering. “The second smelliest of them was one from those I didn’t invite… They were called… oh, the Blue Stareye Clan. Those ogled your maids and butlers the most, with the True Dragon House being second to them.”

“I see,” Empress Shuna ignored Heian Ciemnosc’s remarks about those 2 organizations and frowned before asking. “Second? What do you mean? Who is smelliest than them? And… why did you not mention it right away? You-...”

Before Empress Shuna criticized him for playing hard to get without necessity or motive, Heian Ciemnosc opened his pale red lips again, their meat and skin pressing against each other. They dragged upwards or downwards before completely separating. “The smelliest one here is you, Empress Shuna.”

“?!” Empress Shuna suddenly felt like the world made no fucking sense. She kept looking at Heian Ciemnosc with a goddamn, delicately enticing frown, dizzying him a little. Heian Ciemnosc grinned a bit more before adding. “Others might see you in the Dantreulity realm. But even though you hide your specific cultivation base, letting them see ‘your’ realm of cultivation, it does work well in lowering their guard. But the moment I saw you, I read through your nature. I hope it didn’t bother you.”

“I see…” Empress Shuna fell in contemplation. After a little while, she jumped slightly and faced her knees a little further towards Heian Ciemnosc. Looking at him with upturned eyes and a slightly lowered head. She whispered to his face. “Then, Sir. What is my actual cultivation base?”

“Err… That would be the Spirit Magna realm, my lady.” Heian Ciemnosc responded after expressing slight discomfort, but Empress Shuna continued to look at him. Only after a while did the Empress’s eyes separate from him. After 2 minutes, with the maids and butlers still around and those 2 guards holding the gates open, but the outside was mostly empty, with some of the top 7 organizations slowly leaving the banquet.

“Sigh,” the Empress sighed in exasperation, looked at the ceiling, and shook her head while lowering it to stare at Heian Ciemnosc again. “You, Sir, are really a monstrous cultivator. The Wrath Nihility Academy has too much luck having found you. How did they do that? Did Her Excellency steal you from some other power? Or family? How about from an unknown, empty corner of the world?”

“Dear Empress, are you perhaps trying to gain new allies through my answers?” Heian Ciemnosc sat blatantly. He turned his body towards the Empress, leaning on his left leg and butt cheek, and looked at her with his left hand supporting his head with an open palm. Empress Shuna did not shy away and looked directly into his darkest eyes without losing herself for a moment this time around.

“I merely wish to know your unknown origins. I’m not alone in this regard. Everyone in the world, especially the other Existential Sixth Step organizations, might have already started a campaign to discover just that. But seeing how not even the Academy seems sure of this information… I can only ask the star boy. Also, don’t call me Dear, it is disrespectful.” Empress Shuna spoke calmly, with not a ripple going off through her eyes.

“Oh, I see.” Heian Ciemnosc nodded in return. Empress Shuna then seemed to think about something but said nothing for the next several minutes. Heian Ciemnosc waited silently and patiently, watching as the last few top 7 organizations vacated the banquet. Then, Empress Shuna opened her mouth and looked at Heian Ciemnosc intensely. However, before she could start forming a sentence, Heian Ciemnosc spoke in an adamant position. “There are no roundabouts to the parchment. It cannot be ‘taught’ again.”

“The only way for me to share it is by teaching others. At least that is so for those who aren’t my family, and I choose to help regarding this.” Heian Ciemnosc looked at the quiet Empress Shuna with side eyes. Her mouth remained closed even after he finished speaking. Once gained, she fell into contemplation, and after seemingly deciding, she looked at her guards for less than a second before standing up from her chair and walking to Heian Ciemnosc’s front and to his right.

Tum tum… Heian Ciemnosc watched as the maids and butlers all left. There was no message through energy or Spirit Sense, much less Soul fluctuations. All he saw was a ruler giving a look, and her subjects knew exactly what to do. The Empress gave Heian Ciemnosc a side glance from time to time, keeping him in suspense. Naturally, he stood 2 meters from the Empress and waited for whatever they were staying for.

Step step step, step… step step step, step… step step step, step…

“...” Heian Ciemnosc’s eyebrows funnily jolted when he heard footsteps coming from another corridor, hidden from view of the outside world. Heian Ciemnosc asked the Empress as he felt one little knot releasing. “Do you not mind the possibility of others finding out what you’re trying to hide?”

“...” Empress Shuna slowly turned her head towards Heian Ciemnosc, and when her neck was twisted enough to the left, she slowly responded. “If I was afraid for my, or my Bloodline’s safety, I would’ve run from this Kingdom. In fact, the moment the Academy won the ancient war, we would’ve run away immediately. Why would we stay here if not? This has always been our home, and it will always be. From the beginning, where we were birthed, grew, and dominated, to the instants we perish.”

“...” Heian Ciemnosc looked at the Empress with calm, darkest eyes. But now, they held severeness in them. But not the foul kind… he was simply growing a little respectful of Empress Shuna’s people. At that moment, a pair of hidden doors close to the majestic gates opened, revealing over 4 dozen royal guards escorting someone inside. From them, a little girl came rushing towards Empress Shuna before suddenly stopping and acting meek when she saw someone other than the Empress in the room waiting for her.

This little girl looked identical to Empress Shuna. The same hair and eye color. Only that her hair was stupidly smooth. It was smoother than silk, and that was something. Her brown skin matched an immature Empress Shuna, but she looked more delicate and unrestrained, unlike the majestic, marvelous Empress.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“...” The little girl walked towards them, fixing a path straight towards Empress Shuna with her hands on her abdomen and her head slightly lowered, like a child paying respect to her elders. When the little girl arrived before the Empress, Empress Shuna lifted her left hand, causing the little girl’s eyes to ripple and widen. But the hand landed on her right cheek and caressed her face… with tender, endless love.

“It’s okay, my love. He’s going to be your Imperial Teacher from now on.” The little girl’s eyes widened as she quickly bashed her eyes away from looking at the Empress and installed them on Heian Ciemnosc’s pervertedly handsome, pale face. She followed his jaw and neck and ended on his hands. He was all pale! The little girl looked at Empress Shuna and cheekily said, “Mother, will he die before I turn 16 or something? He looks so ill.”

“You should look at my eyes,” Heian Ciemnosc calmly said, challenging the little bitch. The little girl made a ‘humf!’ face and looked up at him. However, the instant she did, she lost herself to Heian Ciemnosc’s pure darkness exposed through his eyes. Only when her mommy placed her hands behind the back of her daughter’s head did the daughter wake up and hurriedly go behind her mother’s legs.

“Not too defiant now? Hmhm,” Empress Shuna teased the little girl. The little girl showed extremely cute, big eyes. The aquamarine, azure bright glean in them was eye-catching, attention-grabbing, and pretty fucking unique. Hearing her mother’s teasing, she rapidly lost fear and awkwardness around Heian Ciemnosc and separated from her leg, exiting the golden, exquisite robes with some unwillingness, as if she liked the feeling, color, and meaning.

“She seems ambitious. You must be proud.” Heian Ciemnosc grinned as he patted the little girl’s head before ruffling her uniquely smooth aquamarine, azure hair. He could read her age, barely 11 years old, born nearly 10 years after the beginning of the new Change. This reminded Heian Ciemnosc, in a way, that just 11 years ago… he was exiled from his home and his mother’s land.

“I am,” Empress Shuna lowered her gaze as Heian Ciemnosc lifted his after seeing a pouty little girl’s eyes turn softer after being massaged by his strong hand, rubbing her calf to near sleep. He saw her long eyelashes, also aquamarine, azure colored, slowly blinking as she looked at her daughter and seemed peaceful. Amidst his daze, Empress Shuna picked his hands off her daughter and started accommodating her hair.

The little girl looked up at her mother as she did her hair and returned her eyes to her future Imperial Teacher. Heian Ciemnosc woke up from his stupor. But before he could speak, Empress Shuna beat him to it. “I will show her to the world tomorrow.”

“Did you think the Academy could know everything?” Empress Shuna’s indifferent, authoritative attitude came to light as Heian Ciemnosc, surprised and taken aback, could only listen to her speech. “If there’s something the Blauw Empire must hide, we’ll do it with all we have. And if there’s something I must do to keep my daughter safe, this mother will not find any trouble hiding it from the entire world itself!”

“... I understand,” Heian Ciemnosc said after a short moment of silence. He had kept the same face of being sneak attacked with momentum until she finished speaking. But once he spoke, his countenance turned calm and even… somewhat soft and serene. Empress Shuna’s face relaxed, although that wasn’t discernible through even an expert’s eyes, even if they were cultivators.

“So… you will show her tomorrow… after everyone else from the top 7 organizations and Far East Region’s organizations have already left. Is that right?” Heian Ciemnosc changed the subject as he looked at the closed gates, giving the little girl’s pouty face a few stares as her mother held her right hand. Empress Shuna didn’t respond and merely nodded. Heian Ciemnosc nodded back and continued, “Isn’t that revengeful? I didn’t kn-”

“I dare you spout a joke about women, young man,” Empress Shuna stopped Heian Ciemnosc, halting anything he was about to say. Seeing his sudden quietness, the little girl giggled, turning the room into bells that, according to Heian Ciemnosc’s Spirit Sense, not even the royal guards resisted the urge to lightly grin. However, they rapidly erased their grins and kept their formation.

“Actually, now that I think about it. If I teach this little one well, and she brings great results by the end of my help here, I might get enough achievements to become an Assistant Teacher.” Heian Ciemnosc suddenly commented at the little girl, barely 11 years old but already in the Obsidiafying realm. Besides, he could tell she barely started cultivating as well and that her body tempering Art should be like Sahnyr’s.

“Little Ish, greet your teacher now!” The worried mother hurried the little daughter. Little Ish nodded rapidly several times before taking 2 steps forward. Standing before Heian Ciemnosc, she bowed until she nearly formed a square with her body and the floor and shouted to the top of her ballsy lungs. “Blauw Ishikyy greats her Imperial Teacher! Thank you for accepting this young dragon!”

Blauw Ishikyy grinned, showing her left-sided, large canines to the floor. Empress Shuna hid the roll of her eyes as her hair conveniently flocked before them. Heian Ciemnosc tilted his head to the left, feeling like he had no choice in the matter in the first place. He then looked up at the mother and saw her casual expression. Left with no choice, he suggested with a sighing tone. “I can also impart ‘those’ teachings onto you. But you’ll have to bring your Azure Dragon’s descendants to a certain commitment in the future. It’s up to you.”

“We are willing,” the Empress had spoken. Heian Ciemnosc looked deeply into her eyes. His darkest eyes were wide open, and he nodded at her and her people’s resolve. Empress Shuna rubbed the back of her daughter’s head before commanding the royal guards. “Bring her back to her bedroom. The maids know what to do. Return and guide Sir here to his bedroom in the Small City. Tomorrow, the Empire will hold celebrations until the end of the year.”

“Hua!!” As the Empress commanded, her subjects docilely obeyed… explosively shouting to a point it alarmed a few people outside. The royal guards waited for the little princess to bid farewell before she was escorted out of the resting hall. The hidden doors closed again, and Heian Ciemnosc was suddenly alone with a magnificent beauty who had the smarts, cultivation base, and cleverness no person ever wants in their enemies.

“What is it?” Empress Shuna suddenly looked at Heian Ciemnosc, facing him directly with her body and a light frown as her head was low. Heian Ciemnosc looked at her innocently and asked, “What do you mean?”

“You’ve been meaning to ask something.” Empress Shuna elaborated. Her eyes scanned his pale visage like discovering how a puzzle worked, starting to perfectly understand how it was meant to be. Her voice was low but definitely not weak. “Although you might not be noticed by others, every fluctuation within your body, or inner being, is seen by me. Ever since my daughter appeared, you’ve been curious. Just ask.”

The Empress didn’t cross her arms or adopt a stoic face. She looked at him directly, still with her head slightly lowered and her countenance somewhat shadowed. Her head was a few inches away from his face, and it seemed like an intimate moment, but to Heian Ciemnosc, she was being blunt and headstrong with him. And he was right.

“Were you looking for a husband all this long?” Heian Ciemnosc finally asked. Empress Shuna moved her head rightwards, twisting her neck a little, and tsked before replying. “Why would I? I have enough with the recent threats to my home. I have enough with the problems of fishers, farmers, and simply kids learning to sail, disappearing, or their rests found months after. I became tired of searching for someone worthy of myself.”

“What I did was pick someone with high enough fertility. I might be less than 20,000 years old, and the Beast Race might not be awful at reproducing, but my people aren’t like any of the other Races.” Empress Shuna looked at Heian Ciemnosc with a side glance as the left side of her face became clear to him. However, her countenance was still shadowed except for her right eye and eyebrow, which were slightly illuminated.

“How many times did he seed within you?” Heian Ciemnosc casually asked. Empress Shuna looked at him, her eyes dangerously narrowed, but after she considered things, she replied with a repugnant tone. “More than 100,000 times. It took me far too much time to conceive a child. Only after a year of trying did I succeed in having Little Ish in my womb did it stop.”

“And where is his father?” Heian Ciemnosc asked. Empress Shuna rapidly answered, this time unbothered by it. “He joined those fishers, farmers, and kids trying to learn sailing.”

“...” Heian Ciemnosc looked at the Empress, whose words were trustful. After a minute of deadly staring into each other’s eyes, he asked again. “Why did you decide to bring a child to this world, and with such obvious means from the enemy around you trying to end the cycle?”

“... Because I sensed… the Change…” Empress Shuna spoke while inadvertently raising her face to the ceiling, as if she could penetrate the Central Building’s walls and ceilings, deeply gazing into the universe to remember something. Heian Ciemnosc looked at her before facing the same direction as hers but didn’t look up.

“The Change, huh… Everyone seems so concerned about it,” Heian Ciemnosc silently muttered. Empress Shuna’s lips slowly closed as her head was lowered. Her aquamarine, azure, strongly determined eyes landed on his profile face. The way he was treating her… strangely… didn’t give her any discomfort. And what’s more… she didn’t feel disgust from anywhere.

“Sigh…” Letting a long sigh escape her lips, the Empress suddenly felt like there were no walls around them, and only the universe’s stars accompanied them along the night. That was when Heian Ciemnosc looked towards her, slightly lowering his face, and said. “You spoke about ‘the other’ Races. Are your Azure Dragon’s desc-”

“Please, that name is old. Whether we are a branch that descended from them or not, what only matters is that we are here. We do no longer go on by those habits. It is our Bloodline that matters, not our historical ancestry!” Empress Shuna responded, cutting Heian Ciemnosc’s words off.

“I see…” Heian Ciemnosc said before falling into deep contemplation. Empress Shuna looked at the ceiling again before setting her eyes on Heian Ciemnosc’s pitchest-blackest hair as he looked ahead. “What else do you want to ask about it?”

…