Another Convinced

New Change's 22nd year, 1st month, 1st week, 2nd day. 11 months, 3 weeks, and 1 day since Heian Ciemnosc became an assigned supervisor. In Empress Shuna's throne room.

Step, step, step, step. Heian Ciemnosc entered the throne room as the royal guards closed it while exiting the room. Once again, only Heian Ciemnosc and Empress Shuna were left alone in her throne room. There was no need for secrecy. This wasn't a drama, but... for whatever reason, they both preferred it this way. Heian Ciemnosc felt more at ease with only Empress Shuna around, and Empress Shuna chose to do it this way because she wanted…

“Has something been bothering your mind, your majesty?” Heian Ciemnosc arrived 5 meters before Empress Shuna’s throne and lightly bowed, hanging his right arm to the side as he bent his back and rose into the air instead. Empress Shuna sat with her right leg over her left knee and slightly leaning without modesty. However, it was all covered by her gorgeous golden bubble dress with extra long sleeves. She flicked her lips with her right index finger as her left eyebrow arched upwards before she commented lightly.

“Sir Heian Ciemnosc, it has been a long time since we know each other. If you were willing to behave this way from the beginning… I might’ve understood it.” Empress Shuna’s strongly determined aquamarine, azure eyes danced left and right around Heian Ciemnosc’s chest and shoulders as he straightened his back. Heian Ciemnosc formed a little smile and asked in a slightly manly voice, “Empress, did you like it? Would you have liked that?”

“Ugh,” the Empress’s following words were interrupted, but she gruntled because of his words. Shaking her head, she unhurriedly said, “Even without knowing you better, Sir. I would have been creeped out. You acting like this at our first encounters would’ve bored me to death, and I wouldn’t have let you keep teaching my daughter after she broke into the Second Step, no matter how much of a precious opportunity I would be wasting.”

“Mm, smart choice,” Heian Ciemnosc nodded, protruded his lower lip forcefully, and pointed at the Empress before adding,” Although it wouldn’t be bad to think about that again, my Empress.”

“Huh? Was that a ‘my Empress’ I just heard?” Empress Shuna’s eyebrows rose as her hips twisted a little more to give more air to her rear. However, it was glamorously covered by her golden dress still. When Heian Ciemnosc heard her words, his darkest eyes remained tranquil, but his pitchest-blackest eyebrows jumped slightly. He ‘carefully’ asked, “Empress Shuna, I was too direct there, wasn’t I? Oops. I apologi-”

“There’s no need for that,” Empress Shuna closed her eyes smoothly and shook her head for 1 second. Afterwards, she blinked them open and stared at Heian Ciemnosc with a slight, diminutive knit at the middle of her eyebrows. She stood with her back straight and her bum on her throne, looking at Heian Ciemnosc slightly above his head level. “Sigh, we’ve known each other for nearly a year. I think it’s enough now. We can drop these formalities, and… Well, I have an important matter to discuss with you.”

“Mn, I’m all ears,” Heian Ciemnosc looked slightly up. His darkest eyes spoke nothing as the Empress looked down at them, expecting something extra. Nothing else came and sowing a casual expression, she summoned a letter from her Covert Space bag on her left palm. It was already opened, with the signature already discernible to Heian Ciemnosc. He asked, “The Clashing Dust Cult, huh.”

“Mn,” Empress Shuna nodded, blinked her eyes simultaneously, and dropped her head elegantly. This tiny movement that appeared beautiful when done by the Empress didn’t escape Heian Ciemnosc’s darkest eyes. She started explaining, “I received this yesterday. Since you’ve finished my daughter’s intensive study session, I will now send you to the Clashing Dust Cult’s individual territory. Are… you willing?”

“...” Heian Ciemnosc’s darkest eyes kept looking at her as if he had become paralyzed out of nowhere. Suddenly, he waved his hand dismissively and bluntly said, “Bah! Empress, you’re treating me formally and as if you don’t know me right now. Aren’t you regressing on your own words? That’s contradictory. Aren’t you feeling silly right now? Ahem, when do I depart?”

“...” Empress Shuna’s strongly determined eyes were unfazed, but her face showed signs of feeling befuddled by this slight development. She calmly looked at the kid- no, the young man before her, and her gaze became scrutinizing. After a couple seconds, she lightly grinned before voicing her thoughts. “My bad habits, forgive me. You can depart immediately… or you can first have a meal here and depart later.”

“A meal? Here?” Heian Ciemnosc pausedly asked. The Empress nodded at each questioning word. After seeing this, Heian Ciemnosc’s darkest eyes nearly widened. But there was this other important question before deciding. He asked in a light voice. “When did you tell them I would make that visit?”

“In 10 minutes from now,” Empress Shuna’s strongly determined eyes gained indifference as she spoke, and she even lightly raised her chin while saying with a slightly haughty tone. Heian Ciemnosc’s darkest eyes finally revealed ripples, and with the prospect of arriving late, he excitedly shouted. “Where is the meal?!”

Pshift- whoosh… tok tak tuk. “...~” Empress Shuna waved her right arm, smoothly flicking her wrist, and a long table with a mantle and cookware landed on it as its legs kicked the floor. Heian Ciemnosc immediately sat on the chair opposite the Empress’s throne and looked at the table’s surface, but there was no food anywhere. He lifted his face and patiently asked while his stomach rumbled. “Hey, Shuna. Where is the food?”

“I thought it would be best if you proportionate that yourself,” Empress Shuna said while placing the right side of her jaw on her left palm as her elbow rested on the table. Her eyes narrowed, and not slightly. And although she wasn’t seductive nor trying to look that way, Heian Ciemnosc’s chest rushed and churned with blood and fire. He remained calm and said as his darkest eyes no longer seemed about to lose reason in the Empress’s eyes.

“I got it!” Heian Ciemnosc confidently said without making any other voice or face. Suddenly, his calm, quiet, and soft tone had the Empress feel relaxed. As her strongly determined eyes became slightly vacant, Heian Ciemnosc took his dark kitchen tools out and began setting his oven, furnace, and frying pans. Next, he took several ingredients out, prepared a few materials, and started his magic before the long table.

Empress Shuna watched Heian Ciemnosc work in under 15 minutes to make food for hundreds and hundreds of people. All delicious and of large portions for each dish. She didn’t observe with the mentality of a ruler and didn’t see Heian Ciemnosc as a buffoon to entertain her. Instead… she just saw him. Heian Ciemnosc basked in her gaze as he finished the meal and looked at it hungrily, not knowing he would get the shorter end of the stick.

“Let us feast,” as Heian Ciemnosc sat back on his chair opposite the Empress, she beautifully grinned from the left corner of her lips and said. Heian Ciemnosc felt something was wrong but felt hungry, so he started devouring the food without giving it a second glare. Time passed, and 4 hours later, their meal ended with Heian Ciemnosc feeling somewhat empty…

. . .

Another 2 hours later, flying from the Palace to the Clashing Dust Cult’s individual territory. Their organization was located in the northernmost part of the inland Region’s territory.

Peeeeeeew… Heian Ciemnosc’s Ornament flew across the ocean, greeted by the many Blauw Empire’s people fishing and sailing at ease around the Empire’s territory and sighted by many from the Clashing Dust Cult and the Feathered Valley Pavilion. They watched Heian Ciemnosc, but only those from the Feathered Valley Pavilion felt strange about his movement. They wouldn’t receive his guidance until tomorrow, so why was he returning now?

It didn’t take much time for the Pavilion to realize the Fighter flew towards the Clashing Dust Cult, not them. A few minutes later, the Pavilion’s hierarchy convoked a meeting, but they didn’t do much other than stare and exchange information mentally with the Grand Master and the Head. The rest didn’t dare talk to anyone else, lest they also join the torture those traitors had suffered until death, spilling at the shit they’d been eating.

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On the other hand, the Cult wasn’t aware their leading figures had already struck an agreement to meet with them, but they knew about the Empire’s assigned supervisor’ Fighter. It was uniquely made, and videos and rumors said it was loaded with enough to bombard a few First Step organizations to dust. Seeing it fly towards their home made the believers think doomsday had arrived. But after a couple minutes, no ‘bad’ sounds went off, and they finally started calming down…

However, for the Empire, it has been nearly a year of trying to contact this seemingly righteous organization. They had sent letter after letter, and with each envoy delivering the goods and taking the trade back to the Empire, a few persuasive words would be exchanged on the side. However, they were always denied silently, not even directly refusing or at least talking to them about a possibility. The Clashing Dust Cult knew the position it was now in after the Feathered Valley Pavilion gave in so fast, without giving it any thought, to the Blauw Empire’s desire to gather supplies.

Even then, as the Clashing Dust Cult remained silent, it similarly saw the Feathered Valley Pavilion’s progress. When the Pavilion’s cultivators recently into the Dantreulity realm came out and started sharing bouts with each other or their Cult’s higher-ups and upper echelons, the Cult understood something sinister was happening between the Empire and the Pavilion. After a few months of considering this matter, from a small session to day-long sessions in a row, the Cult finally decided to contact the Empire. They didn’t know if something would come of it, but they had to try. They couldn’t let the Pavilion reap the benefits of the Academy like this!

Now that the Clashing Dust Cult was willing to talk, and the Empire could lack everything except inland aid, Heian Ciemnosc didn’t delay ‘too much’ and flew towards their individual territory. When his Ornament flew into its territory, it was welcomed by many of its upper echelons. Heian Ciemnosc saw multiple purple robed fellows. Finally, when he arrived before its walls and gate, he directly overflew them and landed in front of their Central Building.

This time, the Cult showed to be prepared, and Heian Ciemnosc only injured the ground as it cracked a little and became uglier. The Clashing Dust Cult’s hierarchy waited for him inside their main hall. Unlike before, Heian Ciemnosc didn’t see any traps or array formations activated to surveill him. It seemed like they understood the Academy well. Although anyone would be in their right to doubt someone from the highest power and their rationality, they had done their homework.

Step, step, step, step. Heian Ciemnosc walked through their long corridors and hallways, looking around to see the paintings and pictures of people who were long dead, talking about a couple Epochs already. His time walking through the Central Building left Heian Ciemnosc intrigued and engrossed in his thoughts. Finally, his darkest eyes blinked, darting to his left as he looked at the current Pastor’s picture. Only he had no painting, and only he was alive, so…

Tum tum~. Heian Ciemnosc saw the doors open by a pair of cat believers and ogled their exotic yet decent clothing. After taking notes in his brain, he stepped into the main hall, which looked like a judgment council hall instead. Thousands of people were seated around the center, about 30 meters in diameter. The doors led to an open, tight hallway where only up to 3 people could walk next to each other.

After Heian Ciemnosc walked to the open center, he saw floors from the bottom ground to the ceiling filled with purple colored hierarchy clothes. Every imaginable upper echelon and higher-up was here. They didn’t have to worry about an enemy suddenly launching an attack, much less about Heian Ciemnosc plotting alongside the Feathered Valley Pavilion because that was not the Academy. The same reason they weren’t willing to ‘test’ Heian Ciemnosc’s visit.

“...” Heian Ciemnosc stood in the middle, looking up and around as he spun on the spot. As he looked at everyone’s faces, they looked down at his and started murmuring, speaking hushedly, thinking Heian Ciemnosc wouldn’t hear them or maybe wanting him to so they could put pressure onto his shoulders. He was alone and in the middle of their safest zone. How could they be scared now? Heian Ciemnosc understood this and calmly lowered his gaze to meet with the big shots’.

“Sir, assign supervisor. It’s been a year since we last saw each other,” Pastor Miguel looked at Heian Ciemnosc from a step 2 meters higher than the ground where he stood. His arms were opened, and Preacher Alex was right behind his left, looking at Heian Ciemnosc calmly and casually. Heian Ciemnosc looked at her before looking at the others behind the Pastor before finally placing his darkest eyes on the robust middle-aged man.

“Actually, not even a year. There’s still more than a month before that. We’re not that distant, see?” Heian Ciemnosc commented, tilting his head to the left as he did, causing Preacher Alex to chuckle through her nostrils. Pastor Miguel frowned slightly in confusion at Heian Ciemnosc’s words, which came to nowhere for nothing. But the Pastor shook his head and kept a light smile on his lips as he spoke again, “We welcome you here, Heian Ciemnosc. It’s an honor to have the little black monster visit us at last.”

“It’s not that I didn’t want to,” Heian Ciemnosc tilted his head to the right, hanging his neck as if made of goo. The Pastor lifted his eyebrows, somewhat startled. Just then, the Preacher behind the Pastor tsk’ed before stepping forward with her hands in her pockets to say. “Tsk~! Okay, assigned supervisor, look!”

“...” With that light shout, Heian Ciemnosc’s attention was grabbed from anything else as he tilted his head back to the left. Preacher Alex paused momentarily before taking her hands out of her pockets. Her ebony beauty became partly highlighted by the light as her lips moved and her eyes focused on his sternum. “We’ve seen you going in and out of the valley’s turf. We’ve seen them grow over time. What’s been happening? Is it that good? Can you confirm it? And if it is… how much for it? What does it… needs an organization like mine to receive it?”

“...” Heian Ciemnosc maintained silence as he heard Preacher Alex’s interrogation-like questioning. The main hall became a little loud. Many didn’t expect the Preacher to conduct the talks. Even more so after they decided to question Heian Ciemnosc with 1 question each. However, because the Pastor’s eternal smile remained on his lips, nobody said anything to stop her, letting her continue to this point.

Now that Preacher Alex had gone straight to the point with a negligible amount of questions, they were feeling restless. The Pastor looked up and then down at the floor. He then glanced backwards at his successor before setting his eyes and a light smile on Heian Ciemnosc’s dark coated figure. He rapidly looked up, and his smile remained, but his eyebrows knitted. “Everyone, silence!! Respect your position! And even more so, our special guest!!”

“... … …” The main hall lost its noise, for as diminutive as it could be, and Heian Ciemnosc felt everyone’s eyes fall on his shoulders. They were so meek they didn’t dare look at their Pastor, even in respect and veneration. Besides, the young man at their main hall’s center was too young-looking and far too slim for the rumors of his body tempering Supreme Art. They started feeling quizzical about his capabilities.

“... I am the reason why the Feathered Valley Pavilion has grown in the last few months…” Heian Ciemnosc said. His darkest eyes fell on the Pastor’s face, but then, he set them on Preacher Alex’s eyes, casually staring at him. “Every day, while I’m inland, I teach them a few things. I’m almost done with them. In a few months… I reckon they won’t need me anymore.”

“!!” The main hall fell silent, somewhat with momentum, and from Heian Ciemnosc’s words. Their meaning was that one of the possibilities they expected, but hearing it from the source and so calmly struck their backbone. Heian Ciemnosc ignored all this and continued before 2 seconds went by after his speech commenced. “I can strike the same deal with you and even more. The ‘valley’ doesn’t have specialization in any Element, but some wanted me to extend my guidance through teaching them about the 4 primary Elements.”

“How long has it been sin-” The Pastor frowned as his smile twisted downwards slightly, but Heian Ciemnosc interrupted him as Preacher Alex chuckled through her nostrils again. “I obviously didn’t agree. I’m not everyone’s teacher or something. You people really think the Academy has time to even clean the shit off your intestines.”

“...” The Pastor became silent and kept his smile. Behind him, Preacher Alex looked at her superior and grinned slightly. She was having fun. Heian Ciemnosc continued after a few seconds and after pouting. “I gave some general knowledge about Elements. But that alone was sufficient to help them gain a slightly better grasp of their respective Elements…”

Heian Ciemnosc suddenly lowered his head and looked towards the Pastor. His upturned, darkest eyes seemed sinister as he slowly spoke word by word. “Imagine the results you might have if I were to teach you more about the Wind Element.”

Clamor, murmur, chatter~~!

A commotion arose within the main hall, but although it seemed like everyone had lost their composure, Heian Ciemnosc saw the Pastor slightly lean his head backwards while his breathing became smoother. Heian Ciemnosc grinned. Preacher Alex’s lips grinned when seeing Heian Ciemnosc’s grin, and her eyes narrowed. Ambition and passion rose in her retinas… not for Heian Ciemnosc but for her organization.

She might be able to hide it, if she wanted, like the Pastor… but she chose not to. She couldn’t care any less. Heian Ciemnosc immediately rated her with many good points before taking a step forwards to declare at everyone in the main hall. “All my Blauw Empire needs is a simple agreement. I do not need your alliance or intervention. You’re welcome to help us, of course. But it won’t be one of our articles in this deal. What we need is resources and time.”

“If there’s unrest between the top organizations against my Blauw Empire, I want the Feathered Valley Pavilion and the Clashing Dust Cult to show your dissatisfaction with the rest. No need to act. A few simple words are enough.” Heian Ciemnosc’s words were spoken rapidly, not letting the main hall get used to it, but they understood what he was getting at. “We are no friendly neighbors, but we can slowly interact with the shore organizations between us… before trying something in the future.”

“Oh, right… In a year, more or less… I’d like to rent good Fauna spots in the sea that come out to the surface. I may be in need of some exercises… and training.” Heian Ciemnosc’s lips twisted, forming a smile that, in their eyes, was twisted, crooked, malevolent… and tempting.

…