Heather greeted Jean-Pierre cautiously but didn’t object to him sticking around. They had fought together so they were no longer strangers. Carlos and Shuhua were happy to see him again while Nellie eyed him like he was a dangerous criminal.

Zachary didn’t pay too much attention to their conversations as he was distracted by his own. Wander was curious to hear more about his parents since the subject was brought up. He explained what he could about them. However, there wasn’t much that he hadn’t told Wander already.

His father was often away on trips for his work. Even now, he wasn’t exactly sure what he did or why he had to take so many trips. He was much closer to his mother. He adored her and her bookshop.

If he wasn’t reading books about Ensouled, he was wandering the streets, staring in wonder at sea dogs, mule steeds, tri-horn oxen, and other beasts common in the area. After meeting Yaoyao, his life was preoccupied with taking care of her and raising her. He paid little attention to anything else. Even after Minah Yoon showed up in his life, she was a firm third place in his heart behind Yaoyao and his mother.

As for the Order of Saint Gertrude, he didn’t know much about them. Most saint-rank summoners would leave behind some kind of legacy so that they could live on even in death. Some created powerful and influential clans that carried their will into future generations. Others established nations or even empires. Those like Saint Gertrude formed orders of faith with followers devoted to their beliefs and way of life.

He suspected the Blood Church had a background similar to a saintly order. They were certainly powerful enough to be on the same level. Even the combined efforts of numerous nations could not eradicate them. And they still gained believers year after year which didn’t make any sense to him. What was their appeal?

In the meantime, the day passed uneventfully. It was rather boring, waiting around for something to happen. The orange sun finally disappeared into the western ocean and yet there was still no movement from the navy ship.

Tomorrow, it would be tomorrow. That’s what everyone thought. The survivors had nothing else to do besides rest and wait. The night was calm. Although certain groups wanted nothing more than to get rid of the competition, nobody fought or caused any trouble. They weren’t sure if the Republic was already watching them. It was better to be safe. There would be plenty of time for fighting soon enough.

Zachary sat cross-legged beneath a palm tree, silently and patiently refining his soul. He wanted to be in peak condition for whatever was to come. There were many tough opponents. He had a good chance but it was far from certain. He would have to push himself and his Ensouled to the utmost if he wanted to go back home.

As he cultivated, he felt a faint tremor in the surrounding Eternum. It was a strange yet familiar feeling. A small creature appeared out of thin air by his feet.

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“Meow.”

“Marble?” Zachary whispered.

The little yin-yang cat peered up at him with wide, curious eyes. It licked its lips cutely and turned its head towards the side. In an instant, it disappeared and reappeared several meters away in the direction it had pointed. It wanted him to follow.

Zachary got up silently and looked around. Making sure nobody noticed his actions, he slipped into the darkness and followed Marble. He didn’t have to go far. As expected, he found Katherine leaning against a tree, only a short walk from his camp.

“Hey,” She said, “I wanted to talk to you, but I didn’t want others to know…”

“I understand.” He replied but didn’t say anything else.

She smiled nervously, “Zach, I’m sorry about what happened at the monolith. I’m really sorry.”

She closed the distance between them until they were standing face to face. She looked up at him with her green eyes shimmering with tears.

“I’m glad you survived. And since you’re here, you found a way to heal your soul, didn’t you? That’s great.”

She raised her arms to give him a hug. But before she could, he took a step back and dodged her attempt.

“Zach…”

“Kate,” He said firmly, making her pause.

“Zach,” She tried again, “What’s wrong? It’s me. Did you forget the things we had told each other? We're on the same side.”

Zachary wasn't sure. Katherine Holt, a member of the Ice Saint Beast Cult, she was someone who kept too many secrets. Why was she so interested in the monolith that she risked everything to explore it? Even if he asked, he wouldn't get a straight answer. How could he trust her?

“Kate, I am not the same person as I was before,” He said, “And I don’t think we can go back to the way things were.”

“I understand. I was just worried about you. But seeing you strong and healthy makes me happy.” She gave him a reassuring smile, “There is another matter I wanted to talk to you about. It’s about that guy named Aaron.”

“Aaron White? What about him?” He asked.

“I wanted to warn you, he probably wants both you and me dead.”

“Why?”

“It’s a peculiarity of the White Clan. I heard that summoners of the younger generation who want to gain status and rise in the clan ranks have to undergo a life-or-death challenge to prove themselves. I think that Aaron White chose to come here for that purpose. If he can survive for a whole year in the New World and earn his way back home, it can be considered a great accomplishment in a twisted way. It will instantly catapult him to the top within his clan.”

Katherine paused and stared up at him, letting her words sink in. There were some things unsaid but he quickly deduced them.

“He is cheating! His mature forest elephant, he started out with that in his possession somehow. There was no way he could have captured it without his group knowing.” Zachary said.

“Exactly,” She said, “This is only my guess but White Clan would not look kindly on one of their descendants cheating so blatantly during their life-or-death challenge. Therefore, he will want to…”

She made a gesture across her neck, “Kill all witnesses to cover up his crime.”

“That rat bastard.” He muttered gloomily.

“Don’t worry. It's not like he can just kill anybody he pleases. I will let you know if I find out anything else and if he tries anything.”

He nodded, “I’ll do the same.”

She looked up at him and nodded as well. A comfortable silence passed between them. She smiled and rubbed his arm affectionately. Her touch felt so familiar.

“Doesn’t this remind you of old times? Just us two, relying on each other?”

However, he was no longer that wounded soul that fell for her charms.

Zachary stepped away with an awkward smile, “Good night, Kate.”

With that, he returned to camp, leaving a frustrated Katherine behind.