“It’s ready, Lee,” Lisa called from her place downstairs.

“Alright, I’m coming,” was his reply.

He dismissed the social media app and prepared to head down to meet Lisa.

The last week had passed quickly. He was asked to give a witness account and sign in a few places on the day of the incident, but overall, he had been left alone. He’d spend the time fighting in the simulation, which did wonders for his foundation.

His foundation was all but settled, though he’d give it a day or two just to be safe.

He had also posted a video on his social media just to show people he was fine after the flood of concerned messages he’d received. He’d spoken in the same self-deprecating tone he used in his first video. He disliked it, but he had already decided to commit to the persona.

The video was also a hit, with over three billion views and hundreds of millions of likes. He now had over twenty million followers. As much as he would have loved to pretend otherwise, the feeling of being loved and followed by so many people was exhilarating to him, just like it was on Xenus.

He could see why people did it of their own accord.

“It’s time,” Lisa said the moment he was down the stairs. “Your travel visa has been approved. The Ministry is waiting for us.”

Unlike the Outlands, where a Ministry issued permit was enough to let him pass the border, the Fifth Republic took border security very importantly and wouldn’t allow anyone in if they didn’t have a visa. Which was a little complicated for him since he did not have any passport. He was issued a special probationary passport, which was theoretically the best his current residency permit allowed. It let him apply for visas, but only with recommendations from at least three government officials, something the Ministry was all too happy to help with.

He found the necessity of visas to be another strange thing that the people of this world did. Though every area had some form of border protection on Xenus, none of them required documents and a whole bureaucracy in advance before he could even travel there.

A portal came to life in front of them, space twisting at its edges. They stepped through it, the familiar confines of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs meeting them on the other side.

Lisa led them to what she revealed was the Ministry’s portal hub. They met two people waiting for them there.

A woman dressed in black stealth gear that was supposed to be their security detail and the High Minister of Foreign Affairs himself.

“Great, you’re right on time. I hope you know what’s at stake?” the man asked.

Lee’s robes had been significantly upgraded after last week’s incident and he was completely unfazed by the High Cultivator’s voice.

“Of course we’re aware, Minister,” Lisa answered smoothly. “We’ll bring the girl home safely.”

“Well, then. Its time.”

The portal in the centre of the room powered on immediately he finished speaking. Yeller, the security detail, stepped through after a few seconds.

They waited for a few moments before receiving her permission to go through her portal.

The room they stepped into was dark and cosy, with plush seats and intricate art pieces spread round the room. Most of the art depicted a scantily clad woman with olive skin and a powerful frame carrying out acts of bravery. He didn’t need his neural processor to realise they were depictions of the Fifth.

There were three people waiting for them. Yeller stood to the side, trying to blend into the background. The Lasvanian Ambassador stood next to a woman who he also recognised as the Keeper of the Fifth House.

The Keeper had olive skin, like most people from the Republic. Her clothes, the traditional dress of the Keeper, was a strange mix he had not seen before. A short leather skirt that reached just above her knees was complemented by a similar sleeveless shirt. Steel bracers framed her forearms and legs. She wore no helm, leaving her red hair exposed in its tight bun.

The Fifth were vary traditional, which was why the Keeper still welcomed guests with her ceremonial armour, even though they had long grown past their war mongering days.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

“The Fifth greets the Lasvanians,” the Keeper declared.

“The Lasvanians greet the Fifth,” Lisa returned.

They clasped their hands in a firm handshake, signifying peaceful relations between both countries. It was not the warm hug some people would have preferred, but it boded well for their job at the very least.

The Lasvanian ambassador shook both their hands, welcoming them to the Fifth Republic.

They went after the Keeper, who gestured for them to follow, Yeller trailing behind them.

The passed through the open portal, stepping out into the light of the sun. In the distance, towering above all around them, was a massive, lifelike recreation of the Fifth herself. The level of detail and the sheer amount of qi that surrounded it were incredible.

It was made even more impressive by the fact that it also served as the ‘head of government operations’, as the Fifth called it. Lisa just referred to it as a palace, but the Republic rejected that term with prejudice. They were not a monarchy, according to them.

Of course, it was just a coincidence that all their rulers happened to be direct descendants of the Fifth.

At least the Wu were honest.

They followed the Keeper, who led them to the palace, he noticed all the smaller buildings around them. Most were still quite tall, easily a hundred metres tall, but they were simply dwarfed by the palace.

He saw the slightest blurring at the edge of his vision if he stared far enough. It was likely an effect of the multitude of formations that covered the entirety of the massive estate. He resisted the urge to scan it with his senses. He remembered Lisa’s warning clearly and had no intention of going against their hosts’ hospitality.

They got to the palace, where a portal took them to the 90th floor. They already had the entire floor reserved for them, which he thought was a good sign.

The Keeper told them they would be received the next day then took her leave. The four of them entered a suite after she was gone.

“They booked a whole suite for us,” Lisa started, staring inquisitively at the ambassador. “They usually only do that for fellow leaders or very powerful High Cultivators.”

“I suspect it’s because of you, Lisa,” the woman smiled.

“What do you mean?”

“The Fifth, and by extension the Prime Minister’s office, is very wary of your mother,” the ambassador sounded almost gleeful. “Joha has a reputation for bringing down old monsters and wannabe deities, more so than any other Lone Power.”

“Oh,” she sounded a little surprised. “Will that make the negotiations easier?”

“I am not sure,” she said thoughtfully. “The Prime Minister is wary, but she’s still a ruler. I think she’ll play hard to get and try to fleece us as much as she can, but she’ll try her best to make sure she doesn’t think you’re disrespected. “

“Alright. Anything else we should expect?”

“She’ll try to gauge how far she can push us constantly. Expect her to even mention a passing interest in Lee.”

“Bold,” Lisa commented.

“Yes, she will be.” the woman agreed. “She believes she holds enough leverage.”

“Does she? I’ve gone through the Ministry’s report but what do you think.”

“She has some leverage, but less than she thinks it is. The priority is retrieving the girl. Keeping friendly relations is desired, and we’d like the Fifth community to still have a decent chance of being accepted but those are secondary objectives.”

“So peaceful negotiations, unless there are no other options,” she commented. “Same with the Ministry’s position. We hope that works then. I’d rather not start a war with the Fifth.”

“You will be fine. The current Prime Minister is pragmatic. And she understands the status quo well.”

“Thank you, Rivera,” Lisa said. “We’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“Yes, you will.”

She left the room after that, leaving them alone. Yeller had already gone out to do a sweep of their surroundings.

“I need to go and cultivate,” she said to him. “See you tomorrow.”

He took a quick tour of the floor around them, then also retired to his room.

He had an escape to plan.

* * *

Amile of House Fifthtouched was bored.

Being trapped in a cell for days was far less fun than it sounded.

And it didn’t sound fun at all!

She hadn’t been tortured or even treated badly, much to her surprise. She had heard enough stories from grandfather about the barbaric methods their people used on prisoners.

Their people, she grimaced at the thought.

Not for the first time in her life, Amile wished she had nothing to do with these people. The more she thought about them, the more disgusted she felt.

The casual, racism, fanatical devotion to the Fifth and misandry made her so angry.

Love was a much greater woman than the Fifth could ever be, yet she was not looked upon with close to the same level of fanatism in Lasvania.

How much simpler her life could have been if she was an ethnic Lasvanian. Instead, she had to deal with a family that would have mandated worship of a woman that couldn’t even hold a candle to the Lone Walker if they could.

Her spirit brightened as she thought about the Lone Walker. How much better would her life have been if her last name was Feltham.

For one, no one would have the guts to even think about putting her in a cell.

More importantly though, she would have access to her hero.

She stared around at her room and sighed. She had been here for over a week, and she was starting to wonder if she had been forgotten.

Yes, she had technically been responsible for her arrest, but still!

Her family was important, she told herself. President Liam needed their support, so surely, he would make sure she came home safely.

Yet her hope was chipped away with each passing day. Each day of looking at the Keeper’s smug smile, knowing the woman would love the opportunity to torture turned her stomach.

She tried to take her mind off such depressing topics, but it was hard. She couldn’t even check the web. They had somehow blocked her internet access, though she didn’t know how that was even possible.

With nothing to do and her hope slipping away, she went back to the only thing that could cheer her up.

Fantasizing about being saved by her hero.

Indeed, just looking at her name scribbled on the wall was enough to bring a smile to her face.

She stood up and added another doodle of hearts to the name she so lovingly scribbled on the wall:

Lisa Feltham.