Opening his eyes, Ark’s nose twitch at the foul scent permeating his room.

“So you see why I need the hovel, purging the poison makes all this toxic sludge,” Ark said, his eyes shifted to the Baroness and Welkin looking on with barely disguised disgust.

“I…. I see,” Fey said, holding her handkerchief to her nose, “I'll have Vermel clean it routinely then… and burn your sheets in the process. Is it safe to burn?”

“Maybe safer to burn the entire wing,” Welkin grunted.

While purging impurities was a common core skill for all ki users, the quantity of byproduct that Ark was outputting was intense, more than he knew from any of his cadre.

“Yeah, it isn't toxic to the touch, it should be safe,” Ark said as he stood up and grabbed the wet towel and pail of water he had prepared beforehand. “And don't worry about the cleaning, I'll take care of it. I just need cleaning supplies.”

“I'm glad to see you're taking care of yourself, Loyd,” Fey said with a warm smile, dropping her hand from her face which quickly proved to be a mistake as the stench of feces and fumes reached her nose. “Right! Ehem! ust let us know if you need anything else! I'll send Six and Seven to help get the supplies!”

Six and Seven? Ark raised a brow.

“It should go without saying, but I hope you will exercise caution milord,” Welkin said, pausing at Ark's door. “I don't recognize the ki circulation technique, whatever it is, it is non-conformal to the imperial styles.”

“Thank you for your concern Welkin,” Ark said, cleaning himself before getting dressed as the knight left.

Wrinkling his nose, Ark opened a nearby window before summoning his system.

“Non-conformal huh… did Old Man Wu stop teaching it?” Ark muttered.

[Level 0]

[EXP: 45/100]

-[HP: 30/30]

[Status: ]

[Phoenix Points: 0]

[Stats]

-[STR: 8]

-[DEX: 6]

-[VIT: 6]

-[WILL: 18]

-[SENS: 9]

With just a few ki circulations, his stats were slowly improving with his mind synching better to his movements.

It would still take some time, but at the very least he wasn't as helpless as he'd been a few days ago.

However, he was back to level zero, the use of the phoenix point not only healing him but reverting his stats. Fortunately, he didn't lose any progress save for the phoenix point but in the future he'd have to be weary about full healing himself again.

“Was it really necessary to do this again in an enclosed space? Your disgusting byproduct is fumigating the entire nest,” Soliloquy cheeped.

“Well it convinced them didn't it? I need isolation and less eyes on me,” Ark replied as a knock upon his door sounded. “Enter.”

The door opened to reveal the aforementioned Six and Seven, the twin red-headed girls that his host had bought entering his room.

Malnourished, the girls stood no taller than five four with their scrawny frames, obscured by their tunics, closer to Ark’s body weight.

However, unlike most other slaves, their skin tone was snow-white, nearly pale as if they were undead.

Ark didn't know what made these two special to Loyd, but he did know that they were his problem now.

Former slaves of my sister huh… Ark thought, his eyes tracking the two removing his rancid bed sheets with no complaints.

“Master Loyd,” One of the girls said as she and her sister held his bundled up cloth and stood at his door. “Thank you for saving us.”

With that the pair left, leaving Ark stewing in his thoughts as he eyed his reflection in a mirror.

“Yeah…”

***

Freshly dressed, Ark exited the manor just in time to see an ornate carriage of gold and silver pull up through the driveway by armored sleipnirs.

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Oh what fresh hell is this…

“Announcing, Princess Cecelia of Winterfell, who danes to grant us with her presence!” A servant in golden garb of a butler shouted as a pair of knights opened the lavish doors of the expensive carriage.

Out of the carriage, a haughty woman with white curly hair exited on gold heels, the same familiar face that had discovered him in the academy closet.

Loyd's sister, and Roland's daughter.

“Fuck,” Ark muttered as the baroness spared past alongside Welkin.

“Your highness Cecelia! Forgive the state of the manor, we were not expecting your presence!” Baroness Fey said, the woman kowtowing to the princess in a way that irked Ark to his core.

“Raise your head! Raise your head Lady Fey, you need not bow to me,” The princess said, all smiles despite the ugliness that stewed within.

“May I ask what brings you to my humble home?”

“To see you of course! After I heard that my former nanny was attacked and her home burned, I had to make an appearance! It's unconscionable that in this day and age the bandits could be so bold!” Cecilia exclaimed. “Please, let us go in so we can inspect the damage.”

“I… forgive me your highness,” Fey said, the baroness obviously flustered,”But I don't believe my home is fitting for your company.”

“Nonsense, if it's good enough for you, it's… well, acceptable to be graced by my presence,” Cecelia said, ushering the baroness towards the door while her knights held open the doors. “Please, I insist. You can tell me all about this harrowing attack.”

Ark frowned, unable to turn his gaze from the woman.

“Commoner, don't you know better than to stare at your betters?” Cecelia said, her tone suddenly adopting a cold vice that stabbed at Ark who unconsciously looked away.

The hell?

Ark said to himself, his body not heading his commands as the woman and her entourage moved into the manor.

Finally Ark went to follow the group in but was stopped by Welkin's arm blocking his way.

“For your own safety,” Welkin said before closing the door in Ark's face.

Ark scowled, he didn't like this, he didn't like the princess’s arrival one bit… but of more concern was the fact his body had moved unwillingly.

Soliloquy.

“Residual feelings from the former soul. Nothing you need to worry about,”

“Sure as hell doesn't seem like it,” Ark hissed as he made his way across the plantation to occupy his mind.

“Gentlemen,” Ark said, arriving at the hut that Karja was kept in that Sain and Kent stood outside of. “Is there something inside that interests you?”

“We were just making sure the prisoner was secured and taken care of sir,” Kent said while holding a roasted pheasant in his arm and a pail of water, “We can never be too sure with knights.”

“How's the nose? Did Welkin not mind?” Ark asked, looking over the guard who didn't seem too bothered by his broken nose.

“I told Sir Welkin that my injury was obtained during a training exercise milord,” Kent said as Ark gestured to the platter the man held and took it from the guard.

“Kent, how old are you?”

“Twenty sir.”

“And how long have you served the Fey House as a guard?”

“For two years sir, both Sain and I were bought four years ago by her ladyship and Sir Welkin deemed us suitable as guards,” Kent said with Ark furrowing his brow.

“Two years huh… Why hasn’t Sir Welkin taught either of you ki?” Ark asked.

At the question, Kent took on a confused look for a moment before being tapped on the shoulder by Sain who leaned in and whispered, “Member what Lady Fey said, his heads all fogged,”

“Uh, right,” Kent said before wetting his lips, “According to the imperial tenets, it is illegal for any slave or former slave to be taught ki or magic by any noble, imperial knight or imperial magician.”

“I see…” Ark said, “Do you know why that is?’

“I dare not question his majesty’s order. Only that the Emperor decreed it so,” Kent said, “We are allowed to learn such skills from a guildsman or master, but the entrusting of such secrets tend to come with exuberant costs.”

Oh I reckon why that is… Ark couldn’t help the expression that donned his face, a look that was of furious disgust unintentionally directed at the two commoners.

“We’re quite happy with our lot though! Lady Fey treats us right, and Welkin doesn’t act like we’re no good!” Sain cut in. “Before this we were fighting in the gladiatorial pits!”

Contrary to the green-haired man’s intentions, his words didn't improve Ark’s mood.

“Right…” Ark clasped his hands together, “How would you two like to learn ki?”

“Sir?” Kent said, bushy eyebrows raised.

“You heard me.”

“I… uh…” Sain muttered, turning to his friend.

“It's illegal sir, we could be executed,” Kent said.

“The law states that it's illegal for former slaves to be taught by noble, imperial knights, or imperial magicians right?” Ark said, “Well as far as I’m aware, I’m none of those things. I’m not even a noble anymore despite you all treating me as such.”

Sain and Kent stared at Ark, unsure of what to make of his words.

“Are you serious?” Sain asked, a look of incredulousness on his face before being elbowed by Kent. “-ehem, milord.”

“If you two prove useful to me,” Ark said, opting to use a carrot and stick method to lead these two men around. “I don't see why not. Now off with you, make sure no one disturbs me.”

““Sir!”” The pair barked with enthusiasm before taking off.

“So, have you thought about my proposal?” Ark asked as he entered the hut and set the platter beside the chained up woman's feet. “By now, you've no doubt felt the effects of the poison, your lethargic state, tiredness, achiness, maybe even body burning up just a bit?”

Of course these were all symptoms of dehydration and starvation, but in her state, Karja could probably be gaslight into giving in to his ruse.

Ark stood for a moment, allowing his captive to bask in the scent of the roasted meat. After two days of not eating and having to heal her injuries, the woman was no doubt famished.

A hypothesis of which was proven true by the growl that emanated from the woman's stomach.

“Hungry?” Ark smirked, undoing her gag as Karja glared at him.

“Enjoying yourself?” Karja spat, her brow wet

“Very much,” Ark said, holding up the chicken leg for the woman to eat. “So, will you give me what I want or not?”

Karja’s frowned, “You've got a funny way of speaking…”

“Eat the damn chicken.”

“How do I know the chicken ain't lousy with more poison?”

“Why would I waste more money on you? The poison I've given you is enough,” Ark countered.

“Tch, I guess being fed by a princeling ain't so bad, even if you are a bastard,” Karja hissed before snapping a bite of the roasted leg. “But yous got yourself a deal.”

“Good, because we'll leave tonight,” Ark said.