Ahote entered False Dawn Academy with a small boy clinging to his neck. Among the people present, he was one of the top teachers regarding beast taming.

Aine also worked at the academy, but she taught survival classes and what to expect when entering the tower. It wasn’t an advanced class, but it was popular because she brought in many guest speakers who had their own experiences in the tower. Even Munro Duncan came and helped out, which shocked Aine.

Esme had recently given birth to twin girls, and the bully Aine feared when she was younger became a positive force within Oiche. He introduced changes that helped the clans break down the barriers between them.

Munro and Esme often invited Aine and Ahote to dinner, and during those times, he discussed his time with Crow. She didn’t fully understand the impact Crow had on this young leader of the Druid people, but it was definitely a profound one. Thinking about how her cousin saved Ahote’s life at the risk of his own, she could understand it.

They lost their wariness toward him because both couples knew the effect Crow had on people’s lives. It was because of their budding friendship that Maddox, Duncan, Teonet, and the Beastlord clans put aside all their differences. Instead, they focused a lot of their efforts on making False Dawn Academy the top place for young cultivators.

Because of their joint efforts, it became the most elite academy across all the continents of Litavis. Not only that, but the Arena became a huge attraction for many nations because of its uniqueness.

On top of that, many clans of various continents bought housing within outer Oiche because of the low crime rates. No one dared kill under the boughs of Father Oak. Hell, other than minor crimes of theft, no one dared do anything beyond that. The mines were filled with people who thought they could get away with all sorts of more significant crimes.

Regardless of all that, Oiche became a cultivator haven. The academy even attracted a lot of veterans of the tower that had retired and focused on Scholarly Talents. It didn’t take long until several unions formed around creating treasures, pills, and more. All of which were regulated by the Druid Council. One change brought about by Munro was the Lesser Council which comprised representatives of other nations. It had some influence within the academy but ultimately had to defer to the Druid Council and the laws governing Oiche. As long as none of those rules were violated, the changes recommended were up to the Lesser Council.

In other words, the Oiche Crow knew wasn’t the same as the bustling city it had become. It became a mecca of learning, unity, and growth. Surprisingly, many visitors adopted the Druid philosophy of learning and sharing knowledge.

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Ahote sighed while observing the young people running about the place. He knew that he and Aine would need to resume their climb one day, but he enjoyed his time with his son and wife. Since both their people had similar mentality and beliefs, they didn’t have any conflict teaching their son Druid and Beastlord ideologies and beliefs.

In a lot of ways, he admired Crow’s foresight. The Beastlords quickly merged with the Druid society. Most major powers no longer considered them as separate nations but as Druids and the Beastlords as a clan belonging to them. Since Ahote’s people weren’t that picky about how people viewed them, it was like they were absorbed.

A Beastlord only cared about their animal companions and ensuring they had a safe place to raise them. The Druids gave them that with no prejudice or requests. It wasn’t all that surprising that they became part of the Druid Council within a few years of taking succor from them.

That is to say, Oiche was very harmonious. However, there were still some places where outsiders were forbidden entry. First, they weren’t allowed to buy land within the inner city of Oiche. They could enter during the day, but the sacred groves were off-limits. The only exception to these rules was the Beastlords because they weren’t considered outsiders anymore.

“How was it?” Aine asked, taking her son Kai from Ahote and tickling the boy, who giggled in response.

“The little Thunderbird has taken a liking to our son, but it’s still too early to tell if they’ll form a bond. As long as the noble beast tolerates his presence, the chance of him winning its favor is high.”

“Our boy isn’t in danger, right?”

“No. Little Keme’s mother—Keme is the name they gave the baby Thunderbird—is already tamed. As long as Keme doesn’t reject him, it’ll be fine.”

“Mama. Keme is sparkly,” Kai said between giggles.

“Heh, the Thunderbird is talented. It has already gained an affinity for lightning. The current is low, so it’s harmless but still impressive.”

“Are you sure we should bond our child with a flying beast? He’s already a handful. Being able to take to the skies at a young age scares the hell out of me.”

“Relax,” Ahote laughed. “If they bond, Keme would never let our son come to harm. That bird might be more fierce than the two of us, and we probably won’t find a better protector for him. When he turns twelve, he can join this academy and be under the protection of all the elders here, as well as get along with kids his age that will attempt to climb when he does.”

“Assuming he awakens his Source,” Aine mumbled.

“He will. You know he will, just as I do.”

Aine sighed and watched her little boy running around in the open park. Oiche was still a city of darkness, but the floating lights had their own charm. The fireflies fascinated the children, so they liked to chase them.

Ahote put his arm around her waist and hugged her close. He never thought he could be this happy, but as a Beastlord, he also had the itch for adventure. Everything the two of them did now was for the sake of their child. Almost daily, they discussed what they could do to improve the boy’s life and safety. At one point, Aine’s father pulled the two of them aside and scolded them. Told them that children needed to have a chance to make mistakes, or they’d never learn. It was hard to sit back and not rush forward every time their child fell or cried.

Little Kai was happy, and that was all that mattered.