“You wanted to see me, Mother?” I asked.
Not too long ago, Leroy gave me a message from Mother, in which she asked me to join her in the front yard of Sturm Hill Hall. Alone.
I was reluctant, since Annabelle and I had been spending a rather enjoyable time together, but obeyed in the end.
It was morning, a few days after Prince Eugene had arrived in the Icefall Region. He was back at Icefall City, formalizing the agreement between House Solaria and House Icefall. Father was there as well, along with Kaylee, since House Sturm played a part in keeping the mythril deposit in House Icefall’s hands. Not only that, but we would receive a portion of the deposit’s monthly output in exchange for helping House Icefall secure control of the entire Icefall Region.
Most of it, at least. A good chunk of Gloom Mist Forest now belonged to House Sturm. At the moment it wouldn’t do us much good, but in the future, it would become vital for the future of our family.
The past few days have been good ones. Prince Eugene went to the mythril deposit, and confirmed that it was as large as House Icefall claimed. After that, he spent a bit of time exploring Icefall City and the surrounding areas. Lord Icefall accompanied him, acting as guide and host, along with my parents.
At first, I thought Lord Icefall would be afraid that we were trying to steal his thunder, but it turned out that he was happy my parents were around. As the House equivalent of a country bumpkin, Lord Icefall wasn’t used to dealing with a House scion from Sunheart. He grasped onto my parents the same way a drowning man grasped a life preserver. They helped him host Prince Eugene, giving him bits of advice and guidance, without stealing the spotlight from him.
I knew they were helping the man out of kindness, but it also had the added benefit of further putting Lord Icefall in my family’s debt. At this point, my parents had him eating out of the palm of their hands. The only way they could further tie our families together, outside of marriage, was to somehow enroll Lady Calla into the Solarian Imperial Academy.
Actually, that wasn’t a bad idea. I needed to mention that to them.
Kaylee had also stopped competing with me for Annabelle’s attention. After I told her about my life as Brandon Norwood, she was a lot more understanding of the situation. She didn’t believe me at first, of course. However, after Annabelle confirmed my story, and I demonstrated knowledge that only an Otherworlder would have, she accepted it. She even thought the idea of a love that transcended space, time, and even death itself to be romantic.
This gave Annabelle and I more time to be together, but it also gave Kaylee the freedom to develop friendships with people other than Annabelle. She befriended Lorelei and Corie, teaching them a bit about etiquette and House society. In return, they taught her a bit about adventuring. It annoyed me a bit that Corie acted much friendlier with my sister than she had with me when we first met.
Kaylee also developed a friendship with Lady Calla, or she was beginning to at least. She was a bit hesitant about that, since Lady Calla was a House scion. For most, that would be incentive enough. For my sister, it was the exact opposite. It was easier to befriend my disciples, since they weren’t House scions. Given what happened with her former friends, I didn’t blame her.
Still, I hoped that the two of them became friends. Both for their sakes, as well as to delay House Icefall’s inevitable betrayal for as long as possible. The stronger the ties between us, the better. Hell, if we ended up vassalizing House Icefall, that would be ideal.
Kaylee also spent a lot of her free time with Father, learning the ins and outs of being the heir to House Sturm. All in all, I was pretty happy with this arrangement. It meant more time for cultivation and training, as well as Annabelle.
The two of us even went on a picnic date. Since there weren’t many suitable locations nearby, we ended up picnicking at the tall oak where I talked with Mother. The good food and the gorgeous view made for one hell of a date. The leaves on the trees had started to change color, which made the view even more beautiful.
Annabelle and I had just finished cultivating together when I received Mother’s message. With reluctance, I followed Leroy to the front yard of Sturm Hill Hall. I also had the urge to borrow Crimson Fang from my disciple. For some reason, I wanted to have the strongest weapon available to me on hand. Rather than question this urge, I followed it. Leroy was confused by this, but complied.
When I arrived at the front yard, I found Mother standing in the middle of the yard, with a letter in her hand. The sky was overcast, and the air was cool. A reminder that autumn had arrived, and winter wasn’t that far off.
“Gabriel,” Mother said when I neared her. She held up the letter. “This is from House Leone. It’s their reply to the plea I sent them. A courier delivered it just yesterday.”
I focused on the letter with narrowed eyes.
“What does it say?” I asked.
“In brief,” Mother said, giving me a bitter smile. “Since I decided to join House Sturm and leave my family, I could deal with my House’s problems on my own. They also reminded me to not cultivate or divulge their secrets. Well, it was less of a reminder and more of a warning not to go to another Clan for help. At least, that was my interpretation.”
My eyes widened when I heard this. That had to have stung. My mother went to her family for help, and they just shut her down cold.
Bastards.
“Are you all right?” I asked, my voice filled with concern.
Mother gave me a warm smile.
“No,” she said. “But I will be.” Her smile turned sharp. “I will also remember how House Leone ignored me in my time of need.”
I frowned at that. Why did it seem as if that sentence wasn’t meant for me?
“So, we have nothing to worry about from House Leone, right?” I asked. “At least until they learn about my Circles being restored.”
After that, I didn’t know what would happen. If nothing else, they would send someone to investigate.
“You’re correct,” Mother said. “At least when it comes to House Leone as a whole. Grandfather Gabe is another story. He would never abandon me like this. Knowing him, he would pretend to go into seclusion and then sneak his way over here to help.”
I narrowed my eyes at her.
“However, instead of being open and honest about it,” Mother said, raising her voice. “He would try to be clever about it and observe us in secret first. Maybe even approach my son in some sort of test of character, to see if he was worthy.”
Ah, so that’s how it was.
I looked around the front yard, though I didn’t detect anything out of the ordinary. Aside from Mother and I, the only people here with us were our bodyguards. Father and Kaylee were out on House business, accompanied by Captain Jeffers and several of our House’s retainers. Roland was taking a nap in the nursery while his nurse looked after him.
Annabelle was still cultivating in the meditation chamber. Lorelei and Corie were in Icefall City visiting friends. The remaining House Sturm retainers were either patrolling the area around Sturm Hill Hall, or were off on leave.
“Caitlyn,” Mother called out. “Don’t interfere with what’s about to happen next.”
“Yes, Lady Sturm,” my mother’s bodyguard said.
“The same for you, Leroy,” I said.
“Yes, young master.”
While I didn’t know exactly what was about to happen, I had a pretty good idea.
“Assuming you passed the test of character,” Mother said. “Grandfather Gabe will likely try something to test your skill in battle. However, since he hasn’t shown himself yet, I think it’s time to flush him out.”
Before she even finished speaking, a fiery whip appeared in Mother’s hand. She lashed out with the whip, aiming for a spot not too far from us. This wasn’t a regular whip either. It was a cat-o'-nine-tail made of flames, with spiked barbs at the end. No, not barbs. Claws. Each lash of the cat-o’-nine-tails ended in a wicked looking claw.
The claws of Mother’s cat-o’-nine-tails struck a spot not too far from us. At first I thought nothing happened, but then the old man I met back in Icefall City appeared out of thin air, standing right where Mother had attacked.
“Ow ow ow,” the old man said, rubbing a spot on his arm. “Was that really necessary, Claire? Tsk. You were always a violent and hot tempered child. I see that becoming a mother yourself hasn’t changed that.”
The old man didn’t sound that old. In fact, he didn’t look like an old man either. He was still covered in filthy rags, but his body looked like that of a young man. His face remained shrouded in shadows. Based on his looks alone, calling him an old man didn’t fit.
Leroy and Caitlyn started when the not-old man appeared. They drew their weapons, but a gesture from me halted them. Good thing too, since I had Leroy’s, well, sword.
“Grandfather,” Mother said, giving the not-old man a cold look. “What are you doing here?”
While I wouldn’t say that I expected this, I wasn’t surprised. It was one of the possibilities I had thought of, when I first met the old man. Learning that he was actually my great grandfather wasn’t the worst possible outcome. Still, considering that he was from House Leone, it wasn’t good either.
“What do you mean what am I doing here?” Great Grandfather Gabe said, sounding indignant. “You’re the one who asked me for help. Tsk. Ungrateful brat. I come all the way to this forsaken land to help my favorite grandchild, only to be met with insults and abuse. Aiya, I do so much for this family, and look at what it gets me?”
Great Grandfather Gabe let out an exaggerated sigh and shook his head.
“Help? You say that you’re here to help? Mother held up the letter from House Leone. “According to this, I shouldn’t expect any help from my family.”
Great Grandfather Gabe let out a snort.
“As if that was ever going to stop me,” he said. “You should know by now that I follow my own heart above all else.” He paused. “Well, except for maybe the Honored Ancestor, but she didn’t forbid me from coming so here I am.”
Mother shook her head.
“I can see that you’re impossible as always, Grandfather.”
Despite her words, I could tell that my mother was happy. The corners of her lips kept twitching, as if she were about to smile. Or maybe snarl. I wasn’t quite sure.
Regardless, the two of them embraced each other. I walked over.
“Mother,” I called out. “Perhaps you should introduce us.”
Both of them looked at me.
“Gabriel,” Mother said with a sigh. “This is your Great Grandfather Gabe, who you were named after. He is also my former master, and the biggest reason why your father and I managed to get married at all.” She turned towards her grandfather. “Grandfather, this is my son, Gabriel. However, from what I heard, the two of you have already met.”
“Indeed, we have,” Great Grandfather Gabe said with a chuckle. He put his hands on his hips. “The boy is more perceptive than I expected. Thoughtful and kind, too. A bit lacking in wisdom, but eh. Who wasn’t at his age?”
Considering that I had the memories and life experiences of an Immortal who was several thousand years old, Great Grandfather Gabe’s words embarrassed me. Was I really that immature for my age? The thought haunted me.
“Greetings, Great Grandfather Gabriel,” I said with a bow.
“And polite too,” my great grandfather said. “He passed the first test, so you should be proud of that at least. I look forward to how he does in the second and third tests.”
Mother grimaced at this.
“Please don’t tell me that you plan on taking my son as your disciple,” she said.
“Isn’t that what you wanted?” Great Grandfather Gabe asked. “Unless I’m misremembering, you practically begged me to take him on as my student.”
“Yes, but that was before…”
Mother trailed off there.
“Before you found some other way to heal the boy’s Circles,” Great Grandfather Gabe said, his voice noticeably colder. “The only way that could have happened is if you broke your promise.” He shook his head. “My dear Claire, what have you done? If you were going to do that anyway, you shouldn’t have asked us for help. You could have delayed the inevitable if you had done that.”
Mother shook her head.
“It’s not what you think, Grandfather,” she said. “I haven’t broken my promise.”
“You think you can lie to me?” Great Grandfather Gabe asked, gesturing to me. “I have eyes. There is only one way the boy’s Circles could have been repaired. So, who was it? Who helped you?”
“I fail to see how asking someone else for help counts as breaking her promise to you,” I said in Spirit Tongue. “If I recall correctly, she promised not to share her Clan’s secrets, and she promised to never practice another Clan or sect’s cultivation technique.”
Great Grandfather Gabe stared at me in surprise.
“You taught him our mother tongue?” he asked Mother in Spirit Tongue.
“It’s…complicated,” Mother said, also in Spirit Tongue.
He stared at her for several moments, before turning to me.
“To answer your question, boy,” Great Grandfather Gabe said. “The only thing of value your mother has to offer is our Clan’s secrets. That is the only reason why any cultivator worth the title would heal you.”
“House Sturm is not without means,” I said.
“Bah!” Great Grandfather Gabe made a dismissive gesture. “House Sturm can barely support itself. Any cultivator powerful enough to heal you wouldn’t be swayed by whatever paltry resources your House can offer. Those who would be swayed aren’t powerful enough.”
He looked at Mother.
“You shouldn’t have done it, Claire. You should have had faith in me. Haven’t I always been there for you, when you needed me?”
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
“Grandfather,” Mother said in a pleading tone. “Please, listen. It’s not like that.”
“Then what is it like?”
“Out of curiosity,” I interjected. “What would happen if Mother had broken her promise?”
Great Grandfather Gabe gave me a long look.
“Your mother will be taken back to Clan Leone to be punished for her transgressions,” he said, sounding sorrowful. “I’m afraid she will not survive. On the other hand, there is hope for you, since it looks like whoever healed you didn’t take you on as a student. If you pass my tests, you can join Clan Leone as my disciple.”
I narrowed my eyes at him.
“And if I refuse?” I asked in a low voice.
“Then you die, simple as that.” Great Grandfather Gabe shook his head. “Don’t be stubborn, boy. While I don’t like the rules of our society, they exist for a reason. I don’t know how much Claire has told you, but we have survived over the centuries by keeping our existence a secret. It was difficult enough to convince the others to let Claire marry your father. Now that she has broken her promise, it’s too late for her. However, you can still survive. Think carefully before you answer. You are my blood. I don’t want to kill you.”
I crossed my arms. He could fucking try.
“That won’t be necessary,” I said. “Mother didn’t break her promise. She hasn’t taught anyone Clan Leone’s secrets, nor has she practiced another Clan or sect’s cultivation technique.”
Great Grandfather Gabe sighed.
“Do you take me for a fool, boy? If you’re going to lie, at least make it a believable one.”
“You should listen to him, Grandfather,” Mother said in a quiet voice.
He studied her for several seconds, before looking at me.
“Fine,” he said. “I’ll humor you. If your mother didn’t break her promise, then how did your Circles get healed?”
Time to put my parents’ idea into action. While I hadn’t wanted to do this so early, we didn’t have a choice. Like hell would I allow Great Grandfather Gabe to take Mother away to be punished for a crime she didn’t commit.
“A divine being healed me,” I said.
Great Grandfather Gabe unleashed his aura to pressure me. I sucked in a surprised breath. He had been keeping a tight grip on his power, making it impossible for me to gauge his strength. Until now, that was.
Golden Core.
Great Grandfather Gabe was at the Golden Core stage. Not only that, but he was also a Fifth Circle wizard. This meant he was powerful enough to take on any middling House by himself and win. Maybe even some of the weaker Great Houses.
Well, this wasn’t good. On the other hand, at least this told me the limit of my divine sense. It was the equivalent of a Fourth Circle wizard’s spirit sense, or an Essence Collection cultivator if I wanted to put it in those terms.
If that was the case, how did Mother detect Great Grandfather Gabe earlier? Lucky guess on her part?
“You think this is a joke, boy?” Great Grandfather Gabe said. “What kind of game are you playing here?”
His voice was so powerful that it felt like it would split my eardrums. I braced myself against my knees to stay on my feet, though it wasn’t easy. Mother fared better, though I could tell that she felt the pressure. Leroy and Caitlyn weren’t as lucky. They fell to their hands and knees.
“I’m not playing any game,” I said through gritted teeth. “It is true. A divine being healed me.” I revealed Master Tempest’s mark on my forehead. “I am his Chosen.”
The pressure disappeared as abruptly as it appeared. Great Grandfather Gabe disappeared and reappeared right in front of me, at least that was what it looked like to my eyes. According to my divine sense, he just moved faster than I could see. Thanks to my current limit, I could barely keep up with his speed with my divine sense. However, my body could not.
Great Grandfather Gabe stared at the mark on my forehead, studying it.
If he touches you, Aurora hissed. I’m going to bite him.
‘Don’t,’ I said. ‘The last thing we need is for him to find out about your existence. You are a priceless treasure, and he is powerful enough to take you from me. He might be my great grandfather, but greed could overcome any filial feelings he has for me.’
But Gabe-…
‘Just stay hidden for now.’
“Well,” Great Grandfather Gabe said. “Perhaps there is some merit to your words after all.” He turned to Mother. “We should go inside to discuss this. Do you have any tea? I’m famished.”
Mother and I glanced at each other.
“Yes, Grandfather,” she said, letting out a relieved sigh. “Follow me. Welcome to Sturm Hill Hall.”
----------------------------------------
Mother and I hosted Great Grandfather Gabe in Sturm Hill Hall’s dining room, which was the only place suitable for hosting guests. As he requested, we offered him tea and sweets. He listened as we told him the story we had concocted, sticking as close to the truth as possible without revealing the actual truth. Those with more Circles or higher cultivation bases were pretty good at sussing out lies. The best way to deal with that was to mislead using carefully worded truths rather than lie outright.
Starting from just after my duel with Annabelle, Mother and I told Great Grandfather Gabe that Master Tempest picked me as his Chosen, and a storm raged when my First Circle was healed. In that storm, I saw the silhouette of a storm dragon. After that, I began practicing spiritual cultivation. I also practiced body cultivation. Wherever we could, we implied that I learned cultivation through Master Tempest. I wasn’t sure how successful we were, but since the actual truth was more ludicrous, I didn’t think that Great Grandfather Gabe had any reason to doubt us.
As we explained things to my great grandfather, Leroy and Caitlyn stood at the entrance to the dining room, glaring at him. Bold of them, since he could easily kill them with a wave of his hand.
It worried me that we were discussing all this in front of Caitlyn, who I thought was unaware of anything to do with cultivation, but it turned out that I was wrong. Caitlyn had been Mother’s bodyguard since childhood, and used to be a retainer for House Leone. When Mother married Father and left, Caitlyn left with her.
A part of me wanted to ask if Caitlyn used to be a cultivator too, but I refrained. If she had been, then that meant that she had her cultivation unraveled as well.
Great Grandfather Gabe remained silent as we explained things to him, except to ask for clarification on occasion. It was difficult to read his expression, since he hid his face in shadows using some kind of concealment technique.
I would need to learn it, since it seemed like it could be useful, or develop one like it. Oddly enough, during my life as Immortal Celestial Thunder, I never learned a technique like this. I learned various concealment techniques, though I was currently too weak to use any of the good ones, but none that hid one’s face in shadows in this manner.
When we finished, Great Grandfather Gabe remained silent for several minutes.
“So,” he said, breaking the silence. “From what I gather, my presence here is completely superfluous, since it sounds like Lord Tempest has taken the boy as his disciple.” He shook his head and looked at me. “My great grandson is the disciple of a god. If I had not examined the mark of Lord Tempest myself, I wouldn’t have believed it. Even now, I have difficulty doing so.”
“So do I, Grandfather,” Mother said, glancing at me. “Sometimes I feel like I’m living in a dream. I keep expecting to wake up, yet I never do.”
“I apologize that you had to go through all the trouble of coming here for nothing, Great Grandfather,” I said. “As Mother said, all of this could have been avoided if I had been honest with my loved ones from the very beginning.”
Great Grandfather Gabe fiddled with his tea cup.
“I wouldn’t say it was for nothing,” he said, reaching over to cover Mother’s hand with his own. “I got to meet with my favorite grandchild again. Not only that, but I finally got to see my great grandchildren. That reprobate brother of yours still hasn’t married, Claire. At this point, I despair of it ever happening.”
Mother wore a cool expression on her face as she sipped her tea.
“You could have visited before this,” she said, ignoring the mention of her brother. “There was nothing stopping you.”
Great Grandfather Gabe shook his head.
“You know that wouldn’t have been a good idea,” he said. “The main family would have caused trouble if I had. It was best to just keep my distance.”
Mother came from a collateral branch of House Leone. Great Grandfather Gabe was the younger brother of a previous Patriarch. However, because of Great Grandfather Gabe’s personal power, his bloodline was held in higher esteem than most collateral branches. Golden Core cultivators were not to be underestimated.
“Was it that bad when Father and Mother married?” I asked.
Both Mother and Great Grandfather Gabe nodded.
“You should understand that it is rare for a cultivator to marry outside of their Clan or sect,” Great Grandfather Gabe said. “The risk of exposure is too high. Most Clans or sect’s don’t allow it. If I hadn’t vouched for Claire, and came up with that compromise, I doubt that Clan Leone’s main family would have allowed it. Even now, there are some who still say that it was a mistake.” He looked at Mother. “They won’t like it when they hear that your son is now a cultivator. They’ll believe that you broke your promise and taught him how to cultivate.”
“It doesn’t matter what they believe,” Mother said, her voice hard. “I kept my promise. You saw the proof of it yourself. That is all that matters. If they don’t believe me, I can swear a soul oath to prove my innocence.”
“You assume that they’ll give you a chance to explain yourself,” my great grandfather said. “Paranoia and secrecy are deeply ingrained into cultivator society. If any of the other elders had come here, you two would already be dead.”
Mother winced when he said this, and I grimaced. Back on Spirit Earth, the world of cultivation was a brutal one. I saw that things were the same here on Lumina. House society was just as brutal and violent, but at least they were more polite about it. It was more formalized.
“It depends on when Clan Leone finds out about my cultivation,” I said. “News doesn’t travel that fast from the Solarian Empire to the Lunarian Kingdom. If we reach a certain level of power first, then Clan Leone will hesitate to cause trouble for us.”
“We?” Great Grandfather Gabe said. While I couldn’t see his face, I could hear the raised eyebrow in his tone. “You mean to say that there are other cultivators in House Sturm?”
“Thanks to Gabriel,” Mother said. “We have decided to found our own cultivation Clan, Grandfather.”
“The main family will definitely not like that,” he said. “And who knows how the other Clans will react when they find out? This is a dangerous path. I recommend that you turn away from it.”
“No,” Mother and I said at the same time.
We glanced at each other, before I gestured for Mother to speak first.
“I will not let fear stop me from attaining the strength I need to protect my family,” Mother said.
“Those who are afraid to take risks are unworthy of challenging the heavens,” I said. “With great danger comes great rewards.”
Great Grandfather Gabe looked between the two of us, before barking out a laugh.
“It seems that the boy’s lack of wisdom was an inherited trait,” he said. “Well, I guess I’m to blame for that. I’ve been accused of lacking wisdom several times in my lifetime.”
“Will you help us, Grandfather?” Mother asked. “Right now, my family is at its most vulnerable. If you help us, your aid will eliminate much of the danger that plagues newly founded cultivation Clans.”
“Me?” Great Grandfather Gabe shook his head. “No. I love you, Claire, but I will not betray Clan Leone for you.”
“We’re not asking you to betray Clan Leone,” I piped up. “We’re simply asking you to stay around for a while.”
Mother gave me a quizzical look. I met her eyes and gave her a silent plea to let me handle this. She must have understood my intent, because she nodded and gestured for me to continue.
Great Grandfather Gabe tilted his head at me.
“What would be the point of that?” he asked.
There was curiosity in his tone rather than derision or belittlement. It felt like he already knew the correct answer, and wanted to see if I would arrive at the same conclusion.
“It is just a matter of time before the rest of cultivator society finds out that I am a cultivator and that we are forming a cultivator Clan,” I said. “That is a given. Like you, those who know my mother will assume that she broke her promise and taught the rest of our family Clan Leone’s secrets. We could tell them the truth, which will exonerate my mother, but this comes with risks of its own. And that’s assuming that they believe us.”
Great Grandfather Gabe nodded along as I spoke.
“However, if you were to stick around as an honored guest, then people would assume that you were the one to teach me cultivation. After all, that was why you came here in the first place; to heal my Circles and take me as your disciples. As long as we don’t say anything…Well, we can’t be blamed if people come to the wrong conclusion. Your presence will also act as a deterrent, preventing others from taking advantage of us before we can build our strength.”
Great Grandfather Gabe snorted.
“While that may work on the ignorant,” he said. “Clan Leone will know better. They rejected Claire’s plea for help.”
Mother took another sip of her tea, keeping a composed expression on her face. However, I could feel the anger and hurt radiating off of her.
“You came here despite that,” I pointed out.
“Yes, under the assumption that I would take you back to Clan Leone,” Great Grandfather Gabe said. “As my disciple, no one would dare act against you. They would bark, but they wouldn’t bite. If I stay, and Clan Leone learns that you are forming your own cultivation Clan, they will assume that I have defected. That is a surefire way to earn their wrath. They would stop at nothing to kill me and destroy your burgeoning Clan. Otherwise they would lose a lot of face.”
“They can try,” I said, my voice cold. I revealed Master Tempest’s mark once again before letting it fade away. “House Sturm is not weak. Not only that, but if I reveal my status as Chosen, we would receive support from the Church of the Sun. While Lord Tempest is merely a servant of Lord Sol and not a member of his family, he still has plenty of followers.”
If nothing else, House Sturm would receive support from Master Tempest’s grand priest within the Church of the Sun. Each god worshiped by the Church of the Sun had a grand priest who acted as their representative in the mortal world. If the Chosen were the gods’ right hand, then the grand priests were their left hand.
The grand priests wielded a lot of power and influence, second only to the Voice of the Sun, who was head of the entire Church of the Sun. Not only that, but they also wielded a lot of personal power in the form of Holy magic.
It must have cost House Thorne a lot to ask a grand priest to perform a divination for Annabelle’s sake. I wondered which grand priest did it. Was it Master Tempest’s? Considering how much Master Tempest had meddled with my life thus far, I wouldn’t be surprised.
When I returned to Sturm Manor, I planned on meeting with Master Tempest’s grand priest in order to secure a powerful ally. That way, I could gain most of the benefits of being a Chosen without attracting too much undue attention.
“We don’t want to wage a war with Clan Leone,” I said. “I hope that with the Church of the Sun’s support behind us, we can get Clan Leone to listen to the truth.” I nodded towards Great Grandfather Gabe. “Adding your voice to the mix might be enough to prevent any misunderstandings from becoming a bloodbath.”
When I finished speaking, Great Grandfather Gabe didn’t say anything for a long while.
“And you’re fine with this, Claire?” he asked Mother.
She nodded.
“Yes. Bryce and I discussed this. We are well aware of the dangers involved. However, the benefits are worth it.”
“Are they?” Great Grandfather Gabe asked. “You are pinning your family’s future on the boy. Are you willing to take that risk, especially since you won’t personally benefit from it?”
Mother gave him a sharp smile.
“What are you talking about, Grandfather?” she asked. “I plan on cultivating with the rest of my family.”
The temperature around us grew noticeably hotter as heat radiated off of Great Grandfather Gabe.
“Claire, the promise you made also forbids you from practicing another Clan or sect’s cultivation technique.” He gestured to me. “This includes whatever technique the boy learned from Lord Tempest.”
“You don’t have to worry about that, Grandfather. As I said, I will not break my promise.”
I looked at Leroy.
“Leroy, there is a manual in my quarters.” I told him where to find it. “Retrieve it for me.”
Leroy nodded. As I watched him go, I noticed the expression on Caitlyn’s face as she looked at my mother. It was a mix of hope and longing. Was it for herself, or for Mother?
“What is going on?” Great Grandfather Gabe asked.
“You will see, Great Grandfather.”
A few minutes later, Leroy returned with the manual and handed it to me.
“This is a Violet-tier cultivation technique specifically created for Mother,” I said. “It is for her and her alone. It’s incomplete, since I haven’t finished writing it down, but my mother can use it to cultivate without breaking her promise.”
Mother’s technique was actually almost complete, since I had more time to work on it these days. At this rate, I would only need a day or so to finish it.
Great Grandfather Gabe stared at the manual in my hands.
“May I?” he asked, reaching for it.
That was very polite of him. If he wanted to, he could have ripped the manual away from me, and there wouldn’t be anything I could do to stop him.
I glanced at Mother, who nodded. I handed the incomplete manual to Great Grandfather Gabe. He skimmed it, giving it a quick look. When he finished, he stared at the manual in his hands.
“Even from a cursory glance,” Great Grandfather Gabe said. “I can tell that this is the most profound cultivation technique that I have ever laid eyes on. It is based on principles and concepts that I can scarcely understand, let alone use to create a cultivation technique.”
“That shouldn’t come as a surprise,” I pointed out. “Since it was created by a divine being.”
Great Grandfather Gabe looked at me, his gaze boring holes into my skull.
“Lord Tempest must hold you in high regard,” he said.
“I wanted my blessing from him to benefit my family,” I said in a quiet voice.
Which was true, though not in the way Great Grandfather Gabe might think.
He handed the manual back to me. Mother stared at it with an intense longing, looking ready to snatch it right out of my hands.
“I need one more day to finish writing it down,” I said. “Writing down a technique created by a divine being is no easy task.”
Mother looked disappointed by this, but nodded.
“Is this enough to convince you, Grandfather?” she asked instead. “While we can survive on our own, your presence will aid us greatly. Will you do as my son suggests, and stay as our guest? It doesn’t even have to be for that long. I’m only asking for a few years.”
I would have preferred a few decades, though I doubt he would spare us that much time. Then again, from what Mother said, Clan Leone thought he was in seclusion, so they wouldn’t miss him for a while. At the higher levels of power, cultivators could seclude themselves for centuries or millennia. A few decades wasn’t that big of a deal in the long run.
“No,” Great Grandfather Gabe said, to Mother’s obvious disappointment. “At least, I’m not convinced yet. While you might be willing to pin your hopes and futures on the boy, I am not. You’ll need something more than your word and Lord Tempest’s mark to convince me.”
I narrowed my eyes at him.
“What do you want?” I asked.
When he spoke, I heard the grin in his voice.
“You’ve passed my first test,” Great Grandfather Gabe said. “If you pass the other two and prove your worth, boy, then I will do as you ask and stay as your guest. If you fail, then I will return to Clan Leone. I won’t tell them about your plans, I can promise you that much, but I won’t support you further than that.” He leaned forward. “So, what do you say?”
I returned his grin with one of my own.
“When do we begin?”