The sun had just risen in the east, slowly starting the day for Ushtagat's citizens. That was when Yanda also returned, arriving at the front gates, and just as he walked past them, under its archways, a grinning Lulu greeted him.

  "It seems like you lost~!" She licked her lips, watching him arrive.

  "..." Yanda just looked at her with a calm expression, not bothering to refute, crossing his arms as he scanned Lulu, who was apparently very much out of breath. She was trying to look calm, but it was clear as the sky that she had just gotten back, maybe only minutes before him.

  "What~? You want out?" Lulu asked with an even wider grin.

  "I'm not like you." He shook his head.

  "Ouch, hey, I wouldn't bat an eye if you had won... Be a man!"

  "That is good." Ren's voice came from beside them, interrupting the two as Lulu and Yanda quickly stood straight, cupping their hands, greeting her at the same time.

  "Master."

  "Mhm." She nodded and then spoke again, "Both of them are your sves for a day!" She stretched, ignoring their stupefied looks. "After you get back to the Sect, that is," their Master added with a grin as a sleepy-faced Kyu walked out from behind her, barely able to open her eyes.

  "Yey!" Kyu yawned, smacking her lips. "You are the best Master!" She hugged her waist, rubbing her face into her body.

  "Master… you did not… bring her back, yes?" Lulu asked with a wry smile.

  "Me? I would never cheat like that." She answered with a smile, but it alone was telling enough... she did.

  "Ugh…" both of her disciples sighed at the same time, knowing it was her way of settling their game.

  "I already spoke with the City Lord." Ren continued, rubbing Kyu's head in the meantime, "You did well, for the most part. You will receive your contribution points when you report back to the Sect. And until I am back, you are taking care of Kyu!"

  "Understood." Yanda nodded, regaining his calm expression in the end.

  "You are not coming?" Lulu tilted her head, quickly accepting her situation as a babysitter.

  "No, I am going to meet up with the Emperor. Oh, yes, when I'm back, we are going to go over some things you screwed up while doing your task!"

  "You were watching?" both of them asked at the same time, exchanging a quick gnce at each other.

  "I am always watching~!" She giggled, and her body slowly disintegrated into small strands of lightning, dispersing into the air while Kyu fell over, still trying to hug her.

  "Huh? Yummy, breakfast!" She blinked her eyes a little as she tumbled forward before she just slurped up the residual energy of Ren's clone with a happy expression. At the same time, Lulu and Yanda twitched their eyes with a weird smile, unable to compin about how quickly their Master had 'abandoned' them.

  .............

  Far away, at the imperial pace, Ren suddenly twitched, feeling her clone's leftover energy being devoured by Kyu.

  "That gluttonous bastard…!" She chuckled while Feynor welcomed her warmly and was now having breakfast with her.

  "Was it your pet again?"

  "Yeah… be gd she is not here; you would be eaten out of your wealth!" Ren munched on her scrambled eggs, still grumbling a little.

  "Then we are truly lucky." Anniel smiled as she sat next to her husband.

  "Nah, I am the lucky one that you are willing to look after my brother." Ren shook her head, looking at the Queen.

  "He is a good boy and a good friend of Sys." She tilted hers with warm lights in her eyes, "It's not an issue."

  "Are they still asleep?" Feynor turned towards her, and when Anniel nodded, he just sighed again. "No wonder... I caught them sneaking around the previous night."

  "Again?" Ren asked as she raised her eyebrows. "What were they up to this time?"

  "Nothing major." The Emperor expined, "Sys came up with the idea that the pace has a secret room that opens up only at night and contains wealth from the Forefather's time. Apparently, it was hidden away, waiting for the worthy to find it!" Feynor rolled his eyes, which made Ren ugh out loud. "And apparently, it was never found by any of the other Emperors."

  "That would reeeeally catch Valen's imagination!" Ren giggled, wiping her mouth, "He always liked listening to legends and fables. Tsk-tsk… But let me ask Master about it..." She whipped out a communication crystal, and soon Aerthus's face emerged above it in a hazy, mist-like picture.

  His sudden appearance made Anniel almost stumble back from the table, as she jumped up hurriedly, bowing deeply towards Aerthus's half-transparent image.

  "Rex…" Feynor whispered, calming down his wife while Aerthus's face turned towards Ren.

  "What?" The Sect's number one cultivator yawned tiredly as he was woken up by Ren's call. "If this is about asking for more CC, forget it! Did I not tell you to only use this in emergencies? This is not a toy!"

  "But this is an emergency, Master!" Ren pleaded, sounding troubled.

  "Mmm? What happened?" He asked, not really convinced.

  "Your wealth is in danger; the secret room inside the pace has been found and robbed clean!"

  "What?!" He roared at the other side, almost shaking them off their chairs, even though they were separated by thousands of kilometers, surprising even Ren... That... was not what she expected. "Damn it! I'll be there in a moment!"

  "Wai-w-wait! Wait!" Ren cut in quickly. "You really have treasures hidden here?"

  "Huh?" Aerthus stopped and slowly sat back at the other side, looking at Ren with a serious expression. "Of course I have. My most important and my dearest things are hidden well enough there, preserved for a time when I can finally… let go. Of course, when I did that, I was only at the first stage of the Harmony Realm… so it could be… Infiltrated. I expected it wouldn't be disturbed there, considering my people are the ones ruling in that pace... but… tsk… It finally happened!"

  "Whoa… call me turkey and stuff me fully!" Ren murmured under her breath. "I never expected it to be true!"

  "Wait… you pyed me for a fool now?" Aerthus realized it, twitching the corner of his lips.

  "Kinda. My lil' brother and nephew are looking for a secret room left behind by you, filled with your treasures..."

  "I see… they may have found some clues, hah!" Aerthus snorted, suddenly his lips going into a smile, "Only a child with an undeveloped affinity would be this sensitive to the flow of energy I left behind back then... They are still pure in body and spirit..." He sighed, leaning backward in the image. "So they are the ones who sensed it, huh? Now that expins a lot."

  "Soooo…" Ren asked with already sparkling eyes.

  "Keep an eye on them," Aerthus ordered.

  "Are there any dangers?" Anniel asked with a weak voice as Ren turned the crystal towards her so they could see eye to eye.

  "No, there is not; the defensive spells I left behind are harmless," he answered, shaking his head. "They are there for preserving the room in perfect condition only and not to cause harm."

  "Thank the Gods!" Anniel sighed with relief.

  "So if they find it…" Ren continued, now just as curious.

  "You can go in and take a look around. If they see something they find fancy and want to keep, they can take it away... But only one thing per person!"

  "And…" She licked her lips.

  "You won't find anything worthy of you there." He rolled his eyes. "You are just like your pet! No wonder she picked up her mother's style!"

  "Ahaha, you know what they say, a pet takes on its master!" Ren ughed, not denying it.

  "Then why are you not more like me?" Aerthus snorted at the other side, countering her counter.

  "Because I am not your pet~! That honor goes to LeiLei~!" She giggled without shame, prompting Feynor to stifle a ugh too.

  "Touché," Aerthus said and just rolled his eyes, not really mad at her. "Anyway, your father arrived back; good job on your part! Your servants already started to interrogate them."

  "Oh? 01 and 02 are back? Good! They got pretty good at using their gift by now. If they can't deal with the fatty, wait for my return. I'll make him squeal like a pig very quickly... But tell them, don't break my new toys! They can get jealous if they think a 03 is on its way, but rein in their powers."

  "It's not my problem," Aerthus replied with a teasing voice.

  "Maasteeeer~!"

  "Enough. Only call me if it is an emergency!" He added, with a stern tone, then terminated the connection as the crystal dimmed once again.

  "Hmm, I wonder what would be hidden away by Forefather..." Feynor scratched his chin, being just as interested as Ren was.

  "Probably some ancient artifacts or techniques that are irrelevant by now. And gold. Jewelry. Old weapons of sentimental value." Ren began to list, counting on her fingers as she spoke.

  "It is good to be a kid… ha ahh… If I were younger, I would already be on the hunt by now!" Feynor mented, shaking his head.

  "True. I heard from LeiLei that you were obsessed with history and archeology." Ren giggled while Anniel also smiled, looking at her husband as if it were one of the things that brought them close.

  Which was true, because they met in the city's public library. Back then, Feynor searched for clues, old maps, fairy tales, and anything that might lead him to the lost ruin of a kingdom that preceded the Empire.

  "I can't deny that!" Feynor sighed with deep nostalgia, "But since I became Aerthus X, I wasn't able to enjoy my hobby."

  "Don't worry, there should be fewer problems from the south," Ren said, smiling at them. "Not just my disciples but a dozen or so inner disciples are also cracking down on the growing gang activity. It is going to be curbed as much as possible if not weeded out completely!"

  "It's not enough." He rubbed his temple. "It seems like the whole Empire is under attack! All members of the Agency are working overtime; the Shadow Corp is already stretched thin… I envy my father for having it so easy! I'll be honest with you, Ren, I feel this is not an ordinary 'rumor-spreading' anymore, but a coordinated attack."

  "Hey, you are doing great, and we are here to help. Don't worry!" Ren stood up, trying to ease his worries. "This is just some annoying shenanigans from the Kingdom. The majority of people are on your side! Especially now! How many people have a better life thanks to your new ws? What about the opportunities that are now presented by the multiple trading roads towards the north? There are always those who cling to the old ways, refusing to let in the new, but you can't stop progress."

  "She is right, dear, so don't worry…" Anniel nodded, gently stroking his tired face.

  "Sorry, it's not befitting me to whine like this!" Feynor chuckled, and suddenly, a loud, childish voice shouted behind Ren, running up to her, jumping onto her, hugging her from behind.

  "Ren!" Valen screamed, who was still in his pajamas, a blue onesie with stars on it.

  "Ahaha, there you are, you sleepy head!" Ren ughed, helping him up to sit in her p as she started to fix his bad bed hair. "Where were you in your dreams? Lost in a forest? You look like you were chewed out by a bear!"

  "Teehee, we were up until te!" Valen grinned happily and proudly while some of his milk teeth were missing from the front.

  "I heard... Father, too, you know!" She scolded him, pressing her knuckles against the top of his head, "A spanking is in order for you. Don't tell me you didn't think about that when you were doing your evil deeds, mister?"

  "Uuu… You are going to protect me… no?" He asked with a soft voice, looking up with puppy-like eyes, melting Ren's heart.

  "I'll see what I can do, kiddo~!" She smacked a big kiss on his forehead, making him giggle.

  "Yey! That is why you are the best!" He cpped happily, leaning back on her with a satisfied expression.

  Valen's face very much so took after his father's, inheriting his blonde hair and deep, blue eyes, yet his body was more like Anya's: short, even for a 6-year-old, and thin like a girl, with sparkling, pure white skin. It even made Ren think that maybe it was her mother's side that had made her into an eternal teen, not her own cultivation... A simir future was very much in the cards for her brother, it seemed.

  "No wonder he turned out like the little devil he is." Feynor chuckled as he watched the two, but got scolded by Anniel almost instantly.

  "You can't say a word."

  "Ahaha… true… true!" He smiled at his wife.

  "Speaking of the devil, what about my adorable little nephew and niece?" Ren asked, looking down at her brother while she fed Valen with her own breakfast, really spoiling him to the core.

  "Sys is still sleeping; Elyse is meditating!"

  "Oh? She is?" Ren asked, surprised, looking at Feynor and Anniel.

  "You are her idol." Feynor shook his head, expining it a bit more, "She wants to be like you, even though she has not awakened anything yet. She always tries to meditate and cultivate, but she can't."

  "Since when?" Ren tilted her head, blinking her eyes rapidly, as she did not know about this.

  "Since a year ago, when you were visiting with Leinor and held that little showcase in the city, promoting the Sect."

  "Oh my… why was I left in the dark?" Ren asked as she ughed happily.

  "She is shy!" Valen grinned. "She doesn't want you to know because she is not there yet."

  "Hah! She wants to work her way up, eh? Without shortcuts? I can respect that." Ren nodded with a flicker in her eyes. "You could learn a lot from her." She added as she looked down at Valen, flicking his forehead.

  "Ouch! Ehehe… but I like pying more!"

  "Haahh, I know, I know. Still! A little bit of restraint would look good on you." Ren said while putting another bite into her brother's small mouth.

  "Restraint?" He tilted his little head, chewing with confusion. "Like when Uncle Leinor tied you up?"

  "Ugh…" Ren flinched while Anniel's face became the shade of a ripe tomato. By then, Feynor was also coughing, almost choking on his food. "Why do you know about this?" Ren suddenly asked, realizing something as she twitched the corner of her mouth, grabbing onto Valen's cheeks and pulling them apart. "Huh?"

  "Oiweee, Heeeen, Phewaaaaasee! I wasn't looking!"

  "Yeah, sure you weren't, you little…!" She let it go as his cheeks just sprang back like a rubber band, while Valen started to rub his face with tears in his eyes.

  "I went to see if you were up, but you were still sleeping and tied up weirdly… what kind of game was that? It looked scary!"

  "No game you should have knowledge about!" She scolded him once again.

  “Hauh… o-okay…” He pulled back his neck, looking down, pying with his fingers.

  "All will be forgiven; just keep your mouth shut. Got it?" She patted his head while he just nodded fervently. "Good kid! Now go, wake up Sys, and tell Elyse to meet me after breakfast."

  "What are we going to do?" He turned towards her quickly in her p, with bright eyes, ready for any adventure his elder sister had cooked up.

  "We are going on a treasure hunt, you little imp!" She giggled, making Valen cry out with excitement, hopping out of her p. That was all he needed as he quickly ran away to wake up his best friend and get ready for the best day ever, since it wasn't just going to be a fun adventure; he could spend a whole day with his sister.

  "Restraints… huh?" Feynor chuckled when Valen was out of the room.

  "Ehehe… what can I say… your youngest brother does resemble a certain other brother of yours when he gets carried away… or he gets drunk…"

  "Ahaha!" Feynor ughed loudly, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "I won't pry any further! I assume you are going to take care of the kids today?"

  "Yup. Sure thing. Leave them to me!"

  "Thanks."

  "No problemo! You two also need some downtime anyway!" She grinned, making the just-calmed-down Anniel turn beet red once again.