Chapter 271 - Teenage Tendencies.
The silence was long and unnerving and for a whole ten minutes, no one said a word. The rest of the family that wasn't immediate but important stared at Melinda and Hal with their mouths open.
There was an inexplicable look in Devon's eyes as he wondered if he might have heard wrong. Of course, that was merely wishful thinking since with his cultivation base, she would have had to cancel out all sound for him not to have heard what she just said so clearly.
There was no way he could have heard wrong.
And he knew that.
Even worse of it came the possible implications of them truly being engaged which came with the possibility that they already had relations.
Damien could not really care less. Melinda was not his daughter and while he did admit she was talented and very well on her way to becoming a martial genius, he was quite curious how long her audacity would last.
However, if the two were to be totally honest with themselves, there was nothing about Hal that looked mediocre.
His clothes were not actually poor and must have been purchased in the capital. In looks, there was no one they knew who could compare however, they still maintained that they knew nothing of his cultivation talent and potential.
They knew nothing of his family since as he himself had rightly said, he was 'Hal from Sapphire city'. That was not a last name.
Who the hell was he?
Hal on the other hand had not quite expected Melinda to say it so soon or even today at this present gathering at all but he took it in stride.
Whatever the reason and the reason was most likely to push it into her father's face, Hal was not willing to cower from the situation.
If worse came to worse, he had half a mind to snatch Melinda into the Harem space and take precautions to get out of here alive.
Precautions that include possibly flashing the Jade token of the Royal academy.
He just was not quite sure how much of an impact that would have on the Dane family who from what he had mostly seen, was aiming to be quite independent of Imperial power.
His confidence was evident and his poise was one of someone who believed himself deserving of all deference.
After all, whether or not they knew, he still remained the Lord of Sapphire city and ruled over millions.
That said, he remained cautious, after all, the Dane family was lording over billions and only the Silva family were ahead of them.
"Is this a joke?" Devon asked in a low voice.
Melinda raised her eyebrow,
"Why would you think that? I was banished and made to fend for myself in a rundown city and I am sure you did not honestly expect me to wait till I returned to the capital before I picked my life partner." She said.
Devon's lips twitched,
"So you picked the first shmock you could find?" He asked.
Hal sighed and turned to Melinda,
"See? I told you they'd be shortsighted."
Melinda looked sideways at him and her eyes narrowed slightly because they had never had such a conversation but Hal turned his head to wink at her in a position where only she could see the wink before he continued, still addressing her,
"It's classic snobby Duchy capital behavior. The part that hurts the most is that... I really expected elderly ones like your father to look beyond the surface.
To see me as more than a devilishly handsome face.
To see me as what I really am" he said with a theatrical flair.
Devon's lips twitched.
What a shameless fellow...
Just a few minutes ago, he was sitting with confidence and passively acting like a badass and now he was shaking his head and waving his fist at the ceiling as though some grave injustice had been done to him.
"Bullcrap!" Devon said and while he was crass, he was calm and working really hard to keep his emotions in check.
"How so?" Hal asked him but did not turn in Devon's direction. His attention was all on Melinda who looked back at him with a light smile.
"You are in my home and staring at my daughter, you don't get to be melodramatic" Devon said and folded his arms in front of his chest.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it. I'm still 18 and probably my teenage tendencies are not completely gone just yet. Give it a year, I'm sure it will be gone by then or maybe two just to be in the safer side" Hal said with another theatrical sigh.
Those words caused all who heard it to pause as they reevaluated this young man who they could now see was not simply youthful, he truly had not gone past the Fifty-year mark.
"Did you just say Eighteen?" Said a voice and all eyes turned to the newcomer.
He had brown hair and the light gold eyes of the Dane Bloodline. He also had a striking resemblance to the beautiful black-haired woman beside Damien that was his wife.
"Did you just say that the man my cousin picked as a life partner is only Eighteen?" The new arrival asked.
Hal's eyes narrowed at him,
"Yes, she kind of robbed the cradle, but who by the way, are you?" He asked.
Melinda smiled and replied,
"He's Cirk's replacement. The genius of the Dane family, in training, of course, Hugh Dane." She said.
"You flatter me Cousin." Hugh said.
In age, Hugh was much closer to Melinda and pre-banishment, the Chain went, Cirk, Melinda, and then Hugh.
Hal could easily see that Hugh was indeed worthy of being called a genius as he was already at the Mid-stage of the Cosmic Phenomenon realm and that was just with his family diverting resources from training his elder brother to him over the course of a mere five years.
Hugh bowed to Melinda,
"Sorry I could not come as soon as you arrived to welcome you. I only just left cultivation seclusion." He said.
Melinda nodded but did not really know how to feel about Hugh. To be quite honest, her opinion of every single male in her family had been tainted by what Cirk had done, and when she had once told Hal she wished to kill every male in her family, she had meant it.
However, that decision was now getting tweaked.
That said, she was not going to start believing they were all good just because they were smiling at her. She knew very well to tread lightly.
"So, you are Eighteen?" Hugh asked Hal again with his hands on the back of a chair but not actually taking a seat.
Hal shrugged,
"You don't have to believe me"
Devon snorted and opened his mouth to speak when he paused and realized there was someone here who must hate this development as much as he did.
There was someone here who wished to be more invested in Melinda's life choices...
"Mother, you've been quite quiet. Don't you wish to weigh in?" He asked and all eyes turned towards the Patroness who had so far been watching the proceedings with her eyes narrowed at Hal.
Hal looked in her direction as well and when their eyes met, he almost felt suffocated while he could not help but marvel at the amount of power within the beautiful frame that was Isabella Dane...
"Hal, is it? Come with me." She said and stood up from her seat to walk out of the Dining hall, leaving Devon grinning uncharacteristically like a boy who just got a present for his mom.
To be fair, it was not totally inaccurate.
Chapter 272 - A Hint Of Pressure.
The walk was not long and soon, Isabella was directing Hal into a study that was not that far from the Dining Hall.
No surprise, it was her study and a large one with incredible grandeur to boot.
Directing Hal to the seat in front of her desk, she took hers behind it and placed her hand on said desk as she regarded him for a while before asking,
"Who are you?"
Hal looked mildly confused,
"I already said..." He began but she interrupted.
"I have no interest in the description you've given already. I just want to know who you really are. Even now I can almost detect darkness behind your eyes.
Darkness that does not put me at ease." She said.
'Okay, it's official. This woman is frightening' Hal thought.
Grimoire snorted,
'Of course, she's frightening. She's a saint.'
Hal's eyes widened,
'What?'
'You heard me. Your future grandmother-in-law is a saint which is no wonder she is comprehending Ordinances' Grimoire told him.
There it was again. Ordinances were coming up once again and just like before, now was not the time to discuss them.
"What darkness would that be?" Hal asked with the clearing of his throat.
"I don't know exactly but that is also not the real issue here.
I never liked or supported the decision to have Melinda banished and I am quite certain, had that not being done, you two would not have met which makes me regret it happening even more.
Clearly, being forced to live in that place caused her to make poor decisions, one of those decisions including you."
Hal frowned but said nothing so far because, by default, his cultivation was usually hidden until he let it show and he had not done so yet but he saw no reason to hide it anymore and let it out.
Isabella was still going on with her disparaging words when she felt the pressure coming off Hal's body which with her strong cultivation, she could sense clearly no matter how mild.
There was a clear widening of her eyes as she felt that pressure which proved that this young man who she was quite sure personally had not yet crossed the twenty-year-old mark was at the Early stage of the Cosmic Phenomenon realm.
Melinda's advancement while surprising was understandable as she was a Dane and innately possessed a good constitution and while she still wondered how she could have gone so far within five years, she could still possibly see it happen.
Hal's was a different matter altogether. Clearly, he had a good constitution but what resources did he use to grow that strong...
*Booomm!!!!!*
*Bang!*
Without getting up from her seat or even changing her posture in any way, Isabella let out a hint of her pressure and with it blasted Hal out of the chair he was in and right against the large study door.
"Ack" Hal groaned as he fell to the ground and managed to sit up.
He was no idiot and knew what just happened to him barely counted as Isabella making use of one percent of her prowess.
What shocked/annoyed him the most was how impossible it was for him to avoid it.
The thought of running out right now and saving himself did not come to mind because he knew with certainty that as long as Isabella's attention was still trained in him, there was no way he could really escape.
"You know, I was already searching for the perfect candidate to wed Melinda as soon as she returned so I dislike you already for ruining that plan."
Hal sighed with his back against the study door,
"That's a bummer"
Isabella could easily detect the sarcasm in those words but prioritized what was more important, in her opinion, at that moment which was to find out who Hal really was,
"There is no way you can be this strong when you are only from that city. Why don't you just tell me who you really are" she said and placed her chin on her joined hands.
Hal looked at her for a long while before taking a deep breath,
"You know what I hate the most? When I tell people the truth and they don't believe me. If you don't trust what I say now, what is the possibility anything else I say will be the truth?"
After all, Hal could not very well tell how he got this strong and was quite ready to take the secret of his success, the Primordial Cosmic Grimoire to the grave.
He also had to admit that he might have said too much when he mentioned his age.
Although to be fair, a sane person no matter how pompous would have seen that as a plus and a sign of talent instead of trying to sniff out conspiracies. Especially in places they did not exist.
Isabella's eyes narrowed and she seemed to find sense in Hal's words. There was no point grilling him and risk Melinda throwing her into the list of those she disliked.
A list that was quite long already.
She would order investigations and find out where the lies were and which part of it all was true. Investigations that would also entail the ladies that had come with him.
In the meantime, she would act supportive.
"Get up" she told Hal and directed him to take his seat once again.
Hal did so with a light frown and hoped to the gods that Isabella was not about to act as though all that just happened never happened.
"I will tell you that while you are young and possess potential that is all you have. Potential. It has the capacity of being endless but you have admitted to not coming from a well-off family that can fund your growth so you are muchh more likely to quickly reach your limit.
There are many in the capital who not only have potential, they have superior strength and they have families to fund them.
They have already received news that I wish to get Melinda married and the fact that the two of you are 'engaged' is not going to deter most of them even if they were told.
And they will not.
We are going to make sure the news does not go past the Dane residence and keep the image that Melinda is unattached."
Hal secretly sneered.
He could see the tactic and the logic behind said tactic and it made him chuckle because, in his opinion, the Patroness was naive.
The more powerful and more important suitors getting mentioned were to intimidate him and scare Melinda straight.
So to speak.
The plan was most likely that once Melinda saw 'Better' candidates, she would come to her senses and those mediocre thoughts of engagement to Hal would be scrubbed off her mind.
If this was not naïveté, Hal did not know what was.
"I see.
Well, I guess we'll just have to see what happens won't we?"
...
Back at the Dining Hall...
"Fuck no!" Melinda said.
The hall had emptied out and only the most immediate and most important Dane family members were still seated. As well as Marla and Rita.
Melinda had just been told of her grandmother's plans and her reactions were not surprising in the slightest.
"You all have no fucking right to tell me who I can and can not marry" Melinda said.
"Actually we can. I still remain your patriarch" Damien said with authority but Melinda eyed him like dirt which was quite disrespectful but clearly she did not care.
Hugh cleared his throat,
"It's not all bad. I am sure we can reach a compromise" he said.
"And what compromise would that be?" She asked with a sneer.
"Simple, Hal proves that he is capable to be part of those considered to be your suitors.
He survives a duel with me."
Chapter 273 - Tera-Morph.
Melinda chuckled lightly and looked at Hugh with an inexplicable expression before she composed herself,
"First off, it is none of your business as well, and second, do you really think I'll actually let this 'duel' happen?" Melinda asked.
"What if he agrees?" Hugh asked and grinned while his light gold eyes flashed.
Devon leaned forward at the dinner table,
"Yes. I mean you have been quite... verbal about how much this decision does not concern us and I have to agree that it will take a while before we can exact any form of right over you,
However, like it or not, your chosen man can never be a coward. I won't allow it."
Melinda wanted to retort but at that time the sound of footsteps sounded and Isabella returned to the dining hall and took her seat. Her arrival was followed closely by Hal who all eyes turned to.
Marla waved at him and Hal allowed a quick smile before frowning at that intensity of the golden eyed stares he was getting.
Even Damien's wife who mostly acted like this discussion had nothing to do with her was looking at Hal and eyeing him from head to toe,
"Um, hi?" Hal was not really someone to become uncomfortable easily but his Devil bloodline seemed to finally be reacting to that many golden stares.
Hugh stood from his seat and stepped closer to Hal,
"I challenge you to a duel" he said.
Hal's eyes narrowed his eyes at the pressure Hugh was letting show in that 'standoff',
"Are you sure?" He asked.
Hugh looked confused,
"Of course I'm sure" he said.
Hal shook his head slowly,
"No, I don't think you are. If you were, you'll be well aware that receiving genius portion resources for five years is far from enough to make you catch up to the geniuses If other families who have received it all their lives."
Hugh looked even more confused,
"I know that. It's why I spend most of my time in cultivation seclusion. I want to catch up with them. But you are not them..." He turned around to Melinda,
"Cousin, I see why you don't want to allow this duel. He's just trying to get out of it."
Hal raised a hand,
"Hold up, you did not want to allow the duel?" He asked Melinda who smiled and shrugged but said nothing.
Or at least she did not get the chance to say anything before Hugh cut in again,
"Enough of this. If you won't even agree to duel me and only waste time equating yourself to geniuses, you don't deserve my cousin" he said.
Melinda rolled her eyes while Hal said,
"I accept your challenge..." And then to Melinda, he said,
"I'm sorry, I tried"
Melinda shook her head,
"No you didn't" she told him with a smile.
How could Hal not know that the only reason Melinda claimed she would not allow the duel was because she felt it was unnecessary and was confident he would win.
He on the other hand felt it was perfect. He had done his best to call Hugh's attention to the fact that the title of genius the young man had been straddled with lacked the backup of the proper amount of strength.
After all, even after five years, Hugh had not yet surpassed the previous genius, Cirk.
If the 'genius' still wished to be adamant then Hal might as well make use of this and shut up some of the misconceptions about him.
That said, he knew he needed to be cautious.
For one, he was heading into this duel at a handicap in that he could not make use of the peculiarities of his Devil Bloodline.
There was no family who despised the Demonic and Devilish tendencies of those Dystopian tribes as much as the Dane family.
This was on account of numerous teachings and the feeling of animosity ingrained in their Bloodline and they were bound to feel his bloodline abilities for what they really were.
He was going to have to battle with only the use of his cultivation base and maybe a little bit of remastering.
But once again, not too showy...
...
And so we are now back at the Dane family courtyard where Melinda and Cirk only just battled with Hal and Hugh facing one another.
The crowd was not quite as large as before as only the most important who were present when the challenge was made were there to watch.
The most immediate family members were sitting and eagerly awaiting the start which was to be ordered by the Patriarch.
Hugh stretched his hand and summoned his sword Cosmic Armament while Hal summoned his Royal blue sword with one serrated edge and one straight edge.
"Begin"
The moment the order was given, Hugh was already sending a Cosmic attack at Hal who dashed right at it and split it but not without getting forced a few steps back before dashing forward through the partition.
Hugh had no intention of letting him continue on his path as he stabbed his sword into the ground and used his sword to channel cosmic energy into the ground...
"Fourth-grade skill: Tera-Morph"
A four circle ring was summoned and was about forty meters wide with Hugh as the center of that circumference.
The courtyard floor then began to twist and before long, spikes of earth were thrusting out of the ground and pointing directly at Hal who quickly changed his path of movement to evade the spikes but even then he fell into Hugh's trap.
He was now inside the four ringed circle of the Tera-Morph skill and Hugh used it to trap his legs in place as he grinned widely.
Hal made to break free with the use of his physical strength infused with Cosmic energy but found he could not overpower the skill.
"Don't bother trying to break free. As long as I keep concentrating, any strength with relation to Cosmic energy gets siphoned and is used to feed the skills abilities.
Hence trapping you even more." Hugh bragged.
Hal shrugged,
"I'll just interrupt your concentration then." He said and swung his sword to send a Cosmic attack at the Dane genius.
A slab of rock rose out of the ground and intercepted the attack, it was shattered and the debris fell on Hugh, but that was far from being enough to affect the concentration of an expert like him.
However, the same could not be said for multiple Cosmic attacks.
Not one, not two, not three but at the very least eight cosmic attacks were sent to Hugh by Hal who was actually enjoying how things were going so far.
Despite being trapped.
"Insane" was what Hugh yelled as Hal sent Cosmic attack after cosmic attack just to interrupt his concentration.
This was a wastage of the highest order.
Hal was bound to run out of Cosmic energy soon but unfortunately, it would not happen before Hugh was able to seal the deal.
More spikes rose from the ground and targeted Hal but by then his attempts were successful and Hugh's concentration was broken.
Yet, he did not attempt to evade the spikes which continued to move towards him.
A final act, it would seem.
Instead, Hal spent a second and condensed a Cosmic attack which he infused with a cosmic phenomenon and tossed towards the ground in front of Hugh, while clearing the spikes on the way, and he was left with two choices:
Either make use of the skill to create an interception and still suffer debris or simply abandon the skill entirely and completely evade the Cosmic attack.
He picked the latter and leaped backward just as the attack hit the ground and exploded.
Hal did what came naturally which was to use the explosion as a cover to pursue the Hugh so that by the time the Dane genius was getting his feet settled back on solid ground after his leap...
*whoosh*
... Hal was swinging his sword at him.
Chapter 274 - I'm Stripping.
Interception of Hal's strike was quite easy for Hugh and he even made use of the force behind the strike to move back and out of Hal's reach.
Needless to say, Hal pursued.
Soon the two were crossing weapons at incredible speeds and each trying to incapacitate the other.
Those spectating the duel could see the beauty in both of their actions with Hugh looking the most skilled with a sword but Hal still managing to contend with him.
"He is quite impressive" Devon said but the manner he said it made it clear that he did not really mean those words as a compliment.
Melinda frowned but did not retort because she knew what her father could see and through which he was making an assessment.
While Hal was still managing to hold on despite being less skilled with the sword, he was doing that with Hugh having not made use of his Bloodline.
Not to mention that she was starting to suspect that Bloodline harnessing was what Hugh had focused on the most in the last five years and was most likely the reason his cultivation was still quite lacking.
She also knew that Hal would not make use of his Bloodline in front of her grandmother because if there was someone she knew who would showcase Sariel's hatred for Devils, it was Isabella Dane.
A swift execution was quite certain and Hal would be dead before Melinda could say a word or plead on his behalf.
Without access to his Bloodline, Melinda could not help but clench her first to how bleak things were looking for Hal at the moment...
She was not the only one.
Rita had come to that assessment as well and was quite ready to make use of her succubus bloodline to take attention away from Hal if worst came to worst.
"He'll be fine" Marla suddenly said and her voice was loud enough to be heard by everyone.
And while she had blind faith in Hal or more accurately, she had the blindest faith in Hal, she was not just saying to make her or the other ladies calm.
She was saying it because there was something Hal had that the other ladies had forgotten to input in their thought process of his fate.
They had neglected the fact that Hal was a Runemaster.
A fact neither Hugh nor the other members of the Dane family knew or could plan ahead for...
*Boom!*
A collision of cosmic attacks and both Hal and Hugh were tossed away from each other where they paused to stare while Hal gripped his sword tighter with a frown.
He hated this handicap and was already contemplating using {Fear!} to incapacitate his opponent.
However, he had already risked that with Cirk and felt doing it to another Dane who would most likely remain conscious after was not quite wise.
Soon, he and Hugh were dashing towards each other to exchange strikes with their blades again while also making use of their legs to kick at prone parts of their opponent's body.
Then Hugh looked up and down before lifting one hand off the handle of his sword and still managing to hold Hal in place.
The now-free hand suddenly combusted with flames and he sunk It right into Hal's ribs where it began to eat away at his clothing and right to his skin.
Hal leaped back and put distance between them while attempting to douse the flames with his hand and Cosmic Armament.
All to no avail.
The flames were already on his clothing and burning away at them. They were not actually smoldering his body yet but the pain remained.
Not to mention that the light gold flames seemed to have sensed something from him and were burning very aggressively.
A detail Isabella's light gold eyes narrowed at.
This was not something he could simply quell and before he could take measures to free himself, Hugh cackled.
"You can't douse the Dane family's holy flames. Unless you possess superior strength, they will continue to eat away at you slowly and leave you in perpetual agony. Yield and I will... What are you doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm stripping" Hal replied and that was exactly what he was doing.
The flames had eaten away at his outer coat and inner shirt so he took them off and tossed them away to keep smoldering in light gold flames.
Once they were off his body, Hal cracked his neck and muscle, not in the least bit ashamed that he was exposing his body.
Although to be fair, there was nothing for him to be ashamed of. His exposed top area just like every other part of him was the epitome of Manly fitness and beauty.
He pulled his sword out of the ground he had sunk it into and flicked it at Hugh whose mouth gaped in disbelief at Hal's audacity.
"Close your mouth pervert!" Hal called at him and Hugh blanked,
"What... What did you call me?" He asked in a slow voice.
Hal rolled his eyes,
"You heard me. Now are you going to fight or what?" He asked.
Hugh suddenly laughed,
"Hahahaha, you know what I hate the most?..." He asked and paused as light gold flames burst out of his body and rose above his head.
"... Instigation" he finished as the flames congealed and formed a tiger's head.
Melinda's eyes widened and she turned to her grandmother who smiled at her,
"You know what that is?" She asked Melinda who guessed,
"A spell?"
Isabella nodded,
"I taught him myself. It's not very lethal but it is not benign either. It should be more than enough to put this duel to bed.
If you're worried I can stop it. It might not be very lethal but it is more than enough to injure him." She offered.
Melinda shook her head with a smile,
"No, it's fine" she said just as Hugh deployed the Tiger head spell.
The spell headed towards Hal at quick speeds and he moved sideways experimentally and confirmed his suspicions that wherever he moved to, the Tiger head would follow.
Probably would not stop until it made contact.
Quickly he projected a Rune which caused the eyes of the spectators to widen at the surprise that he was a Runemaster but also felt it was of no consequence as not even Runes activated with small bits or Astral or Cosmic energy could protect from the spell.
But that was where things differed for Hal as he flooded the Rune with an immense amount of Astral energy he had stored in his body just as the spell hit.
*BOOOMMMM!!!"
The explosive impact was immense and Hugh could not help but feel complacent that he had won which was to be expected as that was his trump card.
He had used up his strength to charge the spell and any...
*Whoosh*
The Sound of a dashing figure interrupted his thoughts and before Hugh could react, Hal was out of the explosion of flames that were still smoldering and punching him in the face...
*Bam!*
Just as he was alerted of a message on the communication talisman he had been given by Camira, the Kirsten Baroness to be contacted through by the Princess.
It looked like it was about time they had a second meeting.
Chapter 275 - The Meeting At Rose Petal Restaurant. Part 1
Although there was the possibility she would send a proxy and he would not get to meet Tanya personally, but all the same, all thoughts regarding that would have to wait until after he left the Dane Family territory.
He could already feel animosity from a particular someone but was determined to ignore it for the time being.
"Do you yield?" He asked Hugh with his sword pointed at his chest.
Hugh frowned lightly before nodding, after which Hal dispersed of his Armament and walked away from him before turning to the spectators, who had only one thing to say and that too with a frown and snide tone,
"Put some clothes on!"
...
Minutes later,
They were back in the dining room but this time not to dine but different matters altogether and Hal had now put on a coat.
Matters about Melinda's suitors who they claimed they could not turn back and would be forced to at the very least entertain.
"Why not just say it as it is? You don't want to" Melinda said and for the first time, she was frowning at her grandmother who was quite calm as she replied,
"Exactly. I don't want to turn them back. I will gladly pick any of them above this... child any day."
"Child?" Melinda repeated with an incredulous tone.
Isabella nodded,
"Yes, child. By his very own admittance, he is merely Eighteen and hence, a child. I do not deny that there is some talent but as I already told him in our meeting, he has no support, and his growth is destined to stagnate.
The Cosmic Phenomenon realm is when cultivation truly begins.
Surely you are already noticing the large gap of energy and the sheer amount of resources that it would take for you to advance." She said and Hal frowned lightly.
He could try to deny it as much as he wished but Isabella was right on point on the wide gap and difficulty in advancing. She was right that he needed resources and the more she spoke, the more he realized how foolish he had been.
While he could very easily continue to dual cultivate and still advance at the pace any noble scion would, that was a speed that did not satisfy him one bit.
His cultivation needed to be faster and frankly, his speed needed to look monstrous even to those considered monsters in cultivation speed.
He needed to accomplish feats that could potentially take centuries within a few years and he could do It in two ways;
One, find powerful ladies at least at the Cosmic Aurora realm and dual cultivate with them or have a lot of ladies within his realm of cultivation, numbering as Grimoire had once suggested in the thousands.
In other words, he needed to dual cultivate like his life depended on it.
Two, he finds and gobble up expensive and violent cultivation resources that others would not dare consume all at once but he could because he was a Devil and also cultivated the Primordial Cosmic Art which did not require weeks between breakthroughs.
He could potentially, absorb until he reached the apex.
Both of these methods were simply advanced Dual cultivation and conventional cultivation which were very expensive but Hal thanked his lucky stars that he did not need to simply pick one and stick to it.
He could afford to be versatile and make use of the two methods interchangeably. He could simply use whichever method he was privey to.
All the same, he needed support and unless he was ready to go to the Doxon Duchy and ask for Svetlana's assistance (which he was not) then there was only one other means open to him and said means just contacted him.
He still wished to be independent but even independent men require assistance once in a while and becoming an island in this sea of monsters who looked ready to devour him was at best, unwise and at worse, suicidal.
It was not only him who saw the wisdom in Isabella's words but it was far from enough to change Melinda's conviction and the Patroness had no intention of forcing her because more than anyone, she felt the family did not have the right to dictate.
That said, she was quite certain Melinda would come to her senses when better candidates begin to show up in a month which was what she told Melinda before adding,
"Also, he's a Runemaster and a high ranked one for that matter which must mean he plans to pursue that path and advance his Astral sense"
"So what?" Melinda asked.
"So, he can't do both simultaneously. He either advances one or the other and when he focuses on one, the other suffers.
Why do you think warrior Runemasters are fewer than Warrior Alchemists. It's because Alchemists can afford to advance both their cultivation and Spiritual sense as long as they manage their time well. Runemasters on the other hand..."
"... Have to dedicate their complete time and attention to the advancement of their Astral sense. They can't half-ass it" Devon completed while looking at Hal who was stroking his jaw slowly in contemplation.
It almost looked as though Hal was not listening to what they were discussing.
It almost looked as though he unfound it of no importance.
And for the most part, that was how Hal felt.
But it was not because he was trying to be disrespectful or nonchalant but because everything that was being said was what he already knew and he highly doubted they would be offering a solution.
He did not need them to because he found his solution long before and it was sitting in his Harem space in the form of a Time warping Array where he could spend time advancing his astral sense and then Cultivation.
Granted, he could not do the two simultaneously, but he could do the next best thing and give himself even more time to do both.
Not to mention that his Astral sense refining technique was not something to be scoffed at when it came to improving efficiency and advancement speed.
He had done what he came here for which was to escort Melinda to her home.
He had even participated in a mostly unexpected Duel and felt it was time to leave.
He had a meeting after all.
He stood from his seat and bowed to all those seated,
"This has been a wonderful... experience but I feel we are in danger of overstaying our welcome so we'll leave now."
Marla and Rita stood as well and bowed.
Hal winked at Melinda who smiled before he walked out of the Dining hall to be escorted to the nearest teleportation circle that would get him out of the Dane territory.
Much as Melinda disliked the vast majority of her family, she planned to stay, and even more so now that they dropped the bombshell of suitors on her.
The Dane brothers watched Hal leave and frowned lightly but whatever they were feeling, it was nothing compared to Isabella who was even more convinced now that there was something peculiar about that young man and she was well aware that peculiar did not always mean good.
...
Hal, Rita, and Marla stepped off the Teleportation circle where their carriage which was being steered by Karmen was awaiting them.
Hal felt it was far better to make use of their own carriage as opposed to spending gold on commercial carriages.
Once inside, Rita exhaled deeply.
"So, how was it?" Hal asked with a light smile.
Rita groaned and her eyes flashed violet as she searched for words that best described how she had felt.
Eventually, she settled for,
"...Uncomfortable"
Chapter 276 - The Meeting At Rose Petal Restaurant. Part 2
Taking advantage of how easily she and Marla were able to blend into the background, Rita had stealthily activated her Succubus bloodline, and the mere proximity between her and the entire territory that seemed saturated with holy energy was... Sickening.
She had not felt that way with Melinda and was willing to bet it was because she was close to those even stronger than her, in who the bloodline was far more showy.
The reaction of course was not uncontrollable and was mostly so heavy because she could not permit herself to react to it and was forced to hold it all down.
However, it proved to Hal that bloodline-wise, Rita was at the equivalent of his previous lesser devil form and was a tad bit unstable.
The only way to curb such a reaction would be for him to advance his own bloodline and thereby advance hers.
Hal retrieved the communication talisman and a message sounded out of it, a message directing him to a large establishment that looked quite like a restaurant.
Marla and Rita preferred to return to the Harem space and cultivate, Rita more so so she could regain her bearing. Karmen wished to come with him into the meeting and Hal saw no reason why not.
After all, it was quite a normal practice to go to such meetings with backup.
Not that he was going into a meeting with an imperial princess with the mentality of having to fight his way out.
Then again, when he saw the person the princess brought along, any thoughts of paranoia were immediately justified...
...
After placing the carriage into his inventory, an act he had done as stealthily as he could in a part of the street not densely populated by passerby, Hal walked into the restaurant with Karmen at his heels.
The moment he was inside, eyes turned in his direction all around with many frowning at him while he surveyed them with his sapphire blue eyes.
Somehow, he knew they were holding strong animosity against him and wondered just how long they would be able to hold it down.
Which was insane because there was no one among those present that he could recognize and yet they all glared at him like he had stolen their wives.
Were his looks really so threatening?
Karmen glared right back at them with no reservations whatsoever and like clockwork, a tall and very muscular man stood up, appreciated Karmen's looks and figure before making his way towards Hal while going around tables and chairs of other customers.
Hal frowned lightly at his approach and did not quite see the point in making a scene, more so because he might not even be the muscular man's target.
He was.
"Are you Hal?" The man asked in a gruff and deep voice.
Hearing his name, Hal reined in the paranoia that he was out to get him and settled for a more reasonable assumption which was that this man had received his name from the very person he had come here to meet.
"Who's asking?" He asked in reply.
"Follow me" the man said and turned towards an inner room and Hal followed after him while remaining as alert as he possibly could.
Suddenly the man stopped and turned to him,
"Only you. The girl stays here." He said in a menacing tone that Hal could tell just came naturally to him.
Hal shook his head lightly,
"I want Karmen to come along. I need her for emotional support." He said with a forthright tone.
The nan looked confused,
"What?" He asked.
"You heard me." Hal replied and for emphasis, he leaned back against Karmen who easily supported his weight, and patted his head against her breast.
"There, there" she cooed.
The man frowned and then shook his head,
"Whatever" he said and continued walking which Hal took as permission.
Past a curtain and they ended up at a door which the man knocked and then pushed to go inside right away while calling out to Hal,
"We're here"
Hal and Karmen stepped in right after and the room was quite furnished but it was ultimately still for dining, albeit extravagant dining.
There was a sofa and a few other expensive-looking chairs and in the middle of it, was a table ladened with a large assortment of meals that were clearly rich in cultivation resources.
The lady that sat on the sofa had the lower part her face covered with a transparent veil and was dressed in a red gown that clung to her figure while she surveyed Hal and Karmen with her green irises.
Hal easily recognized her as the lady he had met in Tretch forest who he now knew was an Imperial princess.
Or at least that was what he had now been told.
Tanya gestured to one of the expensive-looking chairs,
"Welcome to Rose Petal restaurant, Hal. I have a proposition for you" she said.
...
Mere minutes after Hal followed the muscular man towards the back room, a man with black eyes middle-aged man walked into the restaurant and was only able to catch Hal's back before it disappeared behind the curtain.
The man's black eyes narrowed and he withdrew a communication talisman from within his clothes to speak into it as quietly as he could while walking back out of the restaurant,
"Patroness, I followed him and his behavior has been overly suspicious." He said.
Back in her study,
Isabella sighed,
"How so?" She asked and the middle-aged man related all that he had witnessed to her including the sudden absence of the carriage Hal had used to transport himself to the restaurant.
Once he was done, Isabella instructed him to continue keeping a close watch on Hal before disconnecting the communication.
The truth was that, despite her disparaging comments to Hal, she did not really believe his growth would stagnate.
Or more accurately, she did not really believe he was without support.
Even at that moment, she had sent men to Sapphire city for a thorough investigation on exactly who Hal really was and if there was some support she was hiding.
Because he was definitely hiding something.
Hal himself had admitted to being an immature teenager and despite it all, he had remained calm while being insulted.
While it could be argued that he was merely being cautious towards a party that could easily annihilate him, he should have at the very least made one comment.
Which meant he was either a coward or her words and the words of everyone else had no impact since he had support.
Now, this is where it gets confusing for the Dane Patroness;
If Hal did have support, then why not speak of his support?
Why not point out the one who was funding his growth?
If not to intimidate them, then at least to show that he was not totally helpless.
The only reason he would not speak of his support (If he had one) was if it was the kind that was frowned upon on the continent.
And that would explain the darkness she had felt from him in her study.
Of course, all this was still mostly conjecture, she needed to be sure, and finding out who he was meeting with was a good start.
Hence the investigation and the tailing.
...
Meanwhile,
Tanya had just given Hal a welcome and spoke of her proposition when Hal sat comfortably in the chair and smiled at her,
"It's good to see you again" he said.
The elder behind the Sofa glared at Hal and decided to make his presence known,
"Peasant, surely you now know who it is you are speaking to. Show some respect!"
Hal started and looked up at him,
"For fucks sake old man, what are you doing here?"
Chapter 277 - Merits Are Not Enough!
The Elder's eyes widened and he looked irate,
"Don't use such crass words before the princess and do watch your tone. As for what I am doing here, that is none of your business."
Tanya sighed,
"Calm down Elder, I am sure he meant no disrespect" she said.
Hal smiled inwardly,
'Oh, I definitely meant a lot of disrespect."
The Elder humphed and looked away from Hal who never stopped smiling at least until Tanya looked him in the eye and frowned,
"You meant no disrespect right?" She asked in a tone that while still mild, borderline menacing.
Hal composed himself,
"Of course not" he said with a straight face.
The tall and Muscular man retreated out of the room and returned soon after followed by a waitress that served drinks before walking back out.
"Okay then, before we speak of any proposition, can you explain to me exactly what is going on and why I now have to expect to find my portrait in every city I happen to visit?" He asked with a smile.
Tanya smiled,
"Why should I? I made a decision and the reasons behind it are quite frankly not of your concern. I have allowed you thus far to be informal, but I insist that you put a semblance of decorum in your words when you speak to me."
Hal sneered in his mind at the reality behind those words as well as its aim which was to draw a clear line between them and almost definitely make it harder for Hal to say no to her.
Too bad that such a tactic was useless on Hal.
That said he was outwardly solemn as he apologized,
"I apologize for my misconduct princess. But I still wish to know why? When we met in the forest, there was no indication whatsoever that it was something I had no choice but to say yes to." He told her in a level tone and the Elder was grinning in a self-satisfied manner.
Tanya however, frowned
Not because of the question which she had no problem answering but at how quickly Hal was able to adjust to the hierarchy.
As with many things with her, it had been a test and this quick ease into the status quo was a little unsettling.
He was either being very sincere or very sneaky.
Hal could tell from her less than satisfied visage that he needed to rein in his reactions but he also felt he might as well go through with it.
Eventually, Tanya sighed,
"I put out your portraits in the hope that if someday you decided to leave Salmon city which last I heard has since been renamed, I would know and lend a helping hand.
Also maybe I would be able to finally explain the true significance of the Jade token I gave to you.
You don't have to worry though, you will not be disturbed by anyone else who has your portrait. There is no need for that after all since we have already met."
Hal took a deep breath and picked up the beverage to take a sip before Tanya continued,
"As you have already been told at Kirsten city, the jade token comes with a lot of perks upon successful entry into the Royal academy but it is much more than that.
It is also for the recruitment of talented individuals for the purpose of under the radar deployment and uncovering of secret plots. Or more accurately, Tokens given by me are this way.
There is no reason for you to believe anyone else makes use of the tokens this way."
Hal frowned lightly,
"Is that for me not to think about such a possibility or is that actually the case?" He asked for the purpose of clarification.
Tanya sighed,
" I would love to tell you that that is the case and that no one else is making use of the tokens in this manner but sadly it is not.
But that is not really any of your concern or now.
My proposition is for you to become my newest recruit. I gave many more tokens and you not accepting will not set me back in the slightest but there are perks in it for you should you accept.
You will be awarded merits according to the tasks you complete."
Hal looked a little confused,
"Merits? What is that for? He asked.
Tanya turned her head a fraction in the elder's direction as he explained,
"Merits or otherwise called merit points are ways of measuring the deeds of an individual, family or organization to the Empire and thus to the Emperor. They can be used to requests rewards or favors or even titles from the emperor.
They can be used to increase territory and in some cases, they can be used to gain the support of the imperial family to challenge a Duke or Duchess and win the Duchy they govern.
The last part is the height of merit points and no one has ever attained such." The Elder explained.
Hal nodded in understanding and could not help but chuckle,
"So, I will accomplish potentially life-threatening tasks for merit points? I'll keep stacking them up for what? Honor?" He asked incredulously.
"That does not satisfy you?" Tue Elder asked in a tone with an underlying threat at how ungrateful and greedy Hal was sounding.
"Of course not" Hal said in a tone that suggested that that should have been obvious.
Actually, merits sounded quite nice to Hal and he had to admit that having the Empire owe him favors sounded very profitable... in the long term.
That was an issue. Not only would he need to keep raking up points to eventually use at some point he needed it, but the top reward was also possible self-destructing.
He did not believe the highest merit point level was impossible to get. After all, a Cosmic Pagoda realm expert could live for Two thousand years. Surely over the course of that lifetime, they could rake up enough merits to go after the grand price.
The issue lay in that, most of them did not want to or never got the opportunity to make use of those merits.
No, Merits were not enough to get him excited.
"You have the opportunity to serve your continent and earn merits and you still claim it is not enough?
You should be falling all over yourself to serve your emperor and not be looking for your personal gain."
Hal raised his brow at the Elder and there were many things he thought to say in reply to those words, part of them being how stupid the Elder was to even consider him doing something for the empire when so far the emperor had not exactly done anything for him.
However, that borderlines insulting the imperial power of the continent and he knew better than to say it.
Second, he doubted the legitimacy of what he was being asked to do and if it was truly sanctioned by the emperor or at the very least if the emperor was aware of it in the entirety and if the one the tasks were going to be hidden from was first and foremost, the Emperor himself.
This as well, he decided was best not to say... For now.
Tanya nodded,
"Well, merits are not the only reward you stand to gain, there will be monetary gains as well. Successful tasks will reward you with gold and Blue gems."
Hal smiled lightly,
"That's better" he said.
Tanya raised a brow,
"Does that mean you accept?"
Chapter 278 - Alchemist Nadia And The Ax Wielding, Veil Wearing Lady.
"Sure why not? This seems like volunteer work where I offer services and get paid. I can live with that" Hal said.
Tanya nodded and Hal thought he saw a look of relief pass over her face as she looked over to the elder before saying,
"That's good. This..." She pointed at the tall and muscular man "...is Ehrlich and he will be your supervisor and in charge of telling you what your initiation task will be."
"Initiation task?" Hal asked in a mildly confused expression.
Tanya nodded with a smile,
"You can call it mission if you wish but yes, initiation. As I said, I have many other recruits and I need to be sure you are actually capable and for that, you need to perform an initiation task.
On that note, the initiation task is to be done alone and you are not to bring anyone along with you.
Since I only came here in person as a show of good faith, I will be returning to the Imperial city soon after this and will either contact you directly or through Ehrlich."
Hal frowned slightly but nodded, all the same, to show that he understood.
He left the room soon after with Karmen behind him and eyeing all those in the room with a gaze that showed just how much she disliked them.
Once Hal was out of the room, Ehrlich left as well and only the Elder and Tanya were left in the room.
"Um, your highness?" He called.
"Yes?" Tanya replied.
"Is there some reason why you told that impetuous young man that he was one of many recruits when the truth is he is the first you have ever made this proposition to?" He asked with his brow furrowed in confusion.
Tanya sighed,
"Worth control. I can't have him thinking he's special just because he happens to be the only one I feel I can trust and the reason why he is the only one I feel I can trust lies in the fact that I can't sense loyalty towards anyone other than himself within him.
I prefer that to blind loyalty which is quite usually blind.
Let's just see how he does in initiation."
The Elder nodded,
"Should I prepare for our return to the Imperial City?" He asked.
"Why would you consider that?" Tanya asked.
"Well, you said we would be returning" the Elder said.
Tanya nodded. She had of course not forgotten what she had said at all,
"We're not leaving. I saw no reason to let him know of my plans. So I made a statement that made me seem inaccessible. We will stay in Silva for a while."
"As you wish Princess"
...
Upon leaving Rose petal restaurant, Hal made his way to another one of his hidden spots and retrieved his carriage which he then boarded and rode off towards the hotel he was staying.
On the way, he summoned Arya out of the Harem space,
"I just met your cousin" was the first thing he said to the Alchemist whose eyes widened.
"Which of them?" She asked.
"Tanya" he told her in an almost offhand tone while looking out of the carriage at the locations they passed.
Arya's widened green eyes slowly narrowed,
"What did she want with you?" She asked and Hal turned towards her with a smile which alerted her that she had been a tad bit disrespectful.
She bowed,
"If you don't mind me asking. I'm sorry if I was impudent." She said.
Hal waved it off,
"It's fine" he told her and explained a part of what Tanya had wanted with him while Arya's frown continued to deepen.
The more she thought of the whole thing, the shadier she found it and Hal shared her sentiment but he still wished to go through with it all the same.
This was a clear-cut opportunity for him to travel the continent and maybe form connections if possible and he wished to ride the wave. At the very least for now.
"Anyway, since I will likely be leaving for the initiation task soon, it might be better we take care of some of the things we had planned before. One of them being a visit to the Alchemist organization." Hal said and had Arya take over steering the carriage towards the Alchemist Organization.
She was familiar with the Silva Duchy capital enough to know her way around.
In fact, it could be argued that she knew her way around all the Duchys on the Haron continent.
With Arya at that wheel (so to speak) the journey was quick and before long they had traversed far from the restaurant right to the very front of the Alchemist Organization in the Silva Duchy which was actually a branch. The true Headquarters was in the Imperial city.
That said, this branch was the center for all alchemists in the Silva Duchy and even had small sub-branches across the Duchy to improve outreach.
Arya retrieved her identity token which had the guards at the association falling over themselves to tend to her needs.
Clearly, a Rank 6 Alchemist was a big deal.
She had them take the carriage and take good care of it while she led the way into the Organization's large building with Hal and Karmen at her heels.
Truth be told, when Hal began to consider joining organizations, he planned to join Rune Castle which was what the Runemastering organization was called but he thought better of it.
Or more accurately, he decided to have the best of both worlds.
Since he could also refine, then why not become a registered Alchemist as well.
Not to mention that the requirements to join Rune Castle were very high.
He needed to join a sect or academy that would guarantee he had been tutored in the ways of Runemastering.
This requirement did not come out of nowhere of course since, unlike Alchemy, Runemastering had way more branches and was much more difficult to advance.
The quickest and safest way to advance was to join those same sects and upon honorable exits out of said sects, induction into Rune castle followed, hence the requirements.
However, should the Runemaster be adamant about not joining a sect for the sake of remaining independent, then he or she could choose to self-study and learn all the guidelines as well as other basics of the art and then take a test divided into written and practical components.
Anyway,
Arya walked into the Organization building with unhurried steps before she came face to face with a clerk and introduced herself as 'Alchemist Nadia' which was the alias she used in the hope to avoid the ones her father had sent out to search for her.
All these years later, she felt it was safer to simply keep using that name.
While she conversed with the clerk and made preparations to lead Hal inside, he walked about the reception with a gaze of appreciation.
Karmen stuck close to him but she appreciated the architecture as well.
And then they both heard the click-clack sound of feminine footsteps followed by a lady in a long silver gown and a veil that covered all of her face except her pale eyes.
The veil was now making Hal consider if this was a common begavior of ladies in the capital.
The Silver hair, the pale eyes...
This lady had features resembling Pierre. She had to be a Silva.
And then...
*Whoosh*
... There was a large battle-ax at his neck and it was held there by the silver-haired lady.
Hal could not help but roll his eyes just as the lady spoke,
"How dare you ogle me with your eyes?" She asked with gritted teeth.
Hal was about to reply when he recognized the distinct sound of another Cosmic Armament being summoned.
Karmen's eyes flashed crimson,
"Drop... your... weapon"
Chapter 279 - The Lack Of Mediation.
Karmen stressed each word not out of fear or lack of confidence but to make sure the silver-haired lady heard her clearly while she pointed her blood-red broadsword towards her.
The silver-haired lady looked in her direction and let out the pressure of the peak stage of the Cosmic Phenomenon realm. Not only that, it was clear that she was already heading ever closer to turning her Phenomenon into an Aurora.
And yet, even as she felt that pressure that far surpassed hers, Karmen did not bat an eye. If anything she grinned and her eyes flashed while she looked close to letting out her fiendish side.
Hal who had been feeling a little sense of deja vu since his first meeting with Tanya had involved almost the exact same words the silver-haired lady just used, could tell and sighed.
It would seem Rita was not the only one at an equivalent of his previous lesser devil form and even Karmen's fiendish bloodline was now acting up in the face of combat.
He looked in her direction,
"Karmen" he said in a soothing voice and she took a deep breath while reining in her fiendish pressure but that did not mean she lowered her weapon.
The silver-haired lady looked from Hal to Karmen and her brows furrowed as she briefly felt what Karmen had been letting out and it had an effect on her.
Hal cleared his throat,
"Miss, please lower your weapon" he said in a polite tone and a smile.
Arya looked over and realized what was happening but Hal told her telepathically not to interfere for now so she hung back and watched.
The silver-haired lady sneered, taking Hal's polite request for fear.
However, she had no intentions of letting him off easy. Whether due to her strength or due to the tells on her features that showed she was a Silva, she did not care why he was showing fear.
He should have been quick to notice that earlier and not stare at her,
"I don't want to" she said in a singsong kind of voice.
"And might I ask why?" Hal said, refusing to be distracted by her voice.
"You looked at me" The lady said with a shrug as though what she just said made sense.
Hal of course thought otherwise.
"To be fair, most of your face is covered with a veil and there isn't really much to see" he said.
Hal could tell she was frowning behind the veil and most have seen the truth in those words, Even then she did not lower her battle-ax and actually pressed it closer to Hal's neck.
Karmen's broadsword moved closer to her as well.
At that moment, a group that was quite clearly her guards which was a detail that Hal could detect since the one leading the guards had silver hair and pale eyes as well, walked into the waiting hall from the outside.
Immediately, they noticed Karmen's weapon pointed at the silver paired lady, they summoned their Armaments as well and pointed it in a threatening manner at her while the silver-haired guard walked towards the ax wielding lady,
"My lady, are you well?" He asked.
The silver-haired lady frowned,
"What are you doing here?" She asked.
The guard looked uncomfortable,
"I truly was waiting outside for you my lady, but I felt there has to be a reason you were not yet out and my job is to keep you safe so I took a spur-of-the-moment decision to ensure your safety."
The silver-haired lady looked over at him,
"I'm fine. You can go now" she said and at that time Hal grew impatient of her antics as he stretched his hand and grabbed the stem of her ax and pull it down to turn and press her body against his.
The lady's eyes widened for two reasons;
He dared to touch her and
For some reason, he could overpower her without letting out the pressure of his cultivation.
Hal saw no big deal in it since he was making use of his strength of his Devil form as discreetly as he could.
"What are you doing?" She said in a steady voice and Hal could not help but admire how she was able to keep a lid on her emotions despite her heart pounding so loud.
"I'm calming you down and I get the feeling that without restraining you, you won't believe I was not ogling and even if I was, it should be considered a compliment." Hal said.
"Oh lucky me." The lady said with her voice heavy with sarcasm.
Hal chuckled mildly while ignoring the angry looking guards who were pressing in closer to him and were already restraining Karmen who he told to remain calm telepathically,
"Yes, miss. Lucky you. I have seen a lot of beauties and while I do admit you are the cream of the crop, it is still a little narcissistic to consider my eyes on you as more than a passing gaze." He said and spoke so close to her ear that the lady almost leaned back even more into his soothing voice.
She struggled to regain her composure while starting to come to the conclusion that this young-looking man might actually be an expert and she might have misunderstood him,
"So it was merely a passing gaze?" She asked in her same steady voice.
Hal looked taken aback as though he could not see how she came to such an assumption,
"What? Of course not. I was definitely admiring any part of you I could see" he said and let go of her.
The lady turned around to face him again,
"You..." She said while trying to keep her fast-beating heart under control.
The silver-haired guard walked briskly towards Hal,
"How dare you touch her?" He said in a booming voice but the lady called him back,
"Garrett, that's enough. This was just a misunderstanding" she said through gritted teeth before turning around towards the exit of the building.
Hal on the other hand was a little surprised no one even came out on behalf of the Organization to attempt a mediation.
This was after all, their turf.
Clearly, they saw no reason to bother with the fate of a nameless nobody like him.
He watched the guards move out of the Organization building and smiled at the memory of the feel of the silver-haired Lady in his arms. It had been quite an experience.
Also due to their proximity, Hal could ascertain that she was an alchemist and not just here to purchase directly from the Organization branch instead of retailers.
A luxury only a few in the Siva Duchy were afforded.
Her Spiritual sense was at the 5th rank and that coupled with her cultivation made her both a cultivation and Alchemical genius.
At that time, someone walked out from one of the inner rooms past the reception area of the organization building and made a beeline towards Arya.
"Alchemist Nadia. It is such an honor. It's been so long since we last heard from you" he said while bowing numerous times to Arya who looked at him with a sneer.
"Shut up!" She said and the man was struck dumb while the clerk looked like the order might have been directed at him as well.
"Have we done anything to offend you?" He asked.
Karmen dispersed her Cosmic armament and she and Hal walked over to where Arya stood.
"You still have the face to ask me that? My apprentice was just assaulted by someone in this very building and the whole event was ignored. What do you have to say for yourself?
Is this how I should expect to be treated from now on?
Should I simply call headquarters and ask directly if the order of disrespect came from them?" She rained down questions on the Man and he looked stumped.
He had no idea Hal was connected to Arya as he had not been there to see them walk in together.
That fault lay with the clerk who was as stiff as a board and looked scared to death. (Whether by Arya or the man was a little unclear.)
And although they could not really afford to offend the Silva family, they could have still mediated, and offending Alchemist Nadia who was known to very influential at headquarters was something he could not even dare to do.
The best hope to regain their old relation was simply to pacify her by ensuring everything she came for today was a smooth success.
"I'll personally be at your service." He said and bowed deeply while Hal smiled inwardly at the thought that this man was most likely high ranking at this branch.
Arya snorted,
"It's not enough. But I guess it's a start."
Chapter 280 - Bearing The Costs.
Meanwhile...
Outside of the Alchemist organization, the Silver-haired lady was only just boarding her carriage and while she was attempting to hide her emotions, it was clear that the meeting with Hal had had an effect on her.
Once inside the carriage and it began to trudge away from the organization building, she looked out the window and tried not to think of the encounter.
Eventually, she could no longer hold it in,
"Garrett, do you know who that was?" She asked even though she knew that was not really possible since they had both only just met him.
Garrett looked thoughtful,
"He does look familiar" he said and the lady turned to nail him with her beautiful pale eyes,
"What?"
Garrett shrugged,
"He seems to match young master Pierre's description." He said with squinted eyes.
"My brother gave a description?" The lady asked and Garrett nodded,
"Yes, it's all your brother has talked about since he arrived two days ago. Apparently, he met a young man with blue eyes when he visited the Kirsten Barony." Garrett said and his words drew a sigh from the lady's lips.
"I still don't understand why father continues to make him do such demeaning tasks."
"The Duke surely has his reasons" Garrett reasoned and The lady took a deep breath and continued to look out the window while working even harder to out the whole encounter out of her mind.
However, she would still ask her brother for a description of the person he had met at the Barony.
Not that she was remotely interested in finding out... of course, she just needed to be sure.
"It's just for research purposes" she told herself.
...
Hal and Karmen followed behind Arya and the man who led them into the inner workings of the building while acting as demure as he possibly could.
He was so subordinate that Hal was caught off guard when someone bowed to him and called him "Branch Head".
The man had taken the title call with a stoic expression while introducing Arya as an important guest that they should prepare a grand welcome for.
Arya turned it down and said her only reason for being here was to certify her apprentice (Hal) as a true Alchemist.
The man eyed Hal and it was a little hard for him not to be doubtful because the young man before him was barely a youth and one he could tell for certain had not gone past the forty-year mark.
'Oh well, he might just be a genius' he thought but it all went out the window when Arya requested for a Rank 4 test right off the bat.
"R-r-rank 4? I'm sorry Alchemist Nadia but he needs to pass the preceding rank tests before he can be certified to take the Rank 4" the Branch head said.
Hal was about to tell Arya that that would be fine since even though he was in a hurry, he was not in too much of a hurry to complete the process in two days but she was already taking the matter into her own hands.
"No, no, I prefer he just take the Rank 4 test and be done with it." She said and seemed to be enjoying seeing the Branch head squirm.
And he did look uncomfortable.
"I'm sorry, but I can not bypass the required protocols. Even for you" he said.
When she looked disappointed, the Branch added,
"How about we bear the cost of the tests? Will that make it better?" He asked in an almost timid voice that caused Arya to cackle in her mind while Hal secretly shook his head at her ballbusting nature.
As for the Branch offering to bear the cost of the test, it was quite a generous offer as all the ingredients required for refining pills from rank one through to rank four were not going to be cheap.
Not to mention that as an Alchemist whose very occupation was built upon trial and error, he was bound to waste ingredients and in this case, it would not be him paying for the wastage.
Neither would he be penalized as long as he did not go past the limit.
Even then Arya still looked like she was only barely settling for this offer and was not truly satisfied.
That said, now that he would have to go through the tests from Rank One to Rank four, Hal had to admit he preferred the way things turned out, and maybe it would be better he go through it all and familiarize himself with the subtleties of Alchemy.
Since he came along with Arya who introduced him as her apprentice, he did not need to go through any of the normal processes and was instead led to the testing chamber.
However, the Branch head insisted that before the test began, Arya should grace him with the pleasure of meeting up with the other prestigious alchemists of the Silva Duchy.
All of them from prominent families who based their lives entirely on the brilliance of Spiritual sense and the occupation of Alchemy.
"You can leave your apprentice here. He can wait for you until you are done meeting up with them." The branch head said.
'No, I want to come along' Hal told Arya telepathically and she was quick on the uptake.
"Are you telling me they all left their apprentices out of the meeting?" She asked with a frown and the branch head looked down and seemed to struggle with his words.
Arya did not wait for him as she said,
"My apprentice will come with me"
The Branch head bowed,
"As you wish" he said and lead the way inside just as Arya retrieved a long black cloak out of her spatial ring and put it on before she followed after.
"Master, should I stay outside?" Karmen asked.
Hal shook his head,
"Why would you? Come inside with me. This is all good information, no knowledge is lost.
After all, I'm sure you've learned a lot today already" he told her with a smile.
Karmen nodded excitedly,
"Oh yes, I have. For example, Master is so good looking he sometimes attracts violent ladies who try to keep their attractions hidden by attacking him. So I need to be much more vigilant" she said.
"Probably not the words I'd use but accurate all the same" Hal said and proceeded after Arya into the meeting room.
-
The first thing Hal felt upon entry into that room was a very thriving headache. One that forced him to rein his Astral perception in as fast as possible.
He had only let it out a few meters away from him in a vigilant force of habit but that had still been enough for him to be pressured by the large amount of conjoined spiritual perception that had been let out in the room.
The six men sitting in the room from who the spiritual perception was radiating were also radiating an immense amount of pressure on account of their cultivation base and Hal could easily tell that four of them were at the late and peak stages of the Cosmic Pagoda realm while the two others were Semi-Saints!
It did not matter that none of those present was as powerful as the Dane patroness, Isabella, what mattered was that they could squash Hal and his party of two like a bug, and that was unsettling.
They had been conversing and suddenly stopped when Hal was inside the room after Arya who had just bowed in respect.
One of them looked over at Hal and pointed,
"Oh look, it's another pretty boy."