The next few days went by quickly as Aenon fell into a monotonous rhythm. Wake up, memorize the book, learn some basic cooking techniques from Mrs. Ashvein, and finally end the day with rune crafting with Nocthrya. So far, he only had some minor success in the last activity. Turns out forming a runic pattern from scratch was much harder than hijacking someone else's. Like the Nurse said, he was entirely dependent on his instinct, which was another way of saying he had no clue what he was doing. And going by feel wasn't a recommended technique when dealing with soul-related spells. Even so, the formation was showing some progress, albeit very slowly.

At least his debuff was gone which was a huge relief. He decided not to attack the ant dungeon yet. Focusing on learning instead. Mrs. Ashvein was in the process of teaching him a particular recipe that would boost his fire resistance, amongst other things. Apparently, even though cooked food was not as effective as potions, it could still grant significant boosts to healing and mana regeneration.

As Aenon awoke after another late-night session, he felt something small curled up next to him. Talia had snuck into his bed yet again, clutching his shirt as she slept peacefully. Nocthrya had managed to reduce the severity of her nightmares, and Thalindra was helping her work through her past trauma. But it was slow progress, and the girl still had the occasional bad dream. Aenon smiled and leaned back on his bed without disturbing her. He gently caressed her head while looking out the window of his small room that Nocthrya had constructed using trees. Although, constructed would be the wrong term. The place looked like several trees had grown together in the shape of a room. It even had wooden furniture made of thick vines that grew out of the wooden walls and floor. The bedding was made of soft lichen and fibers.

A gentle knock on the door broke the peaceful silence. Aenon passed on a mental message to grant permission before Mrs. Ashvein trotted in. She took one look at the scene before shaking her head with a smile.

"What will I do about this kid," she said sadly.

"She just needs time," Aenon responded softly. "Mental wounds take longer than physical ones."

The grandmother had a complicated expression on her face as she looked at Aenon. Almost as if she understood that he spoke from experience. But she didn't press him, carefully changing the topic to break the tense atmosphere.

"There is a delegation from a neighboring town waiting for you at Pinespire," Mrs. Ashvein said in a formal tone. "The City Admin is here to escort you."

Aenon frowned when he heard that. He had given strict orders not to drag him into any political meetings. If Henry was here for him, something big must have happened. Aenon gave a terse nod and gently moved Talia without waking her. He grabbed some fruit from a table on the side and stepped out with Mrs. Ashvein.

"Any idea what this is about?" he asked before biting down on his modest breakfast.

The duo made their way towards the portal that connected Reality's Edge to Pinespire. The older woman had a dark look before she collected herself.

"The neighboring town is part of a conglomerate," she said neutrally. But Aenon sensed the nervousness from her soul as she went on. "They want us to…join their alliance."

The nervous break between her words was all Aenon needed to figure out the approximate picture. His face steeled as Henry came into view. The man's emotions were a mess, and there was…something else. The man was meticulous when it came to his clothes. But today his collar was crumpled.

"Explain," Aenon commanded, a cold fury hidden in his voice.

Henry must have noticed Aenon's gaze linger on his collar. He immediately smoothened it before giving a formal bow.

"We have a representative from out neighboring town," Henry said calmly. "He wanted to discuss terms with the owner of the fort city. They are part of an alliance spanning five cities and want us to be the sixth."

Even though Henry looked the same outwardly, his Sovereign's Eye said otherwise. The man was worried, and scared.

"On what authority are they making this demand," Aenon replied as he walked past Henry towards the portal. Mrs. Ashvein stayed back while Henry followed. "Did they takeover ownership of their cities?"

"Um, no sire," Henry explained. "It's an unofficial group that is claiming to run the settlements. Adventuring parties mostly."

Aenon stepped through the portal with Henry behind him. A group of soldiers stood guard on the other end. They took one look at the new arrivals and bowed respectfully. As they made their way towards the mansion, the City Admin briefed Aenon on his guests.

"The delegation consists of a party of five. A warrior, a rogue, two archers, and a healer. Their levels vary between 85 to 96. The warrior is the highest leveled and is some kind of dual sword wielder. I was informed the leader of this alliance will be sending her right-hand man to…negotiate a deal. The adventuring party is just a show of force before he arrives."

Aenon nodded before directing a tendril from his shadow to link with Henry's. He had gotten more proficient with the use of his abyssal armor set ability—Shadow Meld. With just a thought he dragged Henry into the mysterious dimension. The man stumbled at the sudden change in scenery and looked around in shock. But he recovered remarkably quickly as the two continued their walk. Only two ownerless shadows creeping along the ground hinted at their presence in the real world.

Aenon was mildly surprised at how the city had transformed. The signs of tent settlements were completely gone, replaced with additional housing that the newly integrated citizens lived in. The hostilities between the different groups had dropped to a minimum, though not gone entirely. The city had regained its earlier prosperity and looked well maintained. Aenon glanced at Henry with an appreciative look, to which he merely smiled and bowed.

But Aenon's mood soured as they approached the main gates of his mansion. A small group of elderly people were being escorted out by soldiers with apologetic looks. Aenon just turned to Henry with a questioning gaze.

"Ahem. Our guests were very particular about maintaining appearances," Henry explained nervously. "They did not feel it fitting that…um…the weaker citizenry took up residence in the Mayor's mansion. Something about their leader taking offense to it."

"You mean my mansion?"

Henry's nervousness peaked. Aenon clenched his fists but relaxed them soon after. He sent out a bunch of mental commands to his group before resuming his walk. He sensed a party of five adventurers waiting in a guest conference room. Gorin and Thalindra were seated in Aenon's office, so that is where he headed directly.

As the door opened, seemingly by itself, the Guild Leader drew his sword on reflex. Thalindra didn't even flinch as she stared in Aenon's direction. But she had a serious look on her face. Gorin's face paled when Aenon and Henry materialized into the room. He quickly sheathed his sword and began to apologize, but Aenon waved him off.

Aenon marched to his chair and sat down, beckoning the others to take their seats. Henry stood by his left.

"Care to explain why my house is being turned upside down to appease a bunch of nobodies?" Aenon's voice was calm, but the atmosphere was charged with his hidden anger.

"Things are…complicated," Thalindra tried to—unsuccessfully—pacify him. "The alliance this party represents have all but taken over their respective Adventurer's Guild. Unofficially, of course."

"I was given sealed messages from the Guild Leaders of their respective cities," Gorin added. "The messages are grim."

Gorin placed a stack of letters before him. Aenon started reading them one by one, his frown deepening. They were essentially pleas to surrender to avoid…problems. They didn't explain further, but Aenon felt there was more to the story. He put down the letters and looked at each person one by one. Their nervousness was quite clear, as was their uncertainty. He looked at Henry directly.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"I put you in charge to run the city," he began in a cold tone. "Not to kowtow to arrogant fools. You represent me, and I expect you to behave the way I would."

Henry was about to apologize, but Aenon cut him off.

"Bring them in," Aenon commanded unceremoniously. Henry turned away in shame as he walked towards the door. He straightened his back before leaving the room.

"I will go prepare to receive the representative," Gorin added before he too hurriedly left the room.

Aenon felt Thalindra's gaze, studying him closely. Something had shifted in her demeanor over the last couple of days. She had become more polite and understanding. No longer did she question his every move, trying to figure him out instead.

"He is not to blame," Thalindra spoke softly. "The man was raised in an environment where power trumps all. He has been trained to follow certain procedures when a hostile faction sends such a show of force. He is a good administrator and politician. But he is not a militarily general."

Aenon stayed silent but agreed with her assessment.

"And I know what you intend to do," Thalindra continued cautiously. "But might I suggest a better approach?"

"Which is what exactly?" Aenon responded, his tone cold as ice.

"Please let me deal with this," she said firmly. "Going to war with an alliance before we have established ourselves is a poor choice."

Aenon scowled but didn't lash out immediately. Taking a sign to proceed she explained further.

"When you raided the ant hive, did you dive in immediately? Or did you study your opponent to find their weaknesses? A political battle is no different. Yes, you can muscle your way through using your strength. But if you go in blind, then your enemy will counter you in ways you least expect."

Aenon thought about that deeply. She was no doubt more experienced in these situations, and her words held a lot of wisdom. And Aenon wasn't arrogant enough to claim that he knew better. He looked her in the eye and nodded.

"Very well then," he said simply.

The surprise in her eyes was evident as she blinked in confusion. She was most likely expecting him to push back or outright refuse. But her shock turned to genuine respect for the very first time, her emotions laid bare like an open book to his Sovereign's Eye. But before she could respond, there was a knock on the door.

"Enter," Aenon commanded while leaning back in his chair with confidence.

The party of five walked in behind Henry, who conjured the meeting table as before. Aenon walked and took his seat at the head of the table, with Thalindra sitting to his right and Henry standing by his shoulder to the left. The party members took their chairs without preamble on the opposite side, their expressions a perfect picture of formality and respect.

But against two soul mages, their masks were obsolete. Aenon could clearly sense arrogance and deceit radiating off them, something Thalindra picked on too. Aenon felt her getting more guarded with her body language and even emotions.

The group consisted of five humans from Earth by the looks of it. Three men, and two women. The warrior looked like he was in charge since the others turned to him to proceed.

"Hello Ashryn," the warrior said politely. But the failure to use his title was a clear verbal attack to his station. Something Thalindra didn't overlook.

"Lord Fenrast," she corrected with a polite smile. "He has ownership of the settlement you are in. And in the Multiverse, not using titles for nobility is an egregious oversight. Most would even execute you on the spot for the mistake."

Aenon was impressed. Her words, though sharp like a knife, were spoken with such genuinely polite tone that no one could claim any disrespect. The warrior, a well-built man with a military style haircut was taken aback, unsure on how to reply tactfully.

"My apologies," he finally muttered. "Hello Lord Fenrast."

It was obvious from the man's feelings that the act grated on his nerves. But there was a certain level of fear and discomfort too. The cause of which was explained when he spoke next.

"Could you please stop your Spell," he added with gritted teeth. "It's uncomfortable to look in…"

"So, to what do we owe the pleasure of this meeting?" Thalindra smoothly interrupted him.

Aenon smiled beneath his mask, enjoying the spectacle. This was the first time he was seeing her deal with people, and it was a masterclass in how to take charge of a conversation.

"I…uh…we…," the warrior stuttered. Finally, he turned to face Thalindra, feeling more comfortable ignoring Aenon's stifling presence. "We are here to inform you of our minister's imminent arrival."

"Minister?" Thalindra prodded with the same faux smile.

"Uh yes," the warrior replied nervously, realizing too late that Thalindra wasn't any easier to talk to. Aenon sensed the subtle undertones of her own Aura. Even though it was weak, she was skilled at using it for intimidation.

"I don't follow," Thalindra pressed on. "Is it an official title given by the System? Because if not, that is another thing that Multiversal powers will take offense to."

The party members exchanged worried looks before the warrior spoke again. "Nothing of the sort. It's just for us to organize things better. You know…logistics and all."

"Ah, I see," Thalindra nodded in understanding. But inwardly Aenon was whistling in appreciation. Even her apparent approval made the group nervous.

"Ahem. Well anyway," the warrior continued as a drop of sweat creeped down his temple. "As I was saying, we represent the Earth Alliance. It's an informal gathering of all Earth natives with the noble goal of protecting our sovereignty. We intend to establish a democratically elected…"

"Let me stop you right there," Thalindra interrupted the obviously rehearsed speech. "I am aware of the preconceived notions of the natives from your planet. The System doesn't operate that way. There is a clear nobility system that is enforced and cannot be overridden."

"But…," the warrior started again.

"The System's rules are absolute." Thalindra's expression was one of pity, like a teacher looking down at a stubborn kid.

"Well…we…ahem…umm," the warrior floundered before giving up entirely. "My superior will explain it better."

"Oh, we look forward to it," Thalindra replied with a polite smile. She pointed at the door, dismissing them with indifference.

The warrior's party got up sullenly before marching out in defeat. Henry followed them to escort them to their guest rooms. Only after the door closed did Thalindra's mask fall. She genuinely smiled, pleased with how things went.

"I feel this was important somehow. Although I don't see how," Aenon asked after a while.

"Oh, that was just for the disrespect they showed towards our citizens," Thalindra said with a malicious smile. "No one likes being shown their ignorance. The real whipping will start when this so-called minister shows up."

"Heh. Glad that you are on my team," Aenon said with a smile.

Realizing she couldn't see it, he made his mask invisible. As she looked at his face, her expression shifted. Aenon sensed curiosity and nervousness from her.

"Umm, forgive my bluntness, but how old are you?" she asked with caution.

Aenon regarded her for a moment before deciding to be honest. "Thirteen."

For some reason her soul showed extreme sadness as her gaze softened. She looked away to collect herself. A lot was left unsaid, but Aenon knew she truly understood him then. He felt determination rise from within her as she faced him again.

"I have been hesitant in following you," she said honestly. "Because of my own past. I have been used as a mere tool by my family, for my soul powers. And I have witnessed firsthand what those in power are like. And what effect it has on those they control."

Aenon's expression turned rigid, his smile faltering.

"I do not know your past," she continued before Aenon could interrupt. "And I do not want to know. But I feel like I can understand you a bit better now. I have seen…enough things in life to figure out what has molded you into what you are now. I know from personal experience what trauma does to people, me included."

Aenon looked away from her, turning towards the window facing the city. This felt quite like one of his therapy sessions back on Earth, except the shrink had soul reading powers. But he had no intention of being dragged into this conversation.

He saw something in his peripheral vision. Thalindra had pulled up her sleeve and was holding it next to him. Aenon was taken aback at what she was showing him. There were deep and vicious scars on her wrists. She let it sink in for a moment before hiding them again. She stood next to him as she too looked out the window.

"I am not asking you to open up to me, or listen to my story," she finally said after a long time. "Somethings are best left buried. All I am saying is, I understand you."

Aenon didn't reply, because he didn't know what to say. He looked deeper into Thalindra's soul, and for the first time she let him in completely. Her shackles… he saw it clearly for the first time.

"Heh. Jenny told me that you and I were quite similar, yet different," she said with a scoff. "I finally see why."

She looked into Aenon's eyes and tried to probe into his soul. But this time, Aenon let her in too. There wasn't any malice in her attempt. Only curiosity.

"Two souls, one that chained itself, while the other detests chains," she said with melancholy. "It's almost like fate wanted us to meet. To show me what I could have been. Had I been strong enough to defy my lot in life."

Aenon felt remorse from her soul. Regret at having gone down the path she had chosen. He didn't know her past either, but he could guess based on what he had seen so far. Aenon wondered if he was born in Thalindra's shoes, would he have made the same choice as her. Would he be able to defy his captors when they had magical abilities.

Aenon was about to say something when Thalindra interrupted him. "I appreciate the thought. But my chains cannot be broken. They are self-inflicted, meaning they cannot be removed without damaging my soul. It basically restricts me from using my soul powers offensively against sapient creatures. As does it cap my level at 99 forever."

The tense mood in the room lingered as Aenon continued staring at Thalindra. She had resigned herself to her fate and was quite content with it. At least that's what she was convincing herself.

"Aaah, don't be so glum Lord Fenrast," she said cheerfully. "I have had a long time to come to grips with my fate. But I am still capable enough to steer your budding empire in the right direction using my political guile. The upcoming meeting will be crucial…"

Thalindra was trying to deviate the topic, but Aenon had stopped listening. He was laser focused on the woman's soul.

"No," he finally said, interrupting whatever political scheme she was explaining.

"I am sorry?" she asked in confusion.

"Fate didn't make you meet me to show what you could have become," Aenon explained with conviction. "It made us meet to show you what you can become."

Thalindra had a confused look on her face before Aenon's eyes started glowing an eerie grey. Her eyebrows shot up as she felt something within her soul.

Skill Used | Soul Authority

And the world turned black.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.