Besides being busy with acting as the young Lord of a cult, Aaradhya put aside some time to teach himself how to talk. By the time a few months passed, he was able to converse with his father and staff much cleaner. He was a bit upset with the prepubescent voice that he had but it was something that he had to deal with until he was older since the voice that he thought with was much older and deeper. Months had passed as he recalled a specific day approximately 11 months since the day he was born, before his birthday...
"What are we eating today," Aaradhya started the day off right by walking out of his bedroom with a stretch. He had just been bathed by the two maids that he always felt uncomfortable around. The first girl with long hair and sleepy eyes was called Nairobi, while the tomboyish girl with short hair was called Elora. They were not sisters or related in any way but both of their last names were Lewis.
'That must be a code word or something. To both be allies of the stranger that helped me and have the same last name, they are related in some way that I am not seeing,' Aaradhya narrowed his sights on the two young women every time he thought of their last names. Nairobi looked at Elora and took responsibility for informing their lord.
"I believe it's pancakes, eggs, and bacon with a parfait on the side. I believe they were going to use coconut shavings on top," Nairobi stopped her Lord from walking forward and fixed his collar. Elora smirked beside the two and shook her head when her lord froze up and failed to control his twitching brow.
"More coconut my lord, I think I'm sensing a pattern with all of your meals," Elora laughed out loud as his face crumpled up.
"Didn't I say that I wanted less coconut, and if possible, none at all because of how much it was being served," he frowned.
"You did, my lord. But I told the cooking staff that you weren't serious about your old order. I informed them that you merely wanted less coconut to expand your horizons of mortal cuisine," Elora held back her laugh seeing the deadly glare that Aaradhya had given her.
"Why? I can't see how that would benefit me in any capacity other than annoy me," he moved away from Nairobi who began to comb through his hair with her fingers.
"You told the staff to stop making coconut dishes. As a result, they destroyed all of the coconuts on the island and stopped ordering them as supplies. It has become a forbidden meal over the past three months," Elora said.
"I don't see the issue. They gave me the same food for weeks on end. I am tired of coconut," he narrowed his eyes but Nairobi smudged the edges of his face.
"Stop looking so angry, you'll get crows feet and look old by the time you are in your twenties. And you...", she squinted at Elora who looked everywhere but straight at Aaradhya and herself.
"And you, get to the point," Nairobi ordered with a smile.
"Well my lord, there are some on the island and even in crystal peak who like coconut based treats and foods. Discontent is growing and I figured that allowing such a small issue to be latched onto by those that are not in agreement with your lordship, would be a detrimental factor to your approval ratings," Elora rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.
My approval rating should be over the roof. I have attended every inane ritual since the conclave and I have long since directly spoken to the Grand Elders about my wishes," Aaradhya scoffed as he softened his expression under Nairobi's prodding.
"My lord, no offense but your attendance doesn't mean shit if you are not engaging with the material. You always have your eyes closed during the best part and you never stay for the auction or selection afterward," Elora bent down in front of Aaradhya to meet him at eye level as she spoke.
"You may be there but the engagement that everyone expects is not and some followers and elders have noticed," Elora booped her lord on the nose, much to his dismay.
"I think you are doing just fine. I know how much you dislike seeing the deaths of the flock my lord. Your heart is full," Nairobi squeezed him gently and lifted him up onto her side.
"Yes. Thank you Nairobi. Elora, do better to understand me and I will do better to keep the faith stable as I will take note of all that you said to me," Aaradhya understood that he was supposed to act a certain way but it was difficult. He had to watch someone or multiple people die on the first of each month. He simply couldn't bring himself to look at the barbarity especially since it was so often.
"I get it my lord, trust me, I will get to understand you better than you know yourself," Elora moved her hands menacingly.
"Is that a threat," Aaradhya asked out of concern.
"No my Lord, it's a promise. I will dedicate myself to learning what makes you tick," Elora grinned like a maniac as she poked Aaradhya's puffy cheeks.
"I don't feel like you have good intentions," he squinted at her.
"My intentions are pure just as is my curiosity," she laughed and dug her hands into the apron that adorned her midsection.
"Right...", Aaradhya knew that this girl was a menace based on his interactions with her over the past few months so instead of being swept up in her flow, he cut off all interaction with Elora and looked at the profile of the young woman that held him.
"Nairobi what are the issues that I have to be wary of today," he looked up and placed his hands on her shoulder so that they would not accidentally press or graze against her rather buxom chest.
"The Grand Elders have been trying to bypass the High Priest as of recently so that they can get some clarity on the points that you made during the conclave. Specifically, they are worried about the timetable that you provided regarding the emergence of the Shepherds to the public. They want a specific date, like the day or even the week of our emergence rather than a general range of years," Nairobi informed.
"Oh that...", he shrugged and exhaled deeply.
"Try to avoid the elders if possible, I don't want to speak with anyone that might annoy me today," he pointed forward and closed his eyes.
"That might be hard, there are some Grand Elders already gathered for your morning meal," Nairobi informed him.
"I see," Aaradhya nodded once before he chewed on the inside of his cheek.
'I can only hope that they do not ask stupid questions like always,' with his eyes closed, he chose to reflect on what he had been going through over the last few weeks.
He had sorted through a miniscule portion of the
'There is a lot that I can practice and share with the rest of the Shepherds since it's foundational knowledge. None of it would clash with the nearly infinite number of cultivation methods available within the two resource books. There are just a few issues,' Aaradhya had used his search assistant, the remnant of Wilfred's influence, to parse through the data within the two resources that he bought from the store. He found that both resources possessed the same issue for the most part.
'I need more points,' He opened his eyes and followed the gaze of the two maids to the eight members of the honor guard that surrounded them as they walked down the steps.
'I also need more Verdant to be at my disposal as well as other resources to properly practice some of these methods that I have found. Specifically, I need to gather enough points to purchase three things. Spiritual rods and coils from the Spirit shop and a Vitae Network from the Life shop,' Aaradhya looked at the store within his system and felt greed or expectation within his heart.
'If I can use the Rods to gather more Verdant then store some Verdant or my own spiritual energy in a Coil for later to refine my abilities. I would be able to practice Maven's lift, or
'If I had a Vitae Network, I would be able to completely overcome the need for specialized organs to develop my senses. I just need...', Aaradhya, side-eyed Nairobi and Elora.
"system points...", he said out loud.
'to support myself,' he squinted. Nairobi and Elora both stared at each other when they heard the words "system points" and looked away before their expressions could be read.
'I see that didn't get them to slip up,' Aaradhya frowned as he felt and examined the awkward shuffle that occurred in both young women. They were friends of the stranger that helped him which meant that they were likely associated with a champion, how or in what capacity, he didn't know. It did not stop him from testing them every so often.
Just when Aaradhya was going to get back to thinking about what he needed to do to get points, they reached their destination. The main reception hall had a row of seats for the Grand Elders and a throne. It was where the High Priest convinced the Grand Elders to inform the council and where the Grand Elders informed their religious guests of their Lord's majesty.
It had become a daily routine for all of the elders to gather and join their lord for breakfast while those that did not join early in the day, always joined for lunch. On the rare occasion that the Grand Elders couldn't show up for lunch, they would join their Lord for dinner but it was rare for the private time, known as dinner, of the Lord to be interrupted.
That said, the old heads stood up and bowed to the Lord the moment that he was carried in by Nairobi. The first thing that Aaradhya did upon entering the room was take stock of the elders in the room and the number of staff that catered to them. It was the Fourth, Eighth, Ninth, and Eleventh Grand Elders. He learned their names after a long period of interacting with them. They were called Magdalena Von Der Leyen, Simon Matthew, Mort Masih, and Andie Rosas. They were all old people that had either been born into or shoehorned into their positions either from a young age or because the previous elder named them as their replacement. Mort Masih was the first to raise his head as the grand uncle of Lord Aaradhya. He believed that he possessed a divine right to interact with the Lord.
"My Lord, it is a pleasure to see you in such high health today as well...", Mort rubbed his hands together and walked out from behind his desk.
'A kiss ass. He has been useful and steadfast in his support of my father so I shall not make a scene,' Aaradhya nodded and waved to let the man speak as he held his tongue and bowed before him.
"As you can see, the rest of the Grand Elders are busy attending to other matters. Ahem...", the old man knelt before Nairobi and Aaradhya and placed his forehead on the ground.
"You have something to say," Aaradhya squinted at the man who shared his last name and waited for the man to say something stupid.
"My Lord. I am still confused by what you said in the last meeting where all of the Elders were gathered. I was hoping that you could offer some clarity," the old man raised his head but not to look at Aaradhya, it was to examine the boy's feet for that was as high as he believed his eyes were worth looking at. Magdalena, a member of the high priest's faction, and a true believer of Aaradhya's claim to divinity, left her seat as well and got on her withered knees.
"One moment Mort. Magdalena, please speak," Aaradhya held up a hand and motioned for the old woman to go.
"My lord...", she started.
"I realize that you said that you wanted to delay telling us your plans in specificity due to your age but is there any information that you could impart upon us so that we may inform the flock," the woman with hard features and piercing blue eye opened her mouth to speak further but she didn't know if it was right to say what she wanted.
"What is on your mind," Aaradhya said.
"When I speak of the flock, I mean to say that I have to order next year's supplies for the combat staff and honor guard soon. I need to know what my spending should look like over the coming years so I can start making adjustments this coming year," Magdalena, the old woman with thick silver hair and a mole on her throat, didn't dare look even at her lord's feet as she stared at the floor in front of Nairobi.
"Magdalena, if I were in disagreement with your current spending or had a comment about what supplies you needed to order, I would have said something well in advance. You should take my silence as confirmation that my plans are unfolding smoothly," Aaradhya scowled at the elders that had all raised their bodies to say something.
"As for your clarity Mort...", he patted Nairobi's arms so that she would let him down.
"And this goes to all of you and the Grand Elders that are not present, so if you could pass the message at your earliest convenience...", Aaradhya approached his throne and snapped his fingers. Two of the honor guards that surrounded at all times helped him into his seat.
"I have answered all of your questions personally, ad nauseum might I add, since I have regained my ability to speak...", he crossed one leg over the other and leaned his head into a free fist.
"Now I understand that this is a difficult time for the flock since the tragic events that occurred after my birth and on the second day of the Conclave. I know the flock desires assurances but as we are, there is nothing that must be changed. Not yet at least. I will say when we must do things differently, until then, maintain the status quo as if I were not here," Aaradhya snapped his fingers again and smiled when a procession of servants walked in from the hidden entrances with food and drinks for each of the elders. Mort and Magdalena returned to their seats after they each bowed more than their aged bodies should have allowed. Andie Rosas, the Eleventh Elder swallowed what his Lord told him and slowly opened up his mouth after much contemplation.
"My Lord, as you know, I need to coordinate with the Seventh Elder on many things since he and the council members under his purview are responsible for intake while I am responsible for retention of the flock," The Eleventh spoke slowly to avoid stuttering as he felt the Lord's gaze on him. The air thickened and clogged his throat.
It was a little trick that Aaradhya learned which involved creating a small orb of spiritual energy and using one of his mosquitoes, flies, butterflies, or moths to carry it over to his desired location. He would then focus on the orb and allow the Verdant to swirl around it. It was easier said than done since he was still learning how to control the thread that came off of his body. There was no information about controlling spiritual energy in the autobiography or the handbook, just the Egg visualization technique for controlling the Verdant.
"Speak," Aaradhya glared but not because he was angry, it was because he was hungry and the food was placed right in front of him. He could hear his stomach growling.
"Yes my Lord. Ahem, when exactly are we supposed to reveal the existence of our faith to the whole world. Before or after you start to reveal your teachings," Andie, the Eleventh Grand Elder, brought up a point that had been made dozens of times over the past few months. Aaradhya stared at his food and gave it some serious thought for the first time in a long while even though he was tired of answering the same questions.
'According to death, the best time to reveal the Shepherds is the months following my twentieth birthday. One of the more important reasons being, there will have been more than enough time for word of the Shepherds humanitarian efforts to be known. The problem is, I can't very well say that things need to go a certain way because a God called Death said so. I also can't claim that things will go the way Death wants because of divine theory. The other Champions exist and can do things that would make it more difficult for Death's plans to go how it is written so If I claim a certain thing and it doesn't go exactly as I said, there will be negative feedback,' he placed a finger on his lip and sighed heavily.
"Have I not said that twenty years will be the perfect time to reveal the Shepherd to the populace while in fifty we will be the most influential religion in the world. And also, have I not said that when it's time for things to change I will, no, haven't I just said it? I just said that I will let you all know when it's time to move things along. Ah, you know what, Andie I feel as if my followers, my Elders, do not trust in their own capabilities or their ability to follow orders, do not trust that things are moving in the right direction, and do not trust in me...", Aaradhya placed even more pressure on Andie by using the Verdant and his spiritual energy.
"Is this not true," he leaned forward and openly scoffed.
"N...no, my lord. T...that's not true at all. Your wisdom and reach is unfathomable and boundless. I trust you, with my life and with my death. There is nothing that I don't trust you with. Please show mercy," The Eleventh Elder felt as if his entire body was burning with how thick the Verdant clung to his skin. He was awakened, to a lesser degree than many on the island but greater than the large majority of people in the world. It felt as though his skin was on fire.
The other Elders noticed the slight green tint that showed up around the Eleventh and slunk back into their seats. All except one. Simon Matthews. He remained standing even though he shook out of both awe and fear. He could also feel the Verdant on his skin since he was righ next to the Eleventh but instead of a burn, it felt like the warm light of day was beaming down on him.
"My Lord...", he squeaked out.
"Yes Simon," Aaradhya let go of his concentration and scanned the dark skinned man that addressed him.
"I have been keeping track of what all of the Elders have been doing for you and for the Shepherds over the past few months so I can figure out what my specialty is, what I can provide in my position...", Simon paused for a breath of air.
"And," Aaradhya raised an eyebrow in contemplation.
"I have not been able to figure out what it is that the High Priest is doing. I was wondering if you could enlighten me so that I do not over or under step," Simon bowed deeply as he asked his lord for guidance.
"My father is setting up bursary funds for the underprivileged under the name of the Shepherds," Aaradhya revealed. His face did fall as he continued to think on the matter.
'The problem for him is reorganizing and taking control over all of the Shepherds' financial accounts. Each of the Grand Elders has money stored in both the Swiss National Bank and the Cayman islands or this world's equivalent. I understand why. They need different accounts so that they each have their own funds or resources for events and necessities that are specific to their role within the cult,' Aaradhya noted the awkward silence after his response and spoke out.
"Alright, now that you know what everyone is doing, I hope to hear some good news on what you will be up to in the coming weeks. Now, let's dig in," he was the first to reach for a fork and eat. No one touched their food until he was done eating.