The hooded man stood up, his gaze fixed on Celestia, though he couldn't completely ignore Xingyue's presence for long.
Unlike the dwarves of Skardos, he was well-informed about what had recently happened with the elves. And while a few could still be found, it wasn't hard to tell that Celestia was no ordinary elf.
Then there was the woman accompanying her. Something in her aura warned him that it would be best not to provoke her.
Thrain, upon seeing the two newcomers, quickly stepped in front of them with visible anxiety.
He shot the two women a quick glance, urging them to leave, then moved toward the hooded man, apologizing for the interruption and assuring him that these young ladies were already on their way.
Immediately after, he turned back to the two women in a hurry, winking at them and pointing toward the direction they had come from.
But the mysterious figure didn't seem to agree.
"Since you made us come here and now want us to wait another three days, I suppose this is a gift you prepared for us. How thoughtful," the words came out laced with pressure that filled the air, causing a cold sweat to run down the dwarf chief's back.
"Besides, my companion here," he said, pointing to one of the two who had remained silent until now, "has a particular fondness for elves."
Celestia looked at the man he had pointed to in confusion, not understanding what was being implied.
Meanwhile, the leader of the hooded men fixed his gaze on Xingyue. The warning his body felt was being actively ignored by his mind, especially as he grew particularly interested in the woman with star-like eyes.
Xingyue didn't seem to care about the situation. She walked past Thrain and sat down as if she owned the place.
Celestia followed her uncertainly and sat beside her, uncomfortably close to the man who had been pointed out for his fondness for elves.
Xingyue shook her head at her companion's foolishness.
Nevertheless, she finally seemed to decide it was time to pay attention to the arrogant man standing before her.
She gave him an innocent smile and said:
"How nice that we meet your approval. We left the nearest human village a while ago to visit the incredible Skardos Mountain. Thrain has been very kind in receiving us."
"Oh? You're from Tremvil?"
Xingyue didn't answer, only gave a slight nod with her eyes.
"You seem to know where we come from."
"We were there once, southeast of here. The most remote village in Valvradis, though I don't recall seeing anyone like you two there," a hint of distrust began to fill the man's voice, sensing the strangeness of the situation.
But the woman had already gotten what she wanted.
Before she had to wait for that old pervert, she stood up with a smile.
Celestia, who was uncomfortable with the proximity of the other man, looked at her in surprise and hurriedly followed:
"Wait for me!"
The leader of the hooded men frowned as he saw the woman's sudden change in attitude.
She said nothing and simply decided to leave.
The man's eyes darkened, and the entire room filled with a muddy sludge that blocked anyone's path — at least for those who were not, at minimum, Transcendent.
Because yes, the leader of these men had reached that level, and the arrogance in his bones was evident because of it.
Xingyue didn't let the disgusting substance touch her. Although it wasn't easily noticeable, a barrier separated her feet from the viscous filth.
Celestia, on the other hand, couldn't avoid it. Upon realizing what was touching her feet, the elf made a comical face, wanting to jump away from the disgusting material but failing.
They weren't the only ones affected: the two dwarves were also trapped. Both turned pale, terrified of what was about to happen.
…
Meanwhile, in Demor, the days passed. The ten days that Vitalis's "informant" had mentioned were getting closer and closer.
At this moment, we find ourselves with a familiar duo.
Sylvia Sterling was in her mansion on the outskirts of the capital, along with a not-so-unexpected visitor.
Julius Sterling, who seemed to undergo an unrecognizable change every time he appeared, stood before his "grandmother" with a serious expression.
"Are you still going to pretend you don't know?"
The woman raised an eyebrow.
"What are you talking about?"
"About my grandmother, Sylvia. My real grandmother. My father's mother."
The director shifted uncomfortably.
"Why are you asking now?"
Julius put on a serious expression.
"Because I think I'm ready. Ready to know the truth."
The two stared at each other intently, each trying to see if the other would crack. It was clearly going to be a long afternoon for both of them.
"What happened in the legacy, Julius ?" Sylvia's intense gaze finally broke with a sigh.
The man looked away for a second, avoiding her eyes, but reacted immediately. "Don't change the subject…" Julius fixed his eyes firmly on the woman once more, radiating pure determination. "And also, what is your relationship with the man from the Varkas family?"
The great-aunt definitely hadn't expected that question. She thought she had been hiding her relationship with Cassian relatively well.
"How do you even know I have any kind of relationship with him? He's just a student at my academy, Julius," she replied, trying to downplay the matter in a casual tone.
The young man didn't seem to have come ready to back down. He immediately prepared to respond, but three people entered the room at the same time, abruptly interrupting them.
The Sterling dukes had made their appearance to cut off the uncomfortable conversation, accompanied by Fengyue, who was clearly pretending. Her mere presence completely changed the atmosphere in the room.
…
Near Skardos Mountain, Cassian had arrived.
He looked at the inhospitable place with curiosity, but it didn't take long for his gaze to fix on the location where he knew Xingyue was.
A sigh escaped his lips, and in what felt like a strangely slow blink, he disappeared and reappeared inside the endless corridors the dwarves had mined.
He arrived at a particular room, where seven pairs of eyes instantly fixed on him.
And one pair in particular couldn't hide the emotion upon recognizing him immediately.
Their master might have changed a bit, but to the eyes of the Ten Sisters, there was no way they wouldn't know it was him standing before them.
Xingyue immediately left her spot. With excitement and disbelief, she shouted:
"Master!"
She advanced with open arms while floating over the disgusting mud.
Both of them ignored everyone else, especially those watching them float with absolute shock.
Celestia, used to traveling with Xingyue, wasn't surprised to see her fly, but her gaze couldn't help but stay fixed on the man that a woman like Xingyue described as perfect.
But the only sound echoing in the room was Xingyue's voice, as she rubbed herself against Cassian:
"Master! Master! MASTER!"
________________________________________________________________________________________
Author's Note:
Hello! They finally met! Xingyue is so cute!
I wish they had all reunited, not only the two of them...
Anyway,
Thanks for reading, have a great weekend, and see you on Monday!