Chapter 600: Ascended
The Sixth Elder stiffened immediately when he heard this laughter. It was clear that he was quite familiar with this member of the Mercenary Group.
Theron finally stopped pretending not to be paying attention to what was happening, glancing over at the man who was truly built like a soldier. Steering clear of him just seemed to be the most appropriate decision to make. Even standing too close might end in you being incinerated.
It could be said that Theron didn’t have the best relationship with Fire Mancers, and that was beside the fact that he was a Water Mancer—the antithesis to everything they were. This was instead because of a certain princess of the Firewing Empire. But at this point, those matters seemed like a lifetime away.
Theron’s gaze shifted to notice that the behemoth of a man was actually being followed by a few youths. They all had the same radiant heat to them, their backs adorned with the same duo of scythes, though theirs were much smaller than the man’s.
‘What a peculiar weapon Resonance path.’
Scythes were already rare weapons. Someone who would boldly use two of them was even odder. The fact they insisted on using them as large polearms at the same time was even more peculiar than that.
The Sixth Elder finally finished whispering to Matriarch Macie and faced off against the newcomers. Forcing a smile, he was the first to speak.
“What brings you here, Mercenary Kempe?”
“Well, you all have landed on my Connect Planet, so shouldn’t I come and check you in? It’s only natural for a host to do such things, no?”
The Sixth Elder’s expression became particularly ugly. This wasn’t a place they should have to check in. They had part ownership of the planet. This was nothing short of an insult.
“I don’t know what you mean, Sir Kempe. Our Nightingale Sect has as much a stake in the growth of this Connect Planet as any one of the other powers here. Please do not joke like this, it’s highly inappropriate.”
“Hoho,” Kempe chuckled. “It seems that having your Matriarch here has gained you a little bit of backbone. You haven’t dared speak to me like this in the last few months, no?”
The Sixth Elder’s jaw clenched. “I am not trying to be rude, Sir Kempe. But some words shouldn’t be said, lest there be misunderstandings.”
“Oh? And what will happen if there are misunderstandings? Are you going to correct them?” He emphasized the word correct as though goading the Sixth Elder into action.
“I only mean to set the record straight. Sir Kempe need not take such action, as we have part ownership of the Connect Planet as well. We know well how these proceedings go and what to do once we’ve arrived. There is no need to worry yourself with these matters.”
Kempe’s grin widened. “How kind of you, truly beautiful, indeed. I have to say that you are quite the politicians.” Before the Sixth Elder could sigh in relief, Kempe continued, “Unfortunately, politics only have a place when two parties are of equivalent strength.”
The words shredded the last bit of feigned cordiality there was.
“Your Nightingale Sect no longer has an Ascended Cloud Realm expert. You’ve lost your seat at the table. The fact this farce has already gone on for so long is because I can’t be bothered to travel to your Sect to personally tell your—” Kempe looked toward Macie, “—Matriarch the harsh truth. Unfortunately, she’s too old for me, so I can’t even be bothered to offer her a chance to warm my bed.”
The Sixth Elder’s eyes bulged with fury. At this point, the fact was that Matriarch Macie was their face. To talk about her so flippantly was an insult to them all.
His first instinct was to insult and lambast. His own temper wasn’t all that good. In fact, it was because of this that he was given such a task by the Sect. Usually, overseeing a Connect Planet—though requiring someone strong—wasn’t exactly an ideal position.
However, because he wasn’t well-liked precisely due to that temper, he had ended up here.
Before he could figure out what to say, though, it was Matriarch Macie who gave him a glance that made him step back. Surprisingly, she was the picture of calm.
“If the problem is lacking an Ascended Cloud Realm expert, there is no problem,” she said calmly.
Her aura didn’t flare up like a pillar, but instead slowly seeped out, as though pooling out of the barriers that restrained it.
The smile on Kempe’s face froze.
It was one thing for Macie to hide her aura from others, but it had escaped his attention as well. How was that possible?
Her eyes brightened just the slightest bit, and suddenly the aura of a First Resonance Ascending Cloud Realm expert filled the square.
It could be said that Macie was quite restrained and controlled. She didn’t give Kempe any reason to pile onto them. Trying to suffocate a Treading Cloud Realm expert with the aura of an Ascending Cloud Realm expert would have been foolish anyway.
It could be said that her response was perfect, which was odd considering this woman was absolutely nothing like the loose cannon that had been running the Nightingale Sect for the last three months.
The only one not surprised by this was Theron himself. The other elders that had come finally seemed to have some light of hope in their eyes as well.
It could be said that this was the problem that weighed them down the most—even more so than the cleared-out treasury. In the cultivation world, strength was everything.
Time could replenish their coffers, but it wouldn’t guarantee the creation of such an expert.
It seemed that Kempe immediately lost his momentum. Suddenly, something that should have been easy to cover with this particular bit of reasoning had become more complicated.
Without a legitimate reason to act, he would be overextending in his capacity as a Mercenary and might even be punished by his own Guild.