Combat Maid Harem

Lawrend took the small gem and put it in his pocket. He didn't see anything suspicious about it, like a magical formation, which made him believe the Third Ancestor more.

"When are they arriving?" Lawrend asked.

"In about a day. They are using their top speed with four Heaven Mages pulling the others with them."

"What do you want me to do?"

"For now, follow me. I will lead you out of the clan. We must not let others see your departure!"

The Third Ancestor was very helpful. Lawrend was still suspicious of him, but he decided to trust them for now. There was no point for them to trick him like this. He was basically a fish on their chopping board.

They flew up and arrived at the lava lake. Almost everyone had left for a few that was still waiting with curious looks on their faces. Lawrend's maids immediately ran for him and embraced his chest.

"Master!" Aleshia cried out tearfully.

She had imagined the worst. These few days had been very stressful for her and the others. They didn't know where he was going when he left earlier.

Lawrend patted each of them on their heads. He felt bad for making them worry so much. He was still bitter about Valentina's death, but seeing them like this made him realize that he should cherish them more.

As his thoughts derailed, he couldn't help but imagine what it would feel if he lost them too. He shook his head and got those negative thoughts out. He didn't have the time to waste on pessimism.

"We need to leave," Lawrend said to each of them, using his magic.

"Huh?"

They turned to look at each other, and their faces seemed to ask Lawrend, "why?" even though they weren't saying anything.

"I will explain it on the way."

They shut their mouths and scuttled close to his back. Lawrend turned to the Third Ancestor and nodded his head.

"Lawrend, his maids, and his children will be taken to be punished by the clan!" the Third Ancestor announced loudly.

Paeia was shocked to hear that his daughter and his grandson would be punished. He opened his mouth, about to stop him.

"The clan has decided, Paeia."

Paeia's face darkened.

"But can't my merits forgive their misgivings?!" he angrily asked.

"That will be decided by the Council of Elders. Let's go, Lawrend. Follow me."

The Third Ancestor ignored Paeia and flew up. Lawrend, his maids, and his children followed behind.

Regret filled Paeia's face. He wasn't sure what kind of punishment would befall Ember and Inferno. He was more worried about them than Lawrend and his other maids.

Blood was thicker than water, after all.

Naturally, Lawrend was upset when Paeia didn't care about his well-being. He decided to not secretly tell the man the truth. He would suffer for a bit until the truth was revealed later.

"Ember, I will do my best to absolve you and little Inferno of punishment!" Paeia shouted as they left him behind.

Ember turned around and nodded her head. She didn't care about getting punished. She was more worried about why they were getting punished.

"The Ignis Clan is using the guise of punishing us for tainting the Ignis Bloodline with the Demon Bloodline to let us leave the clan."

Lawrend's timely voice answered Ember's question. She looked up, and disbelief was on her face. His words meant that he got the support of the clan.

But a deeper question lies within his words. Why would the clan need to do that?

"The two other great clans are planning to use Veronica and me as a chance to invade the Ignis Clan. I don't know why they were suddenly emboldened, but it is dangerous as…"

Lawrend proceeded to explain everything to them. The more they listened, the more scared they got. Knowing that eight Heaven Mages were headed to hunt them was a piece of leg-weakening information.

Their impression of the Third Ancestor also changed. Aleshia and the others found it hard to believe that he was helping them. Like Lawrend, they were doubtful if he was pretending or honest.

The Third Ancestor could guess what was happening behind him. Lawrend used his magic to speak to them without letting any sound out. This was so it was impossible for anyone to eavesdrop on them.

He felt proud of his achievement with his acting. Well, technically, he wasn't acting. He had been so used to despising the demons that he didn't even need to act anymore.

Only when the First Ancestor notified him to help Lawrend did he realize that he was putting on an act. It was a problem only someone who had lived for a long time like him could understand.

They headed into another part of the Phoenix Garden. This time it was a vast field of red flowers.

The Third Ancestor landed on the ground and threw a stone.

A massive network of magical formation lines lit up under their feet. It stretched in a two-meter wide circle, and a circular stone staircase leading down opened up for them.

"Each of you will take one of these gems. It can protect against Earth Mage spells. Break them once you are down there, and let the current of the magma take you. It will push you towards the Inner Region of the Ignis Clan, far away from here."

Aleshia and the others took an orange gem from the Third Ancestor's open palm. They curiously stared at it up close with their eyes.

"How about you?" Lawrend asked.

"I will stay here. A massive war will break out between the three great clans. If I leave, it will weaken our defense. Once you are out there, you may watch the show. The Ignis Clan is something to be proud of."

A smile bloomed on the Third Ancestor's face after he finished his words. He was proud and excited about what was about to happen next.

"We will watch if we can. Good luck."

"Even if we die, we will rebirth, so good luck is not needed."