Emperor's Reckoning

Luckily, the chefs of the imperial kitchen didn't suffer severe injuries. Their injuries could be treated in under two days.

Lyon personally apologized to Anskar and Leyna for the disturbance Fenrir made. However, Fenrir didn't even feel the slightest guilt about it and just slept on Lyon's right shoulder all the time.

The day came to an end and it was finally time for Lyon to head back to Nostria, but this time Luna tagged along with her academy uniform.

Lyon still wore the clothes he got from Elize and attracted a quite number of girls, especially with Fenrir on his shoulder.

*grug

*grug

The chariot was moving in a leisurely manner, inside it the women were chatting with each other like they were sisters in their past life except for one girl.

"What's wrong Riku?" asked Ryona.

Riku seemed to be fidgeting about something.

"Master, c-can we make a trip to my Mist Sect?" asked Riku nervously.

"Oh where is that place?" cut Lyon in.

"It's about further east from the Lecryst City."

"What is it like in there?" asked Luna.

"Well, most of the students are female so-"

"WE'RE GOING!" ordered Lyon to Jugen.

"Bu-"

"WE ... ARE ... GOING," said Lyon.

*neiggh

Then the chariot headed east toward the Mist Clan.

-----------------------------------------------------

Following the road which Riku told, they met a dead end. The thing that blocked the road was a huge hill which was impossible for the people to climb especially the ones with a chariot.

"Are we heading the right way?" asked Lyon,

"I think so?" said Jugen.

*tap

*tap

Riku held up a circle shaped blue sigil with three '~' engraved on it.

*flash

The sigil and the hill flashed before their eyes and the hill instantly became blurry like a hologram.

"Now you can enter the Mist Clan."

*neigh

The chariot went in and the hill became normal once more.

-----------------------------------------------------

The Mist Clan was actually a valley surrounded by fake hills. Each of the hills was equipped with an illusion so that nobody could ever climb it over.

Despite being in a valley, the size of it was a little bigger than Lecryst City. According to Riku, the Mist Clan was split into five different regions. There were North, East, West, South, and Central.

The most prosperous one was obviously Central followed by North, South, West then East. Riku was from the East.

According to the assessment when she applied to this clan, her talent was in the 'low' category thus she was sent out to the East region.

The East region was the place with the least benefit among the five, it has the lowest food ratio, lowest skill art, and lowest Energy Beads distributions.

Energy Beads were beads that could accumulate heaven and energies by itself, so cultivator took advantage of this item by absorbing the energies to boost their cultivation level.

(Energy Beads also had rank on its own, low, medium, high, and top beads. In Deo, there was never a sighting of beads above top beads.)

Riku lived in a small house right at the edge of the fake hill they just got in to. She was from a rich family so she could afford a small house in the East region.

*neigh

*tap

*tap

"Ehem, welcome to my house," said Riku with opened arms.

.

.

.

An awkward silence filled the air.

*clap

Lyon was the first one clapping slowly before anyone else got the clue.

*clap*clap*clap*clap

*clap*clap*clap*clap*clap

.

.

.

*creak

"Oh hey Riku, I see you have come back from the trip, how was it?" a beautiful voice was emitted from the person that opened the door. She had a resemblance like Riku, but more mature and older. She was Riku's mom, Tiene Alkras.

*tap

*tap

"Oh, I see! You finally make friends!" a loud voice was heard from behind the chariot, that man was middle-aged and had a ripped but slim figure, a perfect swordsman. He was, of course, Riku's father, Yiaz Alkras. She got her hair colour from her father.

Both the husband and the wife were renowned sword masters, their merits were uncountable to the Mist Clan which explained their richness.

The only reason they stayed in the East region was that of their own child. They didn't want her to earn the Central spots from the back door because it will harm her development as a swordswoman and also her character.

Riku was actually an introvert when it came to making friends, but she had an indomitable will to learn to become stronger. Since she was an only child, her parents give nothing but the best for her.

The teacher which mentoring her was actually Yiaz and Tiene's teacher, an elder from the Central region.

*bow

To everyone's surprise, Yiaz actually bowed at Lyon and the rest, "Thank you for being my daughter's friends. *sob *sob, she is an only child and an introvert on top of that. *sob *sob."

"Dad stop embarrassing me!" said Riku.

But Yiaz still bowed.

"S-sir, it's alright we will always be her friend," said Lyon.

*sfwoosh

Yiaz suddenly moved as fast as lightning.

.

.

"Eh?" Lyon was stupefied

"Remember, only FRIENDS... right," whispered Yiaz with a bloodlust grin.

*gulp

*pull

"Alright alright, that's enough coming from you," said Tiene while pulling his husband's ear which made him screamed in pain, "Ah-ah-ah, I'm sorry my honey my dear, forgive me!".

"Since you are all came to visit us, please come in," said Tiene with a smile.

(This is why I'm an introvert) thought Riku.

The others could already guess what Riku was thinking and they could only smile wryly.

While they entered the house, a bulletin board was crowded. Apparently, they only read one particular notice titled 'Ascension'.

Ascension in the Mist Clan could only mean one thing. A chance to be accepted in the Central region.

Each of the four regions had the same chance of being accepted in the Central region. The conditions were:

1. Students had at the least level eight Soul Realm.

2. Students had mastered the intermediate level of Mist Sword Art.

3. Students will do battle against one of the students from the Central region, the outcome shall be decided by the elders and head of the Mist Clan.